Registration & Networking: 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Plenary 1: 8:30 a.m. - 9:20 a.m.
AI in Total Rewards: What You're Already Doing and Why Governance Matters
Brent Yax, CEO, Awecomm
Chances are, AI is already part of your Total Rewards work, whether you realize it or not. Maybe you've used ChatGPT to draft a compensation summary or benchmark a role. Maybe your HRIS or compensation platform has quietly introduced AI-powered recommendations into your workflows. But has anyone in your organization stopped to ask: How does this actually work? Is it fair? Are we protected if it's challenged? Many HR professionals are using AI daily, yet few organizations have a formal policy governing how it's used in compensation and rewards decisions. The risks are real and growing, from algorithmic bias and pay equity exposure to legal liability and employee trust. The regulatory landscape is moving fast. This session meets you where you are. Whether you're a casual AI user or relying on tools with AI already embedded in your systems, you'll leave with a clear picture of what's at stake, the core governance areas every Total Rewards leader should understand, and practical steps you can take immediately without needing a massive budget or a team of data scientists.
Plenary 2: 9:35 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.
Optimizing Your Workplace Retirement Plan
Errol Hau, AIF®, CTP/CCM, Principal, Financial Advisor, CAPTRUST
Kim Huppertz, QKA, CPFA®, Vice President / Financial Advisor, CAPTRUST
As employment professionals, we are involved with our company’s retirement plan in some form or fashion. For some, working with the company retirement plan is a necessary function of the job. For others, it’s an exciting opportunity to impact the financial wellbeing of our coworkers. Studies show that employers benefit immensely from having financially healthy employees, increased productivity and employee morale, and decreased healthcare costs and employee absences. But how can the workplace retirement plan and financial wellness be optimized, and how is success defined? What are leading peers doing to engage their employees, and how can the obvious roadblocks to financial success be conquered? Join Errol Hau as he shares statistics, case studies, engaging stories, best practices, and more during this interactive session.
Plenary 3: 10:40 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The Engagement Program You Didn't Know You Had, And How to Evolve it Into a Culture Driver
Brian Snodgrass, President, Terryberry
Most HR leaders aren't starting from zero. They're sitting on top of an engagement program they just can't see. Please join Terryberry President, Brian Snodgrass, as he challenges HR leaders to stop asking "should we build an engagement program?" and start asking, "how do we take what we have and build it into something bigger?" Drawing on Terryberry's Engagement Maturity Map, he'll walk through the five stages of program maturity and give you a clear-eyed framework for assessing where you are, uncovering the gaps, and turning your program into a true culture driver.
Plenary 4: 12:15 p.m. - 1:05 p.m.
Navigating Comp Season: What to Expect and How to Stay Calm
Luke Corby, CCP, Director, Professional Services, Salary.com
Join us for a practical, story-driven session on the annual compensation planning cycle. Drawing from hundreds of compensation cycles, this presentation shares what actually works – and what rarely does -when preparing for, executing, and recovering from comp season. Learn how to set realistic expectations with leadership and managers, anticipate the inevitable surprises (budget changes, last-minute CEO decisions, data issues), and navigate the process with less stress by using proven approaches like thoughtful guidance, limited manager discretion, and calm preparation rather than over-analysis or perfectionism. You’ll leave with realistic strategies to run a smoother cycle, reduce panic, and focus on what matters most – without the usual drama.
Plenary 5: 1:20 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Your Benefits Package is Failing Three Generations at Once
Dean Austin, President & CEO, Austin Benefits Group
Today's workforce spans more generations and more life stages than ever before, and a one-size-fits-all benefits strategy leaves someone behind every time. Learn how modular plan design, voluntary benefits, and lifestyle spending accounts allow employers to meet the radically different needs of Gen Z, Millennials, and Boomers without proportionally increasing costs. In this session, Austin Benefits Group draws on 25 years of hands-on plan design experience to show you how smarter, more flexible benefits architecture can drive engagement, improve retention, and turn your benefits package into a true competitive advantage.
Plenary 6: 2:25 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
2026 Pay Briefing: Compensation Strategy in Uncertain Time
Kevin Marrs, Vice President, ASE
This session delivers a clear, data-driven view of current compensation trends based on ASE's annual survey. We'll go beyond the numbers to interpret what's driving pay decisions, linking wage movement to inflation pressures, labor market shifts, and ongoing economic uncertainty. Along the way, we'll unpack the workforce dynamics shaping compensation strategy, including hiring demand, turnover patterns, and evolving employer trade-offs. Attendees will leave with practical guidance to benchmark their organization against the market, identify where they are over- or under-positioned, and make more confident, strategically aligned pay decisions.