Employee experience has never mattered more – and rarely has it felt harder to get right. People professionals are being asked to improve engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and retention at a time when energy is low, workloads are high, trust is fragile, and expectations have fundamentally shifted.
AI, economic uncertainty, challenges around hybrid working and constant change have impacted how people experience work on a day-to-day basis. Yet many organisations still rely on frameworks, processes and assumptions that no longer fit the reality people are living in.
This is why Employee Xperience Expo 2026 is such an important event. Taking place on 24th February at Excel London, the expo recognises that EX is no longer a ‘nice to have’ or a standalone initiative – it’s a strategic, cultural and leadership challenge that sits at the heart of performance and retention.
The conversations at this year’s Expo focus on what genuinely shapes experience today: how leaders show up, how work is designed, how listening turns into action, how technology supports rather than erodes humanity, and how organisations create environments where people want to stay, grow and contribute.
Reserve your spot at the Employee Xperience Expo today
What’s on the agenda?
Here’s a flavour of the expo’s programme – from panel debates to interactive workshops.
Panel discussion highlights
We’ll start the day with an AI People Operations Panel exploring the future of work and how AI can enable productivity and retention.
Speakers include: HR Director Claire Horner, The Belfeild Group; Director of People Jo Mountney, MND Association; People & Leadership Partner Marie Proctor, Capital Edge HR; People Transformation Manager Stanislava Gaspar, Heathrow and HR Analyst Mervyn Dinnen (panel chair).
Next, we’ll host a panel discussion on the ‘ripple’ effect of everyday peer-to-peer recognition, and how it boosts connection and retention while also creating a more inclusive and empowered workplace culture.
Panel chairs: Phillipa Donnelly, Diligent, and Vanessa Russel, GTS Rail Operations
Recognising that AI is now the ‘front door’ to work with a large impact on how our people find information, make decisions and collaborate, we’ll have a discussion session ‘Trust is the new Ex’.
Speakers: Elsevier’s Sarah Meurer, Kevin Ferneyhough and Lisa Pantelli will share a simple leadership framework and practical comms playbook.
Key themes: from Gen Z to financial wellbeing
Throughout the day, Gen Z will no doubt feature in a few sessions and Selecta’s ex-people leader Marie Proctor will offer advice on how to manage expectations and really engage and develop this generation. And the impact of hearing the six dreaded words that no employee wants to hear ‘I Have Some Feedback for You’ will be explored in a drama-based workshop by Helen Buchanan of Enact.
On Main stage 2, we will hear about the recent rise in sickness absence as leading voices from the workplace wellbeing and absence management sector unpack the underlying trends and how organisations can address this.
Financial wellbeing is also a key theme for the day, with Ashraf Sherdel, a financial wellbeing consultant at HSBC, exploring the critical role this plays in fostering a healthy, productive and engaged workforce.
Looking at employee health more broadly, three of the UK’s largest wellbeing leader communities will come together for a unique panel to talk about the future of workplace wellbeing and what we can do to better support employees.
Workplace design also plays a big role in wellbeing. Isobel Elton, of design consultancy ‘Future of the Office’, will run an interactive session exploring how to build genuinely inclusive workplaces. The session will also look at how physical environment and everyday culture can either help – or hinder – your people.
See you there!
If you’re a people professional navigating the pressure of doing more with less, then the Employee Xperience Expo 2026 is your chance to step back from firefighting, learn from those tackling these challenges head-on, and reconnect with the purpose of the work you do.
You’ll leave with sharper insight, practical ideas, and renewed confidence to shape experiences that truly make a difference for both people and organisations.
Reserve your spot at the Employee Xperience Expo 2026 (24th February, Excel London).
