SHRM27 Annual Conference Guide: Chicago Dates & Attendees

SHRM27, the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo, runs from 27 to 30 June in Chicago. Organised by the Society for Human Resource Management, it is the world’s largest HR conference, with more than 20,000 attendees and over 550 exhibiting companies.

HR professionals come for education on employment law, talent, benefits, leadership and AI in HR, and the expo is one of the biggest HR-tech marketplaces of the year. This guide covers prices, the audience and how vendors can reach HR decision-makers.

SHRM27 at a glance


Next edition	27-30 June 2027, Chicago
Venue	Chicago convention venue (confirm on shrm.org)
City	Chicago, Illinois (2027); rotates
Typical month	June
Frequency	Annual
Attendance	20,000+
Exhibitors	550+ exhibiting companies
Industry	Human resources & HR technology
Organizer	SHRM
Official website	shrm.org

What is SHRM27?

SHRM’s annual conference gathers HR professionals from companies of all sizes for education on employment law, talent, benefits, DEI, AI in HR and leadership. The expo is one of the largest HR-tech marketplaces, with payroll, benefits, recruiting, learning and engagement vendors.

Many attendees earn recertification credits.

Where does SHRM27 take place?

Rotates between US cities (e.g. San Diego, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas).

Does it change location? Yes, it rotates between US convention cities.

Chicago skyline at night. Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash.

Who you’ll meet at SHRM27

HR managers and directors
CHROs
Benefits and talent leaders
HR consultants
HR-tech vendors

You will find real buyers with real budgets, mixed with technical staff and partners. Segmenting the attendee list by role and company size before the show saves a lot of wasted booth conversations.

Exhibiting or attending SHRM27? I can deliver the SHRM27 attendee and exhibitor list, enriched with job titles, company size, industry and LinkedIn profiles, as a CRM-ready file before the event starts. Ask for your SHRM27 list on Prospector

Industries and niches covered

HR tech and HRIS
Recruiting and talent acquisition
Benefits and payroll
Learning and development
Employment law and compliance
Employee experience and AI in HR

What SHRM27 means for B2B sellers

SHRM brings together HR professionals from companies of every size, from small businesses to global enterprises. For HR-tech, benefits and payroll vendors, that breadth is useful, but it also means many attendees are not your buyers.

Filtering is everything. CHROs, HR directors and benefits leaders at mid-size and large companies are the most valuable contacts, and knowing which of them are registered lets you invite them to demos or meetings before the expo opens.

Who should attend SHRM27?

Go if your buyers work in HR and you can identify the specific companies you want to meet. The budget holders are there; the work is in finding them among a large crowd.

Think twice if you can’t staff a booth or meeting schedule properly. Without a target list, SHRM27 can turn into a lot of pleasant conversations and very little pipeline.

How much does SHRM27 cost?

Option	Price / details
Also good to know	Tickets from about $2,395; SHRM members get lower rates
Typical cost	~$2,000-2,400.

Prices change between editions and by registration date, so treat these as a guide and check shrm.org before you buy.

Event app and digital platform

SHRM provides an official conference app (agenda, exhibitors, networking).

Event apps are built for attendees, not for sales teams. You can usually browse profiles one by one, but connection requests are capped, many profiles are half empty, and there is rarely an export button. That makes the app useful on site and frustrating for planning.

Is SHRM27 worth it?

Pros	Cons
Very large HR audience	Many attendees from small companies
Big expo for HR tech	Expensive
Strong buyer intent for HR software	Rotating cities

Getting meetings at SHRM27

When	What to do
2 months out	Decide who you want to meet: target roles, industries, company size. Then get the list of who is actually registered.
1 month out	Run a short outreach sequence (three to four touches) that leads with the event and a clear meeting ask.
Final week	Send reminders, share your booth number or meeting spot, and prepare one-page briefs on your top accounts.
After the event	Send personalised follow-ups within 72 hours and tag every lead with the event name in your CRM.

Many SHRM attendees are focused on earning recertification credits and fill their days with sessions. Suggest meetings early in the morning or during expo-only time blocks.

No export button in the event app? I deal with that part. Ask for the SHRM27 list with names, titles, companies and LinkedIn profiles in one file.

Frequently asked questions

When is SHRM27?

27-30 June 2027, Chicago. Dates can shift, so confirm on the official website (shrm.org) before booking travel.

Where is SHRM27 held?

Rotates between US cities (e.g. San Diego, Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas).

Does it move? Yes, it rotates between US convention cities.

How much does a SHRM27 ticket cost?

~$2,000-2,400. See the pricing table above for pass types.

Who attends SHRM27?

Mainly HR managers and directors; CHROs; benefits and talent leaders; HR consultants.

Can I get the SHRM27 attendee list?

Event organisers rarely sell attendee lists. Prospector builds one for you from the event app and website: attendees, exhibitors and speakers, enriched with job title, company, company size, industry, LinkedIn profile and work email where available, delivered as a CRM-ready file before the event. Ask about SHRM27 here.

Get the SHRM27 attendee list

Planning for SHRM27? Send me a message on Prospector. Tell me who you sell to, and I’ll come back with what the attendee and exhibitor data looks like for this event.

Photo credits

Cover image: Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash
In-article image: Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

Sources

Event details were last checked in October 2026. Dates, venues and prices can change, so confirm them on the official event website.