2026 Leadership Conference
Human First Leadership in a Tech Driven World
September 24, 2026 | King of Prussia, PA
In today’s technology driven world, leadership requires more than skill. It requires empathy and human connection to create workplaces where people and innovation thrive together. This one-day Leadership Conference empowers leaders at every level to put humans at the center of strategy, transformation, and growth.
Through expert insights and real-world examples, participants will learn how to create a ripple effect of positive culture, foster resilience, address leadership challenges, and lead with clarity, connection, and courage.
Join us on September 24th to keep humanity at the heart of every decision.
Who Should Attend?
Whether you’re an experienced leader, a new manager, or stepping into leadership for the first time, this is one of the best Leadership Conferences to continue your leadership development.
Connect & Network
Join hundreds of changemakers and people leaders for an informative and engaging fall leadership conference full of bold ideas and meaningful conversations.
Location
This PA Leadership Conference will be held at the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel,
480 N Gulph Rd. King of Prussia, PA 19406. Whether you are looking for a Pennsylvania Leadership Conference or a convenient event for leaders in the Mid-Atlantic region (NJ and DE), this conference is easily accessible.
Leadership Conference Speakers & Topics
Keynote Speakers
Have Good Ripple Effect:
Building Positive Culture & Results
Lisa Even — Corporate Leadership Expert | Employee Engagement Speaker | Fortune 500 Leader | Bestselling Author
Great leaders don’t wait for good culture to “happen”—they build it.
Today’s professional landscape is more demanding than ever, with challenges like compressed resources, rapid change, and siloed teams. Cultural dysfunctions such as complaining, negativity, and passive-aggressive behavior often go unaddressed, quietly eroding morale, stalling growth, and driving turnover. In this keynote, Lisa equips leaders with three strategies to analyze, navigate, and build a collaborative and adaptive culture—creating a lasting Good Ripple Effect that drives results.
The Untapped Value of
Human Connection
Rob Lawless — Human Connection Keynote Speaker and Founder — Robs10kFriends LLC
Create more connected, empathetic, and successful relationships in the workplace and with your clients through the exponential power of human connection.
In this captivating keynote, Rob Lawless shares his extraordinary journey of spending one hour, one-on-one, with 10,000 diverse individuals. Through Rob’s gripping anecdotes, you’ll discover the remarkable connections he’s forged with newfound friends in far-flung corners of the world, illustrating the unexpected ways in which human relationships can transcend boundaries.
Session Speakers
The Self-Awareness Effect: Creating Choice in the Moments that Matter
Margaret Uhrich — Managing Director, Talent Development & Coaching
The most challenging moments in leadership aren’t skill problems. They’re self-awareness problems. In this keynote, leadership development professional, executive coach and speaker Margaret Uhrich reveals how the hidden patterns we default to under pressure are silently driving our most costly mistakes, our most difficult conversations, and our most frustrating leadership moments. Through compelling personal stories and a practical three-part framework, leaders will walk away with a new understanding of themselves and the tools to lead with intention instead of self-protection.
The Pressure Pivot
Michelle Hutchings-Medina — Keynote Speaker | National Speaker’s Assoc. 2025 Last Story Standing National Winner | Pressure Strategist
What if the very pressure you’re trying to escape is actually the force that can sharpen your clarity, strengthen your leadership, and move you forward? In this dynamic session, pressure strategist Michelle Hutchings-Medina reveals how to shift from reactive stress to purposeful action. Through humor, music, and the unexpected story of two rockstars who turned tension into brilliance, she introduces a powerful framework for transforming pressure into clarity, agency, and forward momentum.
The Conversation You’re Not Having And Why It’s Costing You More Than You Think
Holly DePalma — Managing Director, MEA Services & Behavioral / PI Consultant
The world is changing faster than ever. AI, automation, and technology are transforming how we work, make decisions, and communicate. Most leadership discussions focus on deliverables, creating efficiencies and metrics. This presentation asks a different question: What becomes more valuable because of all this change? The answer isn’t more information, being the smartest person in the room, or having better technology. It’s the uniquely human ability to have the conversations that move people and organizations forward. As technology becomes more capable, courageous leadership becomes more valuable. In this session, participants will learn to assess the organizational and leadership costs of avoiding difficult conversations during times of rapid change, apply a simple framework to prepare for and lead conversations with greater clarity, empathy, and accountability, and develop a personal action plan to initiate one high-impact conversation that strengthens trust, improves performance, or advances organizational effectiveness.
The AI Advantage: What Every Business Leader Needs to Know
Chris Carr — AI Strategist & Educator, Keynote Speaker | CEO & Founder of Farotech and Dynaimix AI Consulting Group
2026 Leadership Conference Agenda
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8:00 - 8:30 AM: Registration & Networking
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8:30 - 8:45 AM: Welcome with Kevin Robins
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8:45 - 9:45 AM: Opening Keynote (Have Good Ripple Effect: Building Positive Culture & Results)
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9:45 - 10:30 AM: The Pressure Pivot
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10:30 - 10:50 AM: Morning Break
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10:50 - 11:20 AM: The Conversation You're Not Having And Why It's Costing You More Than You Think
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11:20 AM - 12:00 PM: The Self-Awareness Effect: Creating Choice in the Moments that Matter
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12:00 - 1:00 PM: Lunch
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1:00 - 1:45 PM: The AI Advantage: What Every Business Leader Needs to Know
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1:45 - 2:00 PM: Raffle
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2:00 - 2:20 PM: Afternoon Break
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2:20 - 3:20 PM: Closing Keynote (The Untapped Value of Human Connection)
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3:20- 3:30 PM: Closing Remarks
Leadership Conference 2026 Objectives
Benefits of Attending a Leadership Conference:
Build a Positive Culture That Drives Results
Understand three strategies to analyze, navigate, and build a collaborative, adaptive culture in your workplace.
Create Meaningful Relationships Through Human Connection
Understand how to apply the FRIEND framework to foster a workplace where employees feel seen, heard, and valued.
Develop Self-Awareness That Strengthens Leadership
Learn a clear, actionable framework that builds the internal and external self-awareness needed to recognize your default patterns, understand your impact on others, and make conscious choices in the moments that matter most.
Transform Destructive Stress into Productive Pressure
Understand how to apply a practical framework to manage pressure without losing focus, trust, or forward momentum.
Lead Courageous Conversations That Drive Results
Understand how to prepare for and navigate difficult conversations with greater clarity, empathy, and accountability to strengthen trust and performance.
Gain the AI Advantage
Understand the three essential capabilities every organization needs to compete, innovate, and thrive in the Future of Work.
Leadership Conference 2026 Pricing
Join us for a day of bold ideas, real conversations, and actionable strategies!
Pricing for a Table of 8 Seats
Non-Member
$2,600
Member & PI Client
$2,200
“I brought 7 other leaders from various departments to MEA’s Leadership Conference. My hope was that we’d get the opportunity to learn and discuss fresh and exciting leadership insights. We got that and more with this Conference. We connected with and had great discussions with other Members around what they’re doing and what’s working for them with leading others in their organizations. It was a great experience for me and my peers and has become a “must do” conference for all of us. I encourage you to bring your team this year to learn new tools for your leadership toolbox.”
“Last year, 20 leaders from NMS Labs operations and HR teams attended MEA’s Leadership conference. The group varied in tenure from up-and-coming leaders to experienced supervisors and managers. We all connected with the content, refreshing our current perspectives and reinvigorating our excitement for leadership/mentorship. Hearing speakers from other industries speak about common threads helped set expectations for us as leaders. The opportunity to network and learn from so many different leaders is a can’t miss opportunity for any team/company.”
Leadership Conference FAQs
What is a leadership summit?
A leadership summit, leadership development conference, or leadership conference is an event that brings together current and aspiring leaders to learn, connect, and develop the skills needed to lead effectively.
MEA’s Leadership Summit 2026 is one of the top leadership conferences in the greater Philadelphia region. This one-day, in-person event is designed to empower leaders at every level to put humans at the center of strategy, transformation, and growth. Whether you are a seasoned leader or stepping into leadership for the first time, this event is the perfect opportunity to strengthen your skills, expand your perspective, and lead with clarity, connection, and courage.
What is the purpose of a leadership summit?
The purpose of a leadership summit is to provide an opportunity for companies to send their current and emerging leaders to explore key challenges, share insights, and develop the skills needed to lead with clarity, connection, and courage. These summits create space for meaningful dialogue, professional development, and strategic thinking.
The goal of MEA’s 2026 Leadership Summit is to inspire and equip leaders with the tools, mindset, and inspiration needed to put humans at the center of strategy, transformation, and growth.
What happens at a leadership conference?
During leadership summits, you may take part in a variety of activities, including:
- Dynamic keynote sessions that challenge your thinking, shift your mindset, and spark new ideas
- Engaging sessions focused on leadership challenges and growth areas most relevant to you
- Meaningful networking opportunities with fellow people leaders, speakers, and sponsors
- Lunch and scheduled breaks
- An exciting raffle giveaway
Collectively, these elements shape the core experience of a good leadership conference.
Why attend a leadership conference?
In today’s technology driven world, leadership requires more than skill. It requires empathy and human connection to create workplaces where people and innovation thrive together.
Attending a leadership conference near me will help leaders learn how to create a ripple effect of positive culture, foster resilience, address leadership challenges, and lead with clarity, connection, and courage.
Who should attend a leadership conference?
No matter where you are in your leadership journey, MEA’s Leadership Conference is the perfect opportunity to address leadership challenges and lead with clarity, connection, and courage in today’s technology driven world.
This Conference is Ideal for:
- Aspiring leaders
- New managers and supervisors
- Experienced & senior leaders
- ANY leader who wants to deepen their leadership skills
A Team Conference Experience
HR and business leaders know sending their managers to team building conferences or a team building seminar, is one way to ensure that classroom style learning makes a positive, lasting impact in their organization’s culture. In addition to individual registrations, we offer reserved tables for groups of 8, an excellent way to empower multiple leaders at once and amplify your organization’s overall impact.
Plus, table purchasers can further elevate the small group conference experience with an optional post-event debrief led by MEA’s seasoned training and coaching experts.
Searching for leadership development conferences in Southeastern PA?
If you are a business professional in the Greater Philadelphia region looking for leadership conferences near me, this conference is ideal. King of Prussia offers easy regional access, located at the intersection of major routes like I-76, I-276 (PA Turnpike), U.S. 202, and Route 422. For those seeking leadership conference Philadelphia experiences without the potential hassle of inner-city traffic, MEA’s conference delivers all the value, minus the congestion.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellations must be submitted in writing to registration@meainfo.org Cancellations received by 9/7/25 will receive a full refund. Cancellations received 9/8/25 thru 9/14/25 will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations made on or after 9/15/25 are nonrefundable. Attendee substitutions may be made at any time and are encouraged when the original registrant cannot attend.
Event Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
