What You Missed at the 33rd Human Resource Summit
That’s a wrap on the 33rd Human Resource Summit in Sitges. 95 attendees, 270 one-to-one meetings, seven strategy groups and an AI specialist day. It was three days of honest conversation and real connections.
Last week, the seaside town of Sitges set the scene for the 33rd Human Resource Summit - three days of honest conversation, practical insight and the kind of peer connection you simply can't replicate on a busy exhibition floor.
Hosted by Summit Events at the Eurostars Hotel Sitges, this invitation-only gathering brought together 51 senior HR leaders from some of the UK and Ireland's leading organisations, alongside a carefully selected group of solution providers - 95 attendees in all, united by a shared focus on the challenges shaping the profession right now.
"One of the best summits I have attended. Great speakers, new angles from providers and, as always, well run by the team. Networking was also great. It was one of the best weeks of my working year." - VP Reward EMEA, Aristocrat
Setting the Tone
The Summit began on Wednesday afternoon as delegates and solution providers arrived, with the first conversations starting over coffee and lunch in the hotel lobby. A group then headed out on a walking tour of Sitges - a relaxed way to break the ice before the programme got underway.
Everyone came together for welcome drinks on the terrace, sponsored by Sana, followed by dinner sponsored by Phoenix Management Consulting. The evening closed with guest speaker Benedict Allen – explorer and anthropologist – whose remarkable stories from a life spent in some of the world's most remote places held the room. Drawing out lessons on resilience, teamwork, risk and vision, it was a fitting start to a summit focused on how people and organisations navigate the unknown.
"This event is one I always want the invite to, because it not only allows you to meet potential business partners, it allows great conversation with peers from every industry to flow into real, organic, meaningful alliances. It is even more special because of the venue – being in Sitges really allows us to switch off and be present." — Group People Director, San Carlo
Two Days of Insight and Honest Discussion
The heart of the summit is its programme – a carefully balanced mix of pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, peer-led strategy groups and informal networking.
Thursday's strategy groups tackled the issues landing on HR leaders' desks right now, from new employment legislation to benefits that genuinely land with employees. Friday was the summit's AI specialist day, with three sessions dedicated to how HR can lead, rather than react to, AI adoption across the organisation.
Across the two days, delegates joined seven strategy groups:
Thursday
- Richard H., Owner, Click HR Limited — Employment Rights Act 2025: From Compliance to Competitive Advantage
- Daniel W., Business Development Director, and Jake Nunn, Associate Director Business Development, Howden — Effective Benefits Strategy for HR & People Leaders: From Research to Practice
- Chloe Barber, Head of New Business, Pluxee UK — Who Are Your Benefits Actually For? Let's Talk About the Elephant in the Room
- Adrian Tomsa, Chief People Officer, Futura Learning Partnership — HR Effectiveness & Wellbeing: Why HR Can Be Its Own Worst Enemy – and How We Change That
Friday – AI specialist day
- Kevin McAlpin ✔ , CEO, Performance Coaching International Ltd — Leading AI Adoption: How HR Leaders Can Turn AI Investment into Workforce Capability and Business Value
- Jonathan Porter , Associate Director of People, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust — From Clinical Insight to Digital HR: How GOSH is Accelerating AI and Automation in a People-First Future
- Alexander Erfe Gasmena, GPHR, SHRM - SCP, Senior Director Global HR, Equinix — Beyond AI in HR: From Managing People to Reinventing Work
"This was the first HR Summit event I attended and would certainly come back. Overall flow was great and I found a huge amount of value in the strategy sessions to spend time with peers in HRD/CPO roles." — HR Director, Schneider Electric
Meetings That Matter
At the core of the Summit Events format are the pre-scheduled 30-minute one-to-one meetings – structured, purposeful conversations arranged in advance so that every meeting is relevant on both sides.
This year, 270 one-to-one meetings took place across Thursday and Friday, with just one missed – a reflection of how much value delegates and solution providers place on that time. The summit also welcomed a growing number of solution providers who partner with us across our wider portfolio of events, a strong signal of the long-term relationships the format creates.
"Loved the business meetings set-up. Thought it would feel very intense but was surprised by the quality of conversations had in the 30-minute window, and the pre-selection process was easy to follow and plan for." — New Business Consultant, SMRS
"A brilliant event all round. This was our second time attending, and the meetings were even better than last time. We particularly enjoyed how natural the conversations felt throughout the summit." — Head of Sales, MYNDUP
Thursday evening saw the group board coaches to a restaurant on the marina in Sitges for dinner – a chance to step away from the conference setting and let the day's conversations carry on in a more relaxed atmosphere.
"The whole event was fantastically structured, everyone in the team was very helpful and attentive. Going out of the hotel for dinner was a great idea. I got to meet new contacts and overall thought that the supplier sessions were not forced." — Head of People Operations & Performance, Blockchain.com
The Community at the Heart of It All
What keeps people coming back to the Human Resource Summit – now after its 33rd edition – is something that's hard to manufacture: a genuine sense of community. HR leaders from every sector, sharing the same challenges, with the time and space to talk them through properly.
"I find the summit really valuable as it brings together all different industries under one roof, with dedicated time to get to know people more, and start building meaningful relationships, without the day-to-day burden of work interrupting." — Head of Employee, Value & Protection, Lime Street Insurance Brokers
"The location is exceptional. The event is exceedingly well organised; the team are exceptional and a pleasure to work with." — Associate Director of HR, Great Ormond Street Hospital
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us in Sitges – our delegates, solution providers, speakers and sponsors. We are especially grateful to our Lead Sponsor, Howden , who also sponsored the closing lunch on Friday, bringing the summit to a wonderful close.
Interested in joining us at a future Summit? Here is what we have coming up: