Workhuman Live Denver 2025

Explore the moments, memories, and milestones that made 2025 unforgettable.

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Celebrating Ten Years of Human Connection

Up against a year of uncertainty, HR professionals gathered at Workhuman® Live in Denver to focus on elevating their organization's resilience and productivity, their own personal growth, strategic clarity, organizational design, and visionary leadership.

But this wasn't just any year - it marked 10 years of Workhuman Live. Over the last decade, we've built a community shaped by you, the attendee. Keep reading for a recap of our favorite week of the year and keep the HR goodness alive by joining us next year in sunny Orlando!

A group of four women posing together in front of an orange backdrop featuring the text 'RECOGNITION DONE right.' They are smiling and appear to be celebrating, with one woman wearing a striped shirt and three others in solid colors. The setting includes a cozy orange couch, hinting at a lively and positive atmosphere.

A DJ with long, curly hair and sunglasses performs at a lively event, with a colorful backdrop featuring pink and blue swirls. In the foreground, attendees are seen enjoying the atmosphere.

A lively scene from the Workhuman Live conference, featuring attendees enjoying the event. One woman, smiling and animated, is dancing with her arm raised, while another woman engages with her. Various attendees are seen in the background, contributing to a vibrant atmosphere.

A man and a woman are seated at a table with electronic devices, appearing to engage in discussion at the Workhuman Live event. The man on the left has a shaved head and is smiling, while the woman next to him is focused on her tablet, displaying long hair and wearing a black top. In the foreground, a coffee cup is visible, and a name tag featuring 'Andrew' is placed on the table.

A crowded hallway at the Workhuman Live conference shows a diverse group of attendees walking together. The atmosphere is vibrant and engaged, with many individuals wearing name badges and carrying bags. A large screen in the background features an advertisement for a conversation with Trevor Noah, scheduled for May 12-15, 2025, at the Gaylord Rockies venue. The setting is modern, with colorful carpet design and bright overhead lighting, reflecting a dynamic conference environment.

A vibrant display at the Workhuman Live conference featuring the 'The Hub' exhibit. The booth showcases text reading 'YOUR STORY IS YOUR DATA. Add it to The Big Picture,' surrounded by attendees engaging with one another, some carrying luggage. Neon arrows and designs decorate the ceiling, adding to the energetic atmosphere of the setting.

Two women are engaged in a cheerful conversation while selecting ice cream from a display at the Workhuman Live event. The booth features colorful containers and toppings, and both women are smiling as they look at the offerings.

A lively scene from the Workhuman Live conference, featuring a group of attendees engaging in conversation at a round table. One woman with curly hair is laughing while seated next to another woman, with a potted plant on their table. In the background, other conference participants are visible, with a bright pink backdrop displaying the text: 'Purpose isn't to affirm beliefs, it's to evolve our beliefs.'

Center Stage: Clarity, Agility, and a Heart for Leadership

The mainstage came to life with keynote speakers like Trevor Noah, Adam Grant, and other industry trailblazers who shared fresh, thought-provoking takes on leadership, workplace culture, and what it means to be human at work.

We also heard from Workhuman customers BP and Cisco on the main stage. Kelly Jones and Kerry Dryburgh shared a powerful conversation on how to lead HR teams and organizations through continuous uncertainty, reminding us that leadership requires more than vision. It demands clarity, agility, and heart. They also reminded us that employee recognition isn't just a nice-to-have - it's a game-changing strategy that's driving results in engagement, retention, and inclusion.

A man smiling while speaking on stage at a Workhuman Live event, with vibrant pink lights in the background.

A man with curly hair sits on a white chair, holding a microphone and smiling while speaking. He is dressed in a navy blazer over a grey shirt. The background features a blue gradient.

Takeaways from 60+ Sessions: Rise up, Build up, Lift up, and Step up

This year's content centered around four immersive tracks - with breakouts and workshops designed to help attendees rise above the noise and approach their work with greater purpose.

Rise Up focused on personal growth and strategic clarity.
Build Up explored organizational resilience and high-performing cultures rooted in trust and recognition.
Lift Up emphasized equity, community insight, and the broader role of HR as a steward of humanity.
Step Up challenged leaders to innovate boldly at the intersection of people and technology.

Across 60+ sessions, speakers and HR practitioners shared actionable strategies for leading through uncertainty, amplifying empathy with AI, and elevating culture as a true business driver.

Some standout moments included: Hamza Khan reminding us that hope without action is merely a wish, but when combined with action, it becomes a blueprint for a better tomorrow. And, Erin Meyer, who offered powerful insights into the role of culture in international collaboration, showing how a nuanced understanding of cultural dynamics can determine whether global teams thrive or falter.

A person in a bright blue suit stands on stage, gesturing with their hands while speaking to an audience. The background features dark curtains and a spotlight effect, and the audience is partially visible, showing heads and shoulders.

A speaker on stage enthusiastically gestures while addressing an audience at the Workhuman Live conference. The speaker has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a black top. The overall atmosphere is engaging and dynamic, emphasizing an interactive presentation.

A woman wearing a bright red blazer is speaking at an event, smiling and gesturing with her right hand. The background is dark, emphasizing her presence on stage.

A woman in a bright pink dress is speaking on stage at a conference, with her arms raised in a gesture of emphasis. The background is dark, creating a contrast that highlights her presence.

A speaker gesturing with both hands while addressing an audience, wearing a black top and a patterned light gray blazer.

A speaker gestures while presenting at a Workhuman Live event, with the backdrop of a dark curtain illuminated by blue lighting. The speaker is dressed in a plaid shirt and suit, holding a presentation remote in their right hand, and appears engaged with the audience.

Now Live: First-Ever Council for Chief People Officers

Workhuman and The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute also launched something pretty exciting: the very first Chief People Officer Council. It's a one-of-a-kind group bringing together forward-thinking CPOs to help raise the bar for HR and its role in driving real business results. This Council is all about giving people leaders a bigger seat at the table and showing just how much impact they can have at the top levels of an organization. You can learn more about it here.

A live panel discussion at the Workhuman Live event features two women seated in chairs. One woman, dressed in pink, gestures while speaking, and the other, in a black top, listens attentively. A large screen behind them displays the text 'WSJ Chief People Officer Council,' indicating the topic of discussion. The event is set against a professional conference backdrop, with branding for Workhuman Live visible at the top.

The Future of Recognition: A Live View of Workplace Culture

One of the standout moments from this year's event was the launch of Workhuman Topics™—a brand-new feature in the Human Intelligence™ suite. It's a smart, AI-powered way to turn everyday recognition into a real-time snapshot of what's happening in your company culture. Whether it's inclusion, innovation, or leadership behaviors, Topics shows how those priorities are actually coming to life across teams, without anyone having to fill out forms or take on extra work.

With Human Intelligence, you have the tools to truly understand your people—who's driving impact, how teams are collaborating, and where extra support might be needed. It's recognition with real insight.

Workhuman Central: Energy, Ideas & Gratitude

Workhuman Central is recognition in motion: where ideas spark action, connections flourish, and the energy is contagious. It's more than a space; it's the pulse of the conference, mirroring the key content tracks with interactive activations created just for this conference.

And, we also let loose. We mingled, drank coffee, danced, and even got massages (in no particular order). The connection-building was nonstop, the conversations were deep, and when the DJ dropped the beat after Trevor Noah, we danced hard, turning the night into a celebration of connection. A dance circle formed in the middle, proving that Workhuman Live isn't just about providing a forum to share ideas, it also brings the fun!

Looking Ahead: Sunny Orlando, here we come!

From fresh perspectives to lasting relationships, we hope every attendee left Workhuman Live 2025 feeling grounded, energized, and elevated.

We had a blast in Colorado. Now it's time to turn up the heat - and turn down the price - for Workhuman Live 2026 in Orlando, Florida. Join us April 27-30, 2026, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. Secure your early bird rate today.