DAY 1: Monday, April 17

7:30–8:30 a.m. CDT

Conference Check-In | Registration/Office

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7:30–8:30 a.m. CDT

Breakfast | MarketStreet

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8:30–9 a.m. CDT

Opening Remarks | Alex Tolbert, BerniePortal | Crockett

9–10:30 a.m. CDT

Keynote Speaker | Johnny C. Taylor: The Great RESET for HR Professionals | Crockett

The last two-and-a-half years shook our foundations, but they’ve also awakened business leaders to new possibilities. Expectations for the world of work—talent recruitment and retention, wage inflation, corporate culture—have never been higher. Join Johnny C. Taylor Jr., President and CEO of SHRM, as he discusses how we can all reinvent, reinvigorate, reimagine, and reset our organizations and the people we lead.

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10:30–11 a.m. CDT

Exhibitor Visits (Break) | Prefunction Area

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11 a.m.–Noon CDT

Bernie Breakouts:

​Breakout Speaker | Broker Council: How to Help Employers Get the Most out of BerniePortal | Ryman 1

​In this panel, members of BerniePortal’s Broker Council share their experience with getting employers up and running on BerniePortal’s HRIS. Help streamline tech adoption with practical tips and best practices for onboarding new employer clients.

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Breakout Speaker | Fred J. Bissinger: Navigating Difficult Disability Accommodations Issues| Ryman 2

Adopting new legislative changes in your workplace can be challenging, especially when they concern touchy—and potentially confidential—personal issues, like physical and mental/emotional disabilities, that may negatively affect an employee’s ability to work safely and productively. Listen to the legislative chair of TN SHRM discuss reasonable accommodation strategies, so you can navigate how to lawfully and effectively accommodate your employees and protect your employer from disability discrimination liability exposure.

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Breakout Speaker | Stephanie Sappo: Rethinking Your Organization’s Approach to Compensation in Uncertain Financial Times | Ryman 3

With record inflation and a recession looming, it’s past time for a better compensation strategy. Join HR pro Stephanie Sappo to learn how you can use financial transparency to support employees, help avoid layoffs, and empower your team to take control of their career advancement.

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Noon–1 p.m. CDT

Lunch | MarketStreet

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1–2:30 p.m. CDT

General Session Speaker | Arnie Malham: Why Building My Company Culture Was “Worth Doing Wrong” on the Way to Getting It Right | Crockett

You’ve got your hands full with client service problems, internal communication breakdowns, and unexpected turnover. Building company culture is about the last thing you have time for right now. When your business grows and becomes more profitable, then you’ll work on “culture.” For now, you know one thing for sure: only really successful companies spend time, effort, and resources on culture. And guess what? You’re right! In this session, we’ll cover exactly what to do about it that will absolutely be “Worth Doing Wrong”! You’ll learn who is responsible for your organization’s culture, harvest ideas to develop and evolve it, and eliminate excuses that traditionally haunt, halt, and handicap your company culture—and your team.

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2:30–3:30 p.m. CDT

Bernie Breakouts:

Breakout Speaker | ​Trennie Williams: How to Become a Trusted Adviser in Employer Payroll Strategy| Ryman 1

​Employers should trust their brokers’ advice on everything that touches benefits strategy—and that includes payroll. This session covers everything brokers need to know about paying their teams, including your clients’ biggest payroll pain points and how you can best advise them on solutions.

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Breakout Speaker | Alex Tolbert: Meta-Planning for BerniePortal: What’s Next in Our Product Roadmap| Ryman 2

​BerniePortal’s Founder and CEO leads a meta-planning session focused on where the platform is headed next. In addition to a brainstorm open to all participants, learn how to conduct your own meta-planning session for your brokerage or employer.

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Breakout Speaker | Molly Jones: Payroll Strategy Intensive for Employers | Ryman 3

​In this session, take a deep dive into the dynamics of the payroll industry. Learn how different payroll systems work, why running payroll is so hard, and strategies you can implement to save time and decrease errors for quick and accurate paydays.

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3:30–4 p.m. CDT

Exhibitor Visits (Break) | Prefunction Area

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4–5:30 p.m. CDT

BerniePortal Speaker | Alex Tolbert: What's New with BerniePortal? 

BerniePortal founder Alex Tolbert will share the platform and company’s latest updates, including new product and service level enhancements. Alex will give you a sneak peek into what new features BerniePortal is planning to launch in the next 12 months. You’ll also learn how the HR/Benefits/Payroll software industry has evolved in the last 12 months and what BerniePortal is hearing from HR about what they need most from their vendor partners—and what it means for you.

8–9 a.m. CDT

Breakfast | MarketStreet

9–10:30 a.m. CDT

General Session Speaker | Colene Rogers: The Future of HR: Strategic Partnerships that Create Acquisition, Engagement and Retention Solutions | Crockett

With turnover costing billions every year, organizations are looking to HR to resolve the issue—but one person can’t tackle this problem alone; it has to be a company-wide initiative. Managers often say they never saw it coming when an emerging leader decides to leave. What were the warning signs, and why did they remain invisible and undetected by HR and, more importantly, the manager? In this session, learn how HR can establish mission-critical internal partnerships to increase talent retention, align HR goals with the organization’s plan to implement strategic hiring and retention initiatives, and use key metrics and tools to monitor and manage turnover—and support the organization’s bottom line.

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10:30–11 a.m. CDT

Exhibitor Visits (Break) | Prefunction Area

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11 a.m.–Noon CDT

Bernie Breakouts:​

Breakout Speaker | Brian Tolbert: Rethinking Healthcare Financing: From Fully-Insured to Self-Funded| Ryman 1

​Why should brokers help employers reevaluate how they finance healthcare? Moving from fully-insured to self-insured has its challenges for SMBs—including network, cash-flow, and risk management—but can ultimately help employers grow their businesses in the long term. Join Brian Tolbert as he shares how Bernard Benefits helps its employer clients evaluate some of these alternative financing solutions.

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Breakout Speaker | Matt Lowney: How to Scale Talent Acquisition with Limited Resources | Ryman 2

Recruitment competition is stiff in this white-hot labor market, but you can optimize your hiring efforts, even with limited resources. In this session, learn actionable strategies to scale your talent acquisition to your needs, making your hiring process lean and efficient so you can score the best candidates over your competitors.

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Breakout Speaker | Alex Tolbert: HR's Hierarchy of Needs: 5 Steps to Your Most Strategic Role | Ryman 3

Most HR pros at small employers want to prioritize higher value activities, but just don't have time. And it can be difficult to get the owner/leadership to make the necessary investments to free up that time. HR's Hierarchy of Needs is a framework you can use to illustrate how making foundational investments in HR can allow you to add more value to your organization. Your role is as strategic as you make it, and this framework will help you help your organization's leadership see the same opportunities for growth that you do.

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Noon–1 p.m. CDT

Lunch | MarketStreet

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1–2:30 p.m. CDT

General Session Speaker | Mick Rodgers: Beyond Reference-Based Pricing, What's Coming to the Future of Employer Healthcare? | Crockett

In this session, healthcare expert Mick Rodger will explore the current landscape of employer healthcare and discuss emerging trends that are likely to shape the future of the industry. With reference-based pricing becoming a popular approach to controlling healthcare costs, Mick will delve into the strategy and highlight alternative solutions that employers can consider. By attending this session, you will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for employers seeking to provide quality healthcare to their employees while managing costs effectively.

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2:30–3:30 p.m. CDT

Bernie Breakouts:

Breakout Speaker | Stacy Bane with TrueScripts: Let’s Talk Money: The Pharmacy Benefits Management Industry| Ryman 1

Pharmacy benefits management is a complicated topic. What are the paths of revenue? What is the difference between a transparent model and the traditional model? What about being insured or self-funded? Join Stacey Bane, PharmD, as she untangles this complex industry so you can learn what you need to know and get the best benefits for your clients.

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Breakout Speaker | Joshua Patterson: Change is Coming | Ryman 2

Set the “Tone at The Top.” DEI initiatives are part of everyday thinking. There are challenges to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces, but they are not insurmountable. The opportunity to create a more equitable workplace exists when companies are armed and equipped with the right data to make informed decisions and leaders are ready to lead the path forward. Learn more about DEI Strategies from a Global HR Leader, who has a personal strategic, creative, innovative, and common-sense approach to excelling and leading in the workplace.

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