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20,000 HR professionals in one room. Oprah on stage. CEOs from Marriott, Delta, and Accenture are sharing what’s actually working inside their companies.
That’s what conferences for leadership look like in 2026.
Whether you’re trying to build a stronger team, figure out how AI fits into your work, or just need two days away from your inbox to think bigger, there’s an event on this list for you.
We’ve rounded up the best leadership conferences happening this year, organized month by month. Some are massive (think 350,000 attendees across 100+ countries). Others keep it small so you can actually have a real conversation. Some require a flight to Vegas or Orlando. Others broadcast to a venue 20 minutes from your house.
Find the one that fits your goals, your industry, and your budget.
Note: The table highlights some of the top leadership conferences in 2026. The blog explores more exciting events.
Date: February 2–4, 2026 Location: JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio, Texas, USA
NBAA’s Leadership Conference is built for business aviation professionals who want to level up their leadership game. The 2026 event runs three days and focuses on a simple but powerful theme: “From Potential to Performance: Unlocking the Best in Yourself and Your Team.”
You’ll hear from award-winning authors and leadership experts who actually know how to work with multigenerational teams. The conference tackles real challenges, such as sharpening your communication skills and finding a better work-life balance.
NBAA provides a mobile app that allows you to plan your schedule, navigate the venue, and connect with other attendees without the usual conference chaos.
This isn’t your typical sit-and-listen conference. You’ll walk away with strategies you can use right when you get back to the office. The leadership seminars are designed to help you lead with clarity and get better results from your team.
The networking here is different, too. The conference attracts C-suite executives and industry leaders, and the intimate resort setting makes it easier to have real conversations. You’re not fighting through massive crowds like you would at a 40,000-person trade show.
Pricing isn’t listed publicly, so check the NBAA Leadership Conference website for details.
Date: February 24, 2026
Location: Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA
The Bellevue Chamber’s Women’s Leadership Conference is back for its sixth year. This one-day event focuses on professional development and self-improvement across all career stages, from entry-level to the C-suite.
The 2026 theme centers on what it takes to be a good leader who empowers others. Past conferences covered investing in health and finances, intersectionality in the workplace, and navigating male-dominated fields. This year reframes those lessons for professionals at every level.
The keynote speaker is Jane Boulware, a retired Microsoft executive and author. You’ll also hear from leaders like Terri Fujinaga from the Seattle Storm, Madeline Haydon from nutpods, and eight other speakers from organizations across the Pacific Northwest. The event includes a resource fair, conference sessions, a happy hour, and a book signing.
This conference is designed for women who want practical skills and confidence to move to the next level in their careers. The sessions focus on actionable strategies you can use right away, not just theory.
The resource fair gives you access to organizations and vendors who support women’s professional growth. The intimate setting at Meydenbauer Center makes networking easier than at larger conferences. You’ll connect with other professionals who understand the challenges of leadership in today’s workplace.
Member pricing ranges from $160–$200 depending on when you register. Non-member tickets range from $200–$245. Table packages for 8 people are available from $1,200–$1,720. Check the Bellevue Chamber website for current availability and pricing.
Date: March 12–18, 2026
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
SXSW is a week-long conference and festival that runs across three tracks: Innovation, Film & TV, and Music. The 2026 event covers 12 themed tracks, including Workplace, Tech & AI, Brand & Marketing, Startups, and Creator Economy.
The Workplace track runs the full week and tackles leadership topics like career development, DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging), upskilling strategies, and evolving workplace design. You’ll hear from visionary leaders about how AI and emerging tech are changing job expectations around flexibility and purpose.
SXSW uses its official mobile app, SXSW GO, to help attendees navigate the chaos. You can build your schedule, claim advanced reservations for sessions, network with other attendees through direct messaging, and get real-time recommendations based on your location. The app syncs across devices and uses machine learning to suggest sessions, showcases, and people you should connect with.
If you’re in marketing, tech, startups, or creative industries, SXSW puts you in the room with the people shaping what’s next. The Workplace track specifically addresses leadership challenges you’re dealing with right now, like managing multigenerational teams, adapting to AI tools, and rethinking what flexibility means in 2026.
The reservation system means you can actually plan your week instead of hoping to get into sessions. You get a set number of daily reservations through the app, so you’re not stuck in walk-up lines for everything. The networking tools work well, too. The app’s directory lets you search for other attendees and message them directly, which beats trying to exchange business cards in a crowded hallway.
Platinum Badges cost $1,995 ($2,095 walk-up) and provide access to all tracks and events. Innovation Badges are $1,395 ($1,495 walk-up) and cover Brand & Marketing, Cities & Climate, Creator Economy, Culture, Startups, Sports & Gaming, Tech & AI, Workplace, Design, and Health tracks.
Check the SXSW website for current availability.
Date: April 21-23, 2026
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The Great Place to Work for All Summit brings together 2,000+ leaders focused on building high-trust, high-performance organizations. This year’s theme is “Welcome to the new business as usual,” and the event runs three days with keynotes, focus sessions, and peer networking.
You’ll hear from CEOs running major companies like Marriott, Delta, Hilton, and Accenture. Angela Duckworth (the “Grit” author) and Larry Miller from Jordan Brand are speaking too. These are leaders sharing what’s working in their organizations right now.
The Summit offers three tracks. General admission gets you mainstage sessions and the Great Place To Work Effect focus sessions. The Executive Leader Experience is just for CEOs and C-suite folks from mid-sized companies (500–2,500 employees). The ERG Experience targets Employee Resource Group leaders.
This is where you learn from companies that have the data to back up their culture strategies. The sessions show you how Great Place To Work Certified organizations use their Trust Index results to cut turnover costs and beat the market.
One cool feature is Braindates, a networking tool that ditches small talk. You host or join conversations around actual topics you care about, like using HR data to influence executives or dealing with AI challenges. It beats wandering around hoping to meet the right people.
Advance tickets (January 1–February 15) cost $1,995. Full price (February 16–April 23) is $2,195. Nonprofits, government, education, veterans, and groups of 5+ can get discounts. Payment is due within 30 days and must be received by April 3, 2026. Check the For All Summit website for details.
Date: April 27–30, 2026
Location: Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, USA
Workhuman Live brings 3,000+ HR and people leaders together for four days focused on building workplace cultures that actually work. The headliner is a moderated conversation with former First Lady Michelle Obama. You’ll also hear keynotes from Angela Duckworth (the “Grit” author) and Shawn Achor, who researches happiness at work.
The conference runs 65+ expert speakers across different session formats. Big Ideas sessions tackle topics like navigating AI and Gen Z, building fearless organizations, and using behavioral science to redesign how you manage talent.
Skills Labs give you hands-on practice with things like difficult conversations and turning recognition data into performance insights. Breakout sessions dig into specific challenges, addressing workplace harm, designing AI-enabled workforces, and building succession plans without burning people out.
Networking happens in a few ways. The main space, Workhuman Central, has immersive exhibits, networking lounges, and quiet spots if you need a break. Plus, the conference app helps you build your schedule and message other attendees.
Workhuman Live tackles conversations other conferences skip. They’ve led panels on DEI at a crossroads, AI job displacement fears, generational conflict when Gen Z entered the workforce, racial injustice, and #MeToo. These aren’t easy topics, but they’re the ones HR leaders actually deal with.
The Action Planning sessions turn inspiration into execution. You’ll leave with a ready-to-launch blueprint instead of just a notebook full of ideas you never use. You can also rack up 12.5 professional development credits through SHRM and APTD, more than most conferences offer.
At the time of writing this blog, general admission costs $1,895. But as the event nears, the prices are going to increase. Check the Workhuman Live website for what’s still available.
Date: May 17–20, 2026
Location: Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
ATD26 is the world’s largest leadership conference for learning and development professionals. Over 10,000 attendees from 80+ countries gather to figure out how to build training programs that actually drive business results.
With AI changing how people learn and work, the sessions focus on helping L&D leaders stay ahead instead of playing catch-up. You’ll find 350+ sessions across 14 tracks, including Leadership & Management Development, Learning Technologies, Talent Strategy, and Career Development.
Past keynotes have included Simone Biles, Venus Williams, Seth Godin, and Matthew McConaughey. The 2026 speakers haven’t been announced yet, but ATD consistently brings in names that draw a crowd. The EXPO floor features 300+ exhibitors showing off the latest in learning tech, content platforms, and training tools.
If you’re responsible for developing leaders in your organization, the Leadership & Management Development track is built for you. Sessions cover everything from building a global workforce to creating leadership pipelines that actually work. The Learning Technologies track digs into how AI and new platforms are changing the way people learn.
ATD also offers different session formats so you’re not just sitting through presentations all day. “Crash and Learn” sessions let you fail fast and learn from it. “Knowledge in Action” sessions are hands-on. “Perspectives Panels” bring multiple viewpoints to the same topic.
Preferred pricing (through February 27) is $2,295 for members and $2,695 for non-members. Teams of 5+ save big, with member rates dropping to $1,795 per person. Government employees get special pricing. Check the ATD26 website for current rates and team discounts.
Date: June 15–19, 2026
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
SHRM26 is the world’s largest leadership conference for HR professionals. Over 20,000 people gather for four days to tackle the challenges shaping today’s workplace: AI, talent retention, culture, and organizational change.
The 2026 keynotes set the tone. For example, Oprah Winfrey opens the main stage. John Maxwell, who’s written 21 books on leadership, delivers a session on what it takes to lead effectively in 2026. Betty Thompson, former Chief People Officer at Booz Allen, rounds out the headliners.
The conference runs 375+ sessions across nine tracks. The Leadership & Development track focuses on managing diverse teams, leading through change, and building your own career.
If you’re an HR leader trying to grow your influence, this is the leadership event to attend. The sessions aren’t just theory either. You’ll leave with frameworks for navigating organizational change, building leadership pipelines, and developing the strategic skills that get you a seat at the table.
SHRM also uses AI-powered matching to connect you with peers who share your role and challenges before the event starts. Once you’re on-site, you can join peer group sessions with people from your same industry, whether that’s healthcare, tech, manufacturing, government, or retail.
Standard pricing starts February 14 at $2,595. Groups of 5+ save 10% or more. Virtual passes are also available. Check the SHRM26 website for current rates.
Date: July 9–10, 2026
Location: The Westin Tokyo, Japan
Gartner CIO Leadership Forum is a two-day event built specifically for enterprise CIOs. You have to apply to attend and meet eligibility requirements (either an enterprise-wide CIO, or a business unit/regional CIO responsible for $250M+ revenue or 1,000+ employees).
The 2026 theme is “Leadership in Motion,” and the agenda runs across two tracks. Track A covers the CIO as Functional Leader, digging into things like managing AI’s impact on infrastructure, operational resilience, and evolving risk environments. Track B focuses on the CIO as CxO, which is all about expanding your influence beyond IT and building real partnerships with other executives.
Gartner brings its research-backed insights to every session. You’re not getting generic advice here. The content comes from 200,000+ annual conversations between Gartner experts and IT leaders, so it’s grounded in what’s actually happening across the industry.
The value here is access. Access to Gartner analysts for one-on-one meetings where you can validate your strategy. Access to other CIOs in roundtables and workshops where you’re solving real problems together. And access to research you won’t find anywhere else.
Past attendees say the peer conversations are just as valuable as the sessions. Because everyone in the room is a CIO, the discussions go deeper than surface-level networking. You’re comparing notes with people who face the same challenges you do.
Early bird pricing (through March 31) is ¥204,600 (~$1,350 USD). Standard pricing is ¥224,400. Public sector pricing is available at ¥190,300. Gartner Executive Programs members get complimentary access. Check the Gartner website to apply and register.
Date: July 12–14, 2026
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
The AHA Leadership Summit is where hospital and health system executives come to tackle the big challenges related to leadership and management of hospitals.
The 2026 agenda focuses on what it actually takes to lead a health system through constant change. Sessions cover scaling innovation, transforming care delivery, and building future-ready organizations. You’ll choose from general sessions and concurrent breakouts based on what’s most relevant to your role.
The Innovation Hub serves as the event’s central gathering space. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshment breaks happen there, which means you’re naturally running into other attendees between sessions. Monday evening features a Summit Soiree at the Denver Art Museum for networking in a more relaxed setting.
If you’re a healthcare executive trying to figure out how to lead your organization through constant disruption, this is the leadership conference built for you. The sessions focus on practical approaches to transforming care delivery, not just theory.
Early Bird pricing (through June 1) is $1,200 for AHA members and $1,400 for non-members. After June 1, prices go up to $1,300 and $1,500, respectively. Check the AHA Leadership Summit website for current availability.
Date: August 6–7, 2026
Location: 400+ host sites across the U.S. and Canada, plus online
The Global Leadership Summit is a two-day leadership event that reaches 350,000+ attendees across 100+ countries. Instead of flying everyone to one location, the Summit broadcasts to local host sites (churches, businesses, organizations) and online, so you can participate from wherever you are.
Past speakers have included three former Fortune 500 CEOs and leadership names like Jim Collins, Condoleezza Rice, and Simon Sinek. The 2026 faculty hasn’t been announced yet, but the Summit consistently brings a mix of business leaders, authors, faith leaders, and culture-shapers.
The format focuses on practical tools you can use right away, not just inspiration. Sessions cover leadership across 30+ industries, from nonprofits and education to entrepreneurship and corporate teams. Whether you’ve led for decades or you’re just getting started, the content is designed to help you take your next step.
Most leadership conferences require expensive travel and days away from work. The Summit’s host site model makes it accessible. You show up locally, watch world-class speakers via broadcast, and connect with other leaders in your community. It’s a different vibe than a massive convention center, and for a lot of people, that’s the appeal.
The Summit also draws people from different sectors who care about the same thing: leading well. You’ll be in a room with educators, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and business owners, all working on similar challenges from different angles. That cross-industry perspective is hard to find elsewhere.
Super Early Bird pricing is $199 for local host sites and online. Check the Global Leadership Summit website for current rates and host site locations near you.
Date: September 17–18, 2026
Location: Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The World Diversity in Leadership (WODIL) Conference is an annual international event focused on equity, diversity, and inclusive leadership. It brings together policymakers, researchers, community leaders, and professionals from both public and private organizations to share ideas and real-world strategies.
The 2026 program continues conversations around building diverse workforces and creating environments where underrepresented voices are heard. Past discussions have covered topics like gender equality, religious diversity, and inclusion across industries. The conference also explores how technology and innovation shape diversity efforts, including conversations around AI and automation in the workplace.
Sessions are designed to move beyond awareness and into action. You can expect panels and discussions that look at how inclusive leadership strengthens trust, drives innovation, and improves organizational performance.
If your role involves people strategy, culture, or organizational leadership, this event gives you exposure to different perspectives from across sectors. You’ll hear how other leaders are tackling real diversity challenges inside their teams and communities.
Because the audience includes policy leaders, corporate professionals, and researchers, conversations go deeper than surface-level best practices. It’s a good setting for learning how inclusion efforts translate into measurable outcomes.
Registration is available through the official WODIL website. Pricing details are not publicly listed, but attendees can choose from available ticket options during registration.
Date: October 28–31, 2026
Location: Toronto, Canada
The 28th Global Conference by the International Leadership Association (ILA) brings together leaders, scholars, educators, and practitioners from around the world to tackle one central question: how leadership must evolve in an increasingly complex world.
The 2026 theme, Leadership in a Complex World, responds directly to today’s realities. Polarization. Climate crisis. Digital disruption. The conference is designed around the idea that traditional leadership models are no longer enough.
Across four days, participants explore leadership through four interconnected lenses: inclusive and ethical global leadership, digital and AI-era leadership, sustainable and regenerative leadership, and leadership and followership for systemic change. Sessions span research, practice, and education, with a strong emphasis on ethical decision-making, resilience, and long-term societal impact.
The program includes over 400 workshops and presentations across 19 streams, creating space for deep discussion, cross-sector collaboration, and evidence-based learning.
This conference is a strong fit if you work at the intersection of leadership, education, policy, organizational development, or research. You’ll hear from global voices in leadership studies and connect with professionals who care deeply about bridging theory and practice.
Unlike typical leadership events, ILA’s community model encourages participation from everyone, not just keynote speakers. The result is thoughtful sessions, meaningful hallway conversations, and exposure to ideas that challenge how leadership is taught, studied, and practiced.
It’s also a valuable networking environment, with structured and informal opportunities to connect with scholars, executives, nonprofit leaders, educators, and students from around the world.
Registration pricing varies by membership status and registration window, with Super Saver rates starting at $595 for members and $895 for non-members. Fees increase across Early Bird, Regular, and Late periods, with discounted pricing available for students. Learn more on the website.
Date: November 2–3, 2026 Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Learning Leadership is built for people who lead L&D, training, and talent development teams. The event caps at 300 attendees, which keeps things intimate and makes sure every conversation actually matters. You’re not wandering a massive expo hall hoping to bump into someone interesting.
The format is different from most conferences too. Instead of sitting through polished presentations, you get fireside chats with industry pioneers, expert panels on what’s really happening in L&D, and “Ask Me Anything” sessions where you can dig into whatever’s on your mind. Nothing is scripted, so conversations go wherever attendees need them to go.
This year, Learning Leadership runs alongside DevLearn 2026, which is North America’s largest learning technology event. Team leaders can attend both, and on November 3, the two events merge for a joint networking night.
The sessions tackle what L&D leaders are actually dealing with right now. Things like AI adoption, building measurement programs that prove impact, moving from order-taker to strategic partner, and leading multigenerational teams. Past attendees have come from Coca-Cola, Netflix, Nike, Disney, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, and Visa. And because the group is small, you’ll actually get to talk to them instead of waving from across a crowded room.
Ticket prices aren’t mentioned. Keep checking the website to stay updated.
Date: November 4–5, 2026
Location: Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York City
The World Business Forum is one of the top executive leadership conferences that has been running since 2004. The idea behind it is straightforward: take the biggest names in business thinking, put them on one stage, and let senior executives learn directly from them.
The 2026 lineup includes Jim Collins, Indra Nooyi (former PepsiCo CEO), Malcolm Gladwell, and Daniel Goleman. Sessions cover the topics executives are actually dealing with right now: leadership, strategy, transformation, emotional intelligence, and AI.
You’re not just getting two days of talks. You’re in a room with 10,000+ senior executives from companies across industries. The hallway conversations matter as much as what happens on stage.
Your ticket also unlocks WOBI membership for the year. That means 300+ hours of digital content, on-demand access to World Business Forums from around the globe, and networking events throughout the year. The conference ends in November, but the learning doesn’t.
Individual access packages start at $2,890 (Gold) and $4,090 (Platinum), with limited-time promotional pricing available. Learn more on the website.
Date: December 6–8, 2026
Location: Hult Ashridge Campus (Ashridge House), Berkhamsted, United Kingdom
The 24th International Studying Leadership Conference brings together scholars, practitioners, and emerging researchers to dig into what’s new in leadership studies. Hult International Business School hosts this gathering at its Ashridge Campus, a global center for leadership development and research.
The setting is part of the appeal. Ashridge House is a country house with 190 acres of gardens, flexible meeting spaces, and on-site amenities including a bar, restaurant, gym, and swimming pool. It’s about 30 minutes by train from central London, with a regular shuttle running between Berkhamsted and the campus.
Hult holds triple accreditation from AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS, the three most prestigious business education bodies. Their programs consistently rank among the best globally by the Financial Times, Economist, Forbes, and Bloomberg Businessweek.
If you work at the intersection of leadership research, education, or organizational development, this conference puts you in the room with people pushing the field forward. It’s an academic-leaning event, so expect deep discussions on theory, emerging frameworks, and evidence-based approaches to leadership.
The intimate campus setting makes it easy to connect with other attendees between sessions. You’re not navigating a massive convention center. You’re sharing meals, walking the gardens, and having real conversations with researchers and practitioners from around the world.
Call for papers and registration details will be released in early 2026. Register your interest on the Hult website to get notified when information becomes available.
Leadership conferences fill up fast, and early bird pricing doesn’t last forever. Look at what’s coming up in the next few months, block the dates, and register before prices jump. Big crowd or intimate setting, global broadcast or in-person networking, there’s an event here for you.
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Executive conferences are events designed for senior leaders, C-suite professionals, and decision-makers. They focus on high-level strategy, organizational leadership, and networking with peers who face similar challenges. Events like the World Business Forum and Great Place To Work For All Summit fall into this category.
Start with what you actually need. Looking to build your network? Pick events with structured networking like Braindates or peer group sessions. Want tactical skills? Look for conferences with hands-on workshops and breakout sessions. Focused on a specific industry? Events like AHA Leadership Summit (healthcare) or SHRM26 (HR) go deeper than general leadership content.
It depends on how you use them. A $2,000 ticket pays for itself if you walk away with one idea that improves retention, one connection that turns into a partnership, or one framework that changes how your team operates. The expensive part isn't the ticket. It's going home and doing nothing with what you learned.
Many conferences now offer virtual passes. SHRM26, ATD26, and the Global Leadership Summit all have online options. Virtual passes usually cost less and let you access recordings after the event. You'll miss the hallway conversations, but you'll still get the content.
A leadership conference is an event where professionals gather to learn from experts, build new skills, and connect with other leaders. Most include keynote speakers, breakout sessions, workshops, and networking time. Some focus on specific industries (like healthcare or HR), while others cover leadership more broadly.
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