SHRM Unveils HR-X Live!: The World's First HR Credentialing Academy

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — SHRM, the trusted authority on work, workers, and the workplace, today announced it is retiring its long-running Annual Conference & Expo brand in favor of a bold new event: SHRM HR-X Live!, a four-day credentialing academy that will replace the traditional conference format beginning in 2027. SHRM HR-X Live! will be held June 27–30, 2027, in Chicago, Illinois, with registration opening October 5.

At the center of the new event is HR-X, SHRM's HR Excellence Framework — a research-validated maturity model built over five years of study across more than 1,250 organizations. It identifies four dimensions that separate HR functions that actively drive the business from those that simply manage it: Talent Optimization, Organizational Impact, Functional Acceleration, and Market Discernment.

That research surfaced two findings that make the business case difficult to ignore. First, nearly 90% of organizations today operate at average or low HR maturity, meaning most HR functions remain focused on managing the business day-to-day rather than driving its performance. Second, the cost of that gap is measurable: in one industry SHRM studied, every point of improvement in HR maturity correlated with $62,000 more revenue per full-time employee. Move an organization up even one point on the maturity curve, and that impact compounds across every employee on its payroll.

SHRM HR-X Live! was built specifically to close that gap —not through general professional development, but through a live, applied credentialing experience that moves individual HR professionals, and by extension their organizations, up the HR-X maturity curve in a measurable way.

Before arriving, attendees complete a short dimension-placement questionnaire about their work – not a test – that places them into one of four dimensions and one of three levels. From there, attendees move through four days of curated learning in their dimension, culminating in a SHRM HR-X Credential. Elective experience will round out the event, giving attendees the opportunity to explore topics outside their dimension. SHRM HR-X Live! is presented by BambooHR.

“For decades, SHRM’s annual conference has been where HR professionals came together to learn, connect and exchange ideas. But the demands on HR have fundamentally changed,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, President and CEO, SHRM. “Today, HR leaders must harness AI, solve complex workforce challenges and, most importantly, demonstrate the measurable impact they have on the business. HR-X Live! is built for this new reality. It moves professional development beyond simply gaining knowledge to building capabilities, applying them in real-world situations, and proving what you can do. This is the next evolution of HR professional development, and it starts in Chicago.”

Learn More

Journalists and media are invited to attend SHRM HR-X Live! Press registration is required. For interview requests and press credentials, please contact press@shrm.org

About BambooHR

BambooHR is the leading provider of cloud-based HR software solutions that empower HR professionals to manage, support, and grow what matters most—their people. Its mission is to set people free to do great work by automating, centralizing, and connecting employee data in one place to support better decisions. The platform includes payroll, time tracking, benefits, performance and reporting solutions, backed by customer service. bamboohr.com

About SHRM

SHRM is a member-driven catalyst for creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together. As the trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting today's evolving workplaces. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally. For more information, visit SHRM.org.