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HR professionals from across New York State will descend on Buffalo later this month as the 2026 SHRM New York State Conference takes place September 28–30 at the Buffalo Convention Center.
This year’s theme, “Creating Workplace Magic,” feels particularly timely. HR leaders are navigating the rapid adoption of AI, changing employee expectations, increasingly complex employment law, pressure on recruitment and retention, workplace conflict and the ongoing challenge of developing leaders who can perform through uncertainty.
The three-day conference brings many of those issues together through a packed program of keynote presentations, breakout sessions, networking and opportunities to connect with the wider HR community.
SHRM New York State supports 15 local SHRM chapters across the state, including Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse, New York City and Long Island. Its mission is to help HR professionals “HR with EASE” — Engage, Advise, Support and Educate — with the annual state conference serving as its flagship program.
Four Keynotes Across Three Days
The conference opens on Monday, September 28 with motivational keynote speaker and author Jon Petz. His session, It’s Showtime, will explore how individuals can create stronger human connections, improve performance and productivity, and develop a greater sense of purpose at work and beyond.
Later that day, Kenston Henderson will deliver I Am an HR Game Changer. Henderson’s session focuses on self-leadership, resilience and community, with an emphasis on helping HR professionals become catalysts for meaningful organizational change and build cultures where employees feel seen, heard and valued.
On September 29, employment law attorney John Bagyi takes the keynote stage for Urban Legends in Employment Law. His session promises to challenge some of the persistent myths HR professionals encounter around issues such as at-will employment and termination, separating commonly repeated assumptions from the rules that actually matter.
The final keynote comes from Lisa McConnell on September 30. The Alchemist Leader: Transforming Conflict into Gold will explore how leaders can turn workplace friction into constructive conflict, collaboration, trust, psychological safety and growth.
AI Is Firmly on the HR Agenda
Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence features prominently throughout the conference.
Michael Sciotti will examine both the effective use of AI by HR professionals and the legal risks associated with using the technology for employment purposes. Tom Schin, meanwhile, will consider how automation and AI are changing HR’s role from managing tasks towards building high-performance systems.
The legal implications of AI return later in the program when James O’Connor presents The Robots Are Recruiting: HR in the Age AI. The session will consider the risks surrounding AI in recruiting, hiring, promotions and performance management, alongside issues including discrimination, employee monitoring, privacy and intellectual property.
On the final day, Kat Kibben will tackle the recruiting side of the equation with AI Recruiting Isn’t Magic – It’s Math (and You’re Missing the Formula), exploring why AI investments in recruiting can fail to deliver and how areas such as job descriptions and mandatory requirements influence results.
It’s an interesting mix. Rather than treating AI as a standalone technology topic, the program connects it with many of the questions HR teams are actually facing: recruitment, decision-making, employee relations, compliance, leadership and organizational effectiveness.
Leadership, Culture and the Human Side of Work
Technology may be changing the workplace, but much of the conference remains focused on fundamentally human challenges.
Natasha Welcome will address cultural silence and accent bias and how organizations can better unlock the contribution of multilingual employees. Lisa Hammett will offer practical approaches to preventing burnout and building resilience, while Lorin Mask will explore critical thinking and decision-making in an AI-disrupted workplace.
Other sessions tackle communication, leadership and conflict. Lyndon Cudlitz will examine communication styles and stronger collaboration; Dawn Lanouette will address how HR can manage workplace issues arising from global tensions, social media and strongly held disagreements; and John Lentini will introduce a framework based around discipline, mindset, resilience, integrity, empathy and influence.
For HR practitioners dealing directly with difficult employee situations, Laura Azzarella will present The Devil You Don’t Know: The Art and Strategy of Modern Employee Relations. Her session examines the behavioral and systemic issues behind workplace conflict, including the growing challenge of assessing AI-assisted claims and evidence.
The program also covers internal investigations, workplace accommodations, mental health, leave management, retirement, workplace violence and employment law — reflecting just how broad the modern HR remit has become.
Practical Ideas to Take Back to Work
One of the strengths of the agenda is its emphasis on practical application.
For solo practitioners, Jolynn Haresign will explore how HR departments of one can build stronger internal and external partnerships. Candice Gottlieb-Clark will look at trust, role clarity and conflict management as foundations for stronger leadership, while Bo Mitchell will address workplace violence prevention and response.
On September 30, Matthew Burr will discuss how HR professionals can continue developing their careers as business strategists, while Alise Isbell will explore how leaders can manage tone more intentionally in written and spoken communication. Tania Clasper and Katrina Papa will provide guidance on navigating the complexities of FMLA, disability, Paid Family Leave and Workers’ Compensation.
There are also some less conventional approaches to workplace development. Kathy Gruver, for example, will use the improv principle of “Yes, And” to demonstrate ways of strengthening listening, trust, creativity and collaboration. Joe Urbanski will examine the conditions required to make meetings and collaborative experiences genuinely productive.
More Than Conference Sessions
The experience extends beyond the main program. The conference will feature a Mini Speaker Stage offering shorter sessions and practical HR insights, alongside a Solution Center where attendees can meet vendors and trade partners. SHRM New York State and the SHRM Foundation will also be represented, providing further opportunities to connect with the profession and the local SHRM community.
And for those travelling into Buffalo, there are plenty of reasons to spend some additional time in Western New York. The conference guide highlights Niagara Falls, Buffalo’s art galleries and architecture among the local attractions — and the Buffalo Bills have a home game on September 27, the day before the conference begins.
See You in Buffalo
The 2026 SHRM New York State Conference takes place September 28–30 at the Buffalo Convention Center, 153 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY.
With sessions spanning AI, employment law, employee relations, leadership, culture, recruitment, wellbeing, communication and organizational change, the event offers a broad snapshot of the issues occupying HR leaders as they prepare for 2027.
For HR professionals across New York State — and particularly those in the Buffalo-Niagara region — it looks set to be three busy days of learning, conversations and new connections.
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