What to expect at SHRM’s 2025 annual conference

With the July Fourth holiday coming up, next week is expected to see sky-high travel in the US. Thousands of HR pros are getting ready to descend upon San Diego—but not for vacation.

This year, SHRM is hosting its annual conference at the San Diego Convention Center, from June 29 through July 2. More than 20,000 attendees are projected to attend this year, SHRM spokesperson Anne Sparaco confirmed with HR Brew.

Attendees can expect to be treated to a star-studded mainstage speaker lineup, hundreds of breakout sessions, and some 500 exhibitors on the expo floor. Feeling overwhelmed by all there is to offer? Don’t fret, HR Brew has a breakdown below of what attendees can expect during the four-day conference.

On the mainstage. This year’s big-name speakers lineup boasts a slate of celebrities and politicians including former President Joe Biden, Saturday Night Live alum and Ted Lasso co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis, and The Office stars and Office Ladies podcast co-hosts Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer.

Sudeikis will appear first in a fireside chat on Sunday afternoon. HR pros who attended last year’s conference may remember that Sudeikis was scheduled to appear then as well, but cancelled at the last minute to watch WNBA star Caitlin Clark nearby. Clark isn’t scheduled to play that day, so fingers crossed Sudeikis will show up this time.

SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. will deliver a keynote speech on Monday June 30, continuing his analogy from last year of HR pros facing a storm of crises, now focusing on how they navigated that storm. Kinsey and Fisher are expected on the mainstage with BambooHR CEO Brad Rencher on Tuesday July 1, to discuss separating “fact from fiction” regarding “today’s hottest workplace trends.” (Maybe suspending a stapler in Jell-O will be the next fad?)

On Wednesday, the final day of the conference, former President Biden will speak—via livestream—at the closing mainstage session, about leadership during times of drastic change and addressing multiple significant challenges.

Off the mainstage. Beyond the high-profile lineup, more than 200 breakout sessions are scheduled over the course of the conference, including “modern employee experience,” “AI, data, and tech,” and “strategic HR, organizational design and change management.”

Some sessions hosted by current HR practitioners include:

• “Leading through the AI transformation: A human centered approach,” hosted by Christopher Fernandez, corporate VP of HR at Microsoft who’s led the tech giant’s global HR AI strategy, discussing his experience with AI transformation, as well as responsible leadership and strategies for adopting the technology.
• "No excuses: using AI to bridge the language gap," hosted by Erika Tedesco, learning and development leader at telecommunications company CTDI, discussing how AI can be used to overcome workplace communication challenges.
• “HR in the lead on skills: Onward toward a skills-first future,” where leaders from Workday, Wells Fargo, SHRM, and more will discuss best practices for approaching skills-first hiring.

Several employment law firms, will host compliance-focused sessions, including:

• “Beyond the paper trail: Mastering the art of bulletproof HR investigations,” hosted by veteran Fisher & Phillips attorneys Melanie Webber, co-chair of the firm’s crisis communication and strategy group, and Lindsay Massillon.
• “Resilient immigration programs in a compliance-focused environment,” hosted by Priscilla Muhlenkamp, a partner at Fragomen.
• “EEOC is not messing around: Harassment prevention for 2025 and beyond,” hosted by Michael Cohen, a partner at Duane Morris.

On the expo floor. HR pros hoping to check out the latest HR tech tools or troubleshoot with vendors will find more than 500 exhibitors in the expo hall this year, including ATS software makers to insurance providers (though around 700 were present last year.)

HR tech companies big and small will be set up on the expo floor, including major players such as ADP, Workday, and UKG. Other vendors will include healthcare brands like Aetna and Johnson & Johnson, law firms and legal services, and staffing agencies including LHH and Robert Half.

Feeling excited yet? See you there! HR Brew will have team coverage of highlights from the event.