What Meeting Planners and Professional Development Leaders are Seeking in 2026

If you’re planning events for 2026, I know your challenge isn’t finding speakers. It’s finding speakers who actually help your audience work better when they return to work.

I spend a lot of time talking with meeting planners, conference chairs, and leadership teams. The same themes keep coming up: hybrid fatigue, disengagement, fear around change, uncertainty about AI, and concern about retention. What leaders want now isn’t hype or inspiration for inspiration’s sake. They want clarity, confidence, and practical tools their people will actually use.

That’s where I focus my work.

Everything I deliver on stage centers on the human side of modern leadership. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s foundational. When communication breaks down, culture weakens. When culture weakens, innovation slows. And when people don’t feel connected, they leave.

A helpful reframe for meeting planners

Here’s a question I encourage planners to ask when evaluating speakers:

“What will our people do differently because of this session?”

The best events I’ve been part of aren’t remembered because the speaker was charismatic or confident, but because attendees:

  • used the language from the keynote later that same day

  • applied the techniques in meetings and hallway conversations

  • referenced the ideas weeks later during change initiatives

That’s why my presentations are designed to be immediately usable, not just inspiring.

Why bringing people together still matters (especially now)

One of the biggest leadership blind spots I see today is underestimating the value of intentional in-person connection.

Hybrid work is here to stay, but when teams don’t really know each other, something important erodes:

  • affinity for the brand

  • trust between colleagues

  • willingness to take risks or share ideas

When a competitor comes along with higher pay or better benefits, disconnected employees don’t hesitate to leave.

On the other hand, when leaders bring people together with a purpose for events like off-sites, retreats, and internal conferences, something different happens. Energy shifts. Conversations become more human. Ideas flow more freely. Relationships deepen naturally.

For planners, this means your event isn’t “just another meeting.” It becomes a culture reset.

The foundation: The Master Communicator’s Secret Weapon

My signature keynote, The Master Communicator’s Secret Weapon, is built around three leadership behaviors that show up in every healthy organization I’ve worked with:

  • Lead with acceptance to create psychological safety

  • Listen with intent instead of listening to reply

  • Overcome the fear of failure so teams can adapt faster

Here’s why this matters for your audience.

Teams that feel safe speak up sooner. Leaders who listen better make better decisions. Organizations that reduce fear move faster through change, including AI adoption and innovation.

For meeting planners, this keynote works especially well when:

  • your audience includes leaders navigating change

  • you want a shared language that attendees can use

  • you’re opening or closing a conference and want momentum to carry forward

Culture and engagement in hybrid worlds

One thing I tell leaders often is this: culture doesn’t disappear in hybrid environments, but it does become accidental unless you design for it.

In my keynotes, I help audiences rethink engagement as something leaders actively practice, not something HR owns. Simple communication shifts—how leaders listen, respond, and invite participation—have an outsized impact on morale and retention.

For conferences, this topic pairs well with:

  • leadership development tracks

  • HR, talent, or DEI programming

  • internal events focused on retention and engagement

The goal isn’t to force people back into offices. It’s to help leaders create moments of connection that actually matter.

Innovation, resilience, and the human side of AI

AI is changing how we work, but it doesn’t remove the human equation. In fact, it magnifies it.

When leaders introduce new tools without trust or psychological safety, teams often respond with fear or quiet resistance. When leaders focus first on communication, curiosity, and permission to experiment, adoption accelerates.

For planners, this is where human-centered leadership content becomes a bridge between technical sessions and real-world application. It helps audiences leave not just informed, but ready.

How my three keynotes support modern events

I structure my work so planners can mix and match based on audience needs:

Together, these talks support connection, inclusion, and adaptability without overwhelming your agenda.

What tends to stick after the event

The feedback I hear most often isn’t about slides or stories. It’s things like:

  • “Our team started using the tools on each other immediately.”

  • “We should’ve scheduled this earlier in the conference.”

  • “This changed how our leaders listen.”

That’s the outcome I aim for.

I partner with organizations that care about building cultures people want to stay part of. My role isn’t to steal the spotlight. It’s to help your event create a lasting impact.

If you’re designing a conference or internal gathering and want your audience to leave clearer, more connected, and better equipped for what’s next, that’s a conversation I’m always happy to have.

Communication isn’t a soft skill. It’s a superpower, let me show you what I mean.

life, business & careerDavepublic speaking, meetings, conference