2027 HR Conference Call for Speakers

Each session is 45 minutes in length, comprised of a 40-minute presentation and 5 minutes of Q&A. There are five (5) speaking opportunities available.

Speakers are expected to present in person at the Brookfield Conference Center.

Virtual presentation accommodations will be considered only in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

Topics listed below are of interest, but this list is not exhaustive. Don’t see your topic listed? Please submit your topic for consideration.

• The emotional labor of HR: Navigating the personal impact of managing sensitive situations, supporting others, and carrying confidential information.

• Exploring alternative workforce models, including offshore and global talent, to supplement organizational capabilities and address workforce needs.

• Moving Beyond People-Pleasing: Balancing empathy, accountability, and self-advocacy to become a more effective HR professional.

• Skills Over Experience: Rethinking traditional hiring qualifications and evaluating candidates based on capabilities and potential.

• Reimagining performance management processes to strengthen accountability, development, and organizational outcomes.

• Building a compelling business case for people-focused initiatives and gaining executive leadership buy-in.

• Influencing organizational decision-making: Helping leaders understand the business impact of investing in their people.

• Making AI Practical: Real-world applications that help HR professionals work smarter and more effectively.

• Building trust and credibility with leadership to move HR recommendations from conversation to action.

• Strengthening the HR-manager partnership: Creating shared accountability and engaging managers as active partners rather than passive participants.

• Rethinking the HR career path: Exploring nontraditional opportunities, cross-functional roles, and career growth.

• Building transferable business skills that position HR professionals for broader organizational leadership roles.

• Building resilience and adaptability in HR to navigate ongoing organizational change.

• Addressing skills gaps and preparing for future workforce needs.

• Succession Planning and Knowledge Transfer: Ensuring continuity through planning for transitions, emerging roles, and organizational expertise.

• Harnessing Data for Impact: How HR can use data to drive decisions, tell compelling stories, and influence strategy.

• Topic of your choice/suggestion: proposals must connect directly to our conference theme and rethinking norms, expanding HR’s influence, or supporting HR’s strategic evolution.

We're looking for speakers who bring expertise, energy, and a genuine passion for advancing the HR profession.

Proposals will receive the strongest consideration when they:

• Clearly connect to The People Playbook conference theme.

• Challenge conventional thinking and offer fresh, forward-looking perspectives.

• Draw from authentic expertise and real-world experiences.

• Provide practical strategies, tangible resources, or actionable takeaways.

• Incorporate creative delivery methods that engage attendees beyond a traditional lecture-style presentation.

• Are educational in nature and not used for self-promotion or as a sales pitch Demonstrate an understanding of our diverse audience of HR professionals and the organizations they serve.

What we are looking for:

• MRA prides itself on providing attendees with tangible ideas and compelling resources that they can take back to their workplace and readily implement.

• Be authentic and vulnerable, and don't be afraid to speak of failure as well as success.

• Speakers are encouraged to dig deep to deliver an engaging, inspiring, and fun session.

• We appreciate sessions that highlight diversity, where applicable, such as providing examples that reflect various cultural perspectives and presenting topics from different angles.

• Keep in mind that knowledge sharing is the focus of all sessions. Sales pitches disguised as education will reflect poorly on the conference organizers and attendees, resulting in lost future partnership opportunities.

All proposals received on or before Thursday, December 31, will be reviewed by the MRA 2027 HR Conference Planning Committee Selection Meeting.

Selection will be determined by which proposals are geared toward HR professionals and best align with the conference theme and topics outlined above. Selected presenters will be notified by Monday, January 25.

Speaker Responsibilities

To ensure that MRA has ample time to prepare materials and go through the continuing education approval process, selected presenters will be required to meet the following deadlines:

• Friday, February 5: Speaker headshot, bio, final session title, final session description (3-5 sentences), and 2-3 learning objectives are due.

• Friday, February 26: Optional session promotional video due.

• Wednesday, May 5: Final slide deck presentation and resources are due. PDF slides and resources will be provided to attendees for download.

Failure to submit this information in the appropriate timeframe may result in removal from the agenda.

Why Speak at MRA's HR Conference?

• Share your expertise with an anticipated audience of 500–600 HR professionals.

• Build visibility and professional credibility within the regional HR community.

• Connect with professionals and organizational leaders across a variety of industries.

• Receive one complimentary, non-transferable conference registration.

• Receive speaker and organizational recognition as a Conference Supporter.

Compensation

MRA values the expertise and contributions of our speakers.

Please note that this is an unpaid speaking opportunity. Selected speakers participate voluntarily and receive the benefits listed above instead of monetary compensation.

Permission to Record and Distribute

By accepting the speaking engagement, presenters grant MRA a royalty-free license to record, reproduce, and distribute their presentation and PDF resources to conference attendees. The speaker retains copyright ownership of the presentation & resources.

MRA’s Noncommercial Policy

The focus of MRA’s HR Conference sessions is strictly educational, and the organization and its attendees are critical of speakers or sessions that are self-promotional.

Conference sessions should only advance the educational process and will strictly not be used for commercial sales pitches, self-promotion, or unwarranted criticism of a competitor.

Any advance materials submitted that are suspect to this policy will be returned to the speaker for the appropriate edits.