What the event is about
- An international academic conference bringing together professors, researchers, scientists, and industry leaders around leadership development and human resource practices.
- Built on collaboration and knowledge-sharing through paper presentations, interactive workshops, and networking — a research-led format rather than a product showcase.
- Sits within the Business & Economics track and draws a cross-sector mix of HR academics and practitioners from multiple countries.
- For attendees and organisations: a venue to present research, benchmark HR and leadership practice, and build academic–industry connections.
Key Facts & Figures
- Dates: Tuesday 4 – Wednesday 5 August 2026 (two-day agenda).
- Venue: Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh, 43 Jeffrey St, Edinburgh EH1 1DH.
- Hybrid format — attend on-site or virtually, and participate either as a listener or as a presenter.
- Accepted papers indexed in Scopus, Springer, Google Scholar, and the DOI Directory.
- Key deadlines: paper submission by 15 July 2026; registration by 20 July 2026.
- Speakers include Dr. Kiran Sankar Chakraborty, Ms. Donya Smida, and Spencer Hidge; committee members include Anthimos Georgiou, Reza Hamzaee, and Srihan Kanishka Ariyasinghe.
- Organised by Research Leagues.
Main Zones / Participation Areas
- Opening Plenary — welcome address and keynote setting up the two days.
- Presentation Sessions (Session I & II) — the core research and practice presentations across the day.
- Workshops & Networking — interactive learning plus structured tea and lunch networking breaks.
- Closing & Awards — reflections and an awards presentation recognising standout contributions.
- Virtual Track — parallel access for remote listeners and presenters.
Why it’s significant for coverage
For HR and workplace reporting, the value here is the research angle: sessions surface fresh academic thinking on leadership development and HR practice, and because the papers are indexed in Scopus, Springer, and Google Scholar, the findings presented are citable and carry weight beyond the room. The academic-plus-industry mix gives you two complementary storylines — what researchers are finding and how practitioners are applying it. It’s a focused, presentation-led event rather than a large expo, so coverage works best built around specific papers, speakers, and themes rather than headline attendance numbers. Edinburgh adds a recognisable European academic setting and easy access to UK-based HR and business-school voices.
Tips for your coverage
- Line up interviews early with the keynote speaker and the Session I & II presenters — their papers are your strongest, most quotable material.
- Ask presenters for abstracts or full papers in advance; indexed research gives you verifiable, citable findings rather than just soundbites.
- Cover the opening plenary for the framing narrative and the closing awards for a clear “who and what stood out” storyline.
- Get perspectives from both sides of the academic–industry divide to show theory meeting practice.
- Flag the deadlines (submission 15 July, registration 20 July) if you or a contributor plans to present.
- Use the hybrid format to your advantage — you can follow sessions remotely if you can’t be on-site in Edinburgh.