Book time with Awardco specialists to explore strategy, product functionality, and best practices. From reviewing your platform setup to learning how others are achieving success, these focused sessions offer customized insights and relationship-building opportunities designed to help you maximize the value of recognition.

Pick up your badge and materials early, avoid the next morning’s registration rush, and start connecting with fellow attendees for a Summit to remember.

Kick off Summit in style with our casino-inspired welcome reception. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and plenty of opportunities to connect with your peers in a relaxed, high-energy setting. Celebrate the beginning of Summit and build relationships that will last throughout the conference and beyond.

Start the day your way. Join us for a morning of movement powered by Sworkit with options for every level. Kick off at 6:00 AM with 30 minutes of bodyweight strength training, or flow into the day with guided yoga and mobility at 6:30 AM. Stay for both or choose what works best—every session is designed to energize, restore, and set the tone for the day. All fitness levels welcome.

Fuel up for the day, pick up your badge and materials if you haven’t already, and enjoy a dynamic networking breakfast. The Product Expo and sponsor booths will also be open to give you the chance to explore Awardco innovations, connect with partners, and get inspiration for your Summit experience.

Hear from Awardco CEO Steve Sonnenberg and Director of Experiential Marketing Paige Bennett Carr as they open the 2025 Summit. Together they’ll outline the vision for this year’s event and share how recognition is transforming the way we work, lead, and connect.

Olympic and Paralympic Gold Medalists Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall share their inspiring journey of overcoming adversity, achieving big goals, and supporting each other through it all. Hunter and Tara will share their journey in becoming the best in the world, the parallels between their experiences and leadership, and how recognition, resilience, and teamwork create cultures of inclusion, motivation, and achievement.

Pause and reset with a short guided meditation led by wellness and meditation coach DeAndre Sinette. This grounding moment will help you clear your mind and prepare for the day ahead.

Enjoy a short refresh break with coffee, snacks, and networking. For those who wish to continue their practice, DeAndre Sinette will extend the guided meditation through the break.

Playing it safe is often the riskiest choice. Hear from bestselling author Minda Harts as she challenges attendees to embrace courage over caution in the face of today’s uncertain workplace. Through actionable strategies and inspiring stories, Minda shows how bold leadership creates cultures of innovation, resilience, and recognition—and how you can confront self-doubt, lead with courage, and create workplaces where ideas and people thrive. In today’s evolving workplace, leadership is no longer just about titles—it’s about influence, intention, and authenticity. This keynote will explore what it means to lead in ways that elevate people, drive culture, and build lasting trust. Through powerful storytelling and practical insights, this session will challenge attendees to reimagine their leadership approach and empower those around them to thrive.

What truly motivates employees to give their best at work? Sarah Marrs, Organizational Psychologist and member of Awardco’s Center of Excellence (COE), together with fellow COE member Christi Gilhoi, will unveil groundbreaking new research from over 2,000+ employees across industries. Discover how recognition fuels motivation and creates cultural footprints that shed light on the impact of people programs. Feel empowered with actionable insights on how to decode employee motivators, use recognition data to shape culture, and design programs that boost engagement the employee experience from day one.

Join Awardco’s Product Team Leadership as they take the stage to showcase the future of recognition and engagement with Awardco leading the way. From celebrating the innovations of the past year to spotlighting new product releases and client success stories, this session highlights how Awardco is transforming the way organizations connect with and inspire their people. Get a first look at innovations designed to enhance recognition, measure impact, and drive lasting cultural change that reposition recognition as a foundational piece of organizational success.

A brief, guided gratitude moment with DeAndre Sinette to center the mind and transition into the afternoon with clarity. Stay in the room for an optional, quiet extension of the practice through 12:00 PM, or take a quick break outside to breathe some fresh mountain air. Pause and reset with a short guided meditation led by wellness and meditation coach DeAndre Sinette. This grounding moment will help you clear your mind and prepare for the day ahead.

Recharge over lunch while exploring the Product & Sponsor Expo. Connect with Awardco product leaders to learn about new features and help inform the future of the Awardco platform, engage with sponsors to enhance your organization’s recognition experience, and see solutions in action—all while continuing valuable conversations with peers.

The robots may be making headlines, but the real story is distinctly human. Mike Bechtel, Chief Futurist at Deloitte, reveals why the future of work isn’t about replacing people—it’s about amplifying their value. Through research, stories, and humor, Mike shows how automation can unlock uniquely human strengths like creativity, empathy, and recognition. Use this session’s insights to build a practical playbook for turning high-tech into higher-touch and ensuring people remain the smartest strategy in an AI-driven world.

Generational change is reshaping the workplace—and recognition strategies must evolve with it. In this engaging keynote, Alicia Rainwater reveals what Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers want from their employers, and how leaders can adapt recognition, rewards, and communication to connect across ages. Expect practical strategies, fresh research, and actionable insights to create a culture where every generation feels valued and motivated.

Take a short break to recharge and make your way to the afternoon breakout sessions. Coffee and light refreshments will be available as you connect with peers and prepare for the next round of learning.

Employee engagement isn’t built overnight—it’s designed with strategy, change management, and a clear vision for culture. Hear from HR leaders like you and learn how they’ve built strategic programs that not only spark employee participation but also sustain long-term engagement to create a workforce that feels valued, motivated, and connected.

Learn how Accenture, Amazon Business, and Awardco joined forces to create scalable, efficient, and impactful recognition programs. Hear from the experts as they unpack how their partnership drove innovation in growth incentives, global solutions, and employee experience.

Recognition isn’t just for milestones, it transforms well-being too. See how organizations tie wellness and recognition together to boost employee health, morale, and motivation—all while impacting the bottom line.

Back by popular demand, this session dives into practical strategies for building impactful recognition programs—no matter the budget. Learn how to maximize non-monetary recognition, target the right behaviors, and uncover hidden resources. With real client case studies, phased approaches, and actionable tools, you’ll leave ready to stretch your dollars while amplifying employee engagement.

Take a quick pause between breakout sessions to recharge, grab a refreshment, and connect with peers before the next round of sessions begins.

What sets top recognition programs apart? This panel highlights creative approaches from leading Awardco clients who are using recognition to drive engagement, showcase platform success, and elevate culture across industries.

Recognition has unique power in healthcare, where workforces (and patient outcomes) thrive on purpose and care. Leaders from New York Presbyterian, Children’s Nebraska, and Blood Cancer United share how they’re building recognition strategies that boost morale, improve retention, and celebrate the impact of healthcare workers

Deskless and offline employees make up the backbone of many industries, yet they’re often the hardest to reach with recognition. Hear from Awardco’s COE leaders Katie Bundy and ShaNae McCleskey—joined by leaders from McCormick, HM. Clause, and Hertz—as they explore strategies for engaging frontline teams and share stories of reimagining recognition for their dispersed workforces.

What's the secret sauce to a thriving organization? Hear from HR leaders at Hilton, Commerce, and FanDuel as they lay out their blueprint for a strong recognition strategy aligned with benefits and organizational goals that builds culture, incentivizes performance, and powers engagement better than anything they had before.

Visit the Product & Sponsor Expo to explore new features and partner solutions, meet with Awardco’s Center of Excellence during Office Hours for strategy conversations, or network with peers to spark new ideas.

Join DeAndre Sinette for an extended meditation designed to help you unwind from the day. This calming practice offers space to reflect, reset, and prepare for what’s next.

Close out the day with an unforgettable evening of food, music, and celebration. This semi-formal event features a cocktail hour, reception-style buffet dinner, and the Recognize Awards Ceremony spotlighting this year’s winners. With live jazz and a special raffle, it’s the perfect way to honor excellence and connect with the Awardco community.

Ease into the day with breakfast and networking in the Product & Sponsor Expo. Visit sponsor booths, connect with Awardco product leaders, and catch up with peers as you prepare for the morning’s mainstage program.

Join Paige Bennett-Carr and Steve Sonnenberg as they welcome you back for the second day of Summit—setting the tone for the morning and providing an overview of what’s ahead.

Employees don’t just want a paycheck—they want to belong. Smiley Poswolsky explores how organizations can foster culture, connection, and community in an age of uncertainty and overwhelming input. Get a roadmap for creating belonging at scale, driving team engagement, and building resilient cultures that thrive in the future of work.

Take a quick pause to stretch, grab a refreshment, and prepare for the morning breakout sessions.

What makes a recognition strategy truly successful? Leaders from Life Connection of Ohio, Greenfield Global, and Zelis share the innovative approaches they’ve taken to embed recognition into culture and drive results across their organizations.

Discover how leading global organizations are leveraging recognition to drive engagement, strengthen culture, and prove business value. Get practical examples and data-backed strategies from global brands using Awardco to turn recognition into their competitive advantage.

Manufacturing teams face unique challenges—offline workforces, dispersed facilities, and high turnover. Join leaders from NIBCO, 4Refuel, and McCormick as they share how they’ve used recognition to build culture, increase engagement, and support frontline employees.

Traditional service awards often miss the mark. Join Laura Shanley of Awardco’s Center of Excellence and get a peek into JPMorgan’s recognition strategy, and how they built their best-in-class service award programs using Awardco’s MemoryBooks®. Discover new approaches that make recognition more timely, meaningful, and impactful, and learn how modernizing service awards (and facilitating new programs like JPMC’s “Employee Recognition Week”) will boost engagement, increase retention, and celebrate employees when it matters most.

Use this quick break to stretch and head to your chosen COE workshop. Coffee and refreshments will be available.

Switching recognition vendors is challenging, yet it doesn't have to be a leap of faith. Get a change management roadmap to de-risk your transition, reboot program design, and launch with confidence. Learn how to uncover hidden costs, navigate contracts and point migration, and use the transition as a catalyst to optimize recognition and drive lasting cultural impact.

Recognition has tangible ROI. Proving that impact to stakeholders can be challenging. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore the three dimensions of Return on Recognition (administrative efficiency, cultural outcomes, and business performance) and learn how to measure each in practical, compelling ways. Through case studies, formulas, and interactive exercises, you’ll walk away with a framework to capture recognition’s value and communicate results that secure lasting leadership support.

Change is hard, but recognition makes it easier. In this interactive workshop, you’ll apply a proven change model across the employee journey, reimagine recognition at critical milestones, and begin building a business case that earns leadership buy-in. Walk away with templates, tools, and a clear framework to design recognition strategies that actually drive change.

Grab a boxed lunch and connect with fellow attendees before the final mainstage sessions. Expo booths will remain open during this time for those who want to explore products and solutions.

Moderated by Hebba Youseff (CPO of Workweek and host of the I Hate It Here podcast), this conversation with Elizabeth Okatura (AT&T) and Amy Butler (Awardco) will highlight fresh approaches to recognition. From scaling global programs to building peer-to-peer culture and creating unique rewards, this session explores what it takes to innovate recognition strategies that truly resonate.

Alison Levine, team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, brings her incredible story of adventure, grit, and resilience to the Summit stage. Drawing from her experiences climbing the world’s tallest peaks and skiing both the north and south poles, Alison shares how to lead with courage, adapt under pressure, and inspire teams to perform at their best—even in the most extreme environments.

Paige Bennett Carr and Steve Sonnenberg close out Summit 2025 with reflections on the insights, energy, and connections shared. This final address will recap key takeaways and leave attendees inspired to put recognition strategies into action.