Attend the 71st Annual Employee Benefits Conference Virtually!
Don’t let travel hold you back from being a part of the Nation’s largest employee benefits conference. Register today and receive access to over 30 of the most anticipated sessions for this year’s conference. You can watch them live or on demand through December 12, 2025 allowing you the flexibility to view the sessions when it is convenient for you.
Access to the virtual environment will be available starting November 7, 2025.
Agenda
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
World-renowned chef and entrepreneur Andrew Zimmern shares his deeply personal journey with addiction and sobriety and how he found his calling to tell stories through food and travel adventures. Balancing personal and professional moments of adversity, Zimmern offers an inspiring story of hope, perseverance, and how to become a better leader through resilience. From navigating uncertainty to "co-regulating before operationalizing" to learning how to "act your way into right thinking," Zimmern's message is a blend of personal experience and his own prescription for resiliency and success.
Available Virtually
7:30 AM - 8:45 AM
We typically associate success with speed and smarts. But in today's hypercompetitive world, even those gifts aren't enough. Collaboration expert Erica Dhawan argues that the game changer is a thoroughly modern skill called Connectional Intelligence (CxQ). As radical a concept as emotional intelligence was in the 90s, Connectional Intelligence is turning people into superconnectors who accelerate innovation, break down silos and foster breakthrough impact.
This dynamic, engaging, high-energy, fast-paced session will help participants understand the practice of using Connectional Intelligence as the key to purposeful collaboration, resilience and business success. Attendees will shift the notion of collaboration from more meetings and emails to productive engagement that improves speed and quality of service, increases subject matter expertise and specialist sharing across silos, reduces cross-team dysfunction and delay, and eliminates duplicative work. Attendees will learn new insights and tools to accelerate the connected power of teams, become more agile and innovative, and drive breakthrough ideas and outcomes.
Learning Outcomes:
- Discover new ways to lead, inspire, and communicate with diverse teams through uncertainty.
- Learn how to keep cross-team collaborations aligned, build trust and foster motivation.
- Gain specific actions to inspire teamwork, innovation, resilience, revitalization and results-driven progress.
- Learn behaviors to understand and build trust and connection, no matter the distance.
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
- Recruiting and onboarding
- Growing talent—Retention efforts
- Career and professional development
- Compensation and benefits
- Managing attrition
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
- How to read the plan's financial statements and tax returns
- Ratios and reserves
- Creating and following a budget for the plan/trust
- Internal financial statements vs. external statements
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
This session aims to address the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence may bring to benefit fund administration, including how it is currently utilized and its potential impact on the workforce.
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
- Overview of withdrawal liability
- Using separate assumptions for funding and withdrawal liability calculations
- Where and when does it apply? Are there exceptions?
- Approaches to managing withdrawal liability
Available Virtually
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
- Evolving fiduciary responsibilities
- Disclosures, conflicts of interest and parties in interest
- Areas vulnerable to breaches in fiduciary responsibility
- Oversight of professionals, investments and fees
Available Virtually
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
- The importance of investing in cybersecurity
- Utilizing DOL and HHS guidance
- Best practices—What are your first steps after a breach?
Available Virtually
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Attend this session to learn about updates in the legislative and regulatory environment for health and welfare plans.
Available Virtually
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Health plans today are operating in a tumultuous legal and legislative environment and must be prepared to adapt to ongoing changes. To help prepare and protect your fund amid this uncertainty, this session will cover:
- Key policies and procedures that your fund should be adopting or refining
- Enhancing operational effectiveness and integrity
- Ensuring compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.
Available Virtually
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
- Funds need independent review of:
- Email policies and usage (staff, trustees, employers)
- Security (hardware, software, etc.)
- Connections to other data sources (e.g., recordkeepers)
- How to review vendors for security audits and services
- No fund is too small for security improvements
Available Virtually
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
- Industry update
- Current state of coverage for diabetes and weight-loss care
- The role of prescription drug therapies as a part of a total health approach
- Utilization management
- Case study examples
Available Virtually
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
- Understanding tariffs
- How asset classes and sectors are affected
- Risk management strategies and portfolio rebalancing considerations
- Resources that trustees can use to monitor changes
Available Virtually
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
- Understanding the valuation report
- Key assumptions and how they impact valuation and costs
- How changes in benefits affect long-term costs
- Understanding zone status
- What are present values, and how are they calculated?
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
- Timely transfer of worker contributions (wage deferrals) and employer contributions to the recordkeeper
- Choosing and monitoring investment options
- Understanding the various share classes and fees
- Participant loans and hardships
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
- What does an effective meeting look like?
- Pros and cons of virtual vs. in-person meetings
- Robert's Rules of Order
- What technology solutions can help with board meeting effectiveness?
- How do you deal with difficult and disputed decisions?
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
This panel discussion will provide an overview of:
- GLP-1-related survey data at the plan and industry level
- Compiling insights on cost
- Coverage for diabetes and weight loss
- Cost-control mechanisms
- What key insights can be gleaned to help guide plan actions.
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
- Interest rate environment
- Role of fixed income in a portfolio
- Exploring different avenues of fixed income
- Investment grade
- Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)
- High-yield bonds
- Core and core plus
Available Virtually
7:30 AM - 8:45 AM
Marci Rossell is a world-renowned economist and financial expert who electrifies audiences nationwide, speaking candidly on the nexus of economics, politics, culture and the media. She honed her animated style serving as the popular, lively chief economist for CNBC, where she became a household name and a must-watch source of financial news. The former co-host of the well-known "pre-market" morning news and talk show Squawk Box, Rossell is revered for taking complex economic issues, often dull in the button-down business press, and making them relevant to people's lives, families and careers.
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Attend this session for a quick review of the many policies and documents to consider for plan administration, such as:
- Education policies
- Delinquent and collection policies
- AI policies (staff, trustees, etc.)
- Fiduciary, cyber, business and other insurance policies
- Trustee expense and reimbursement policies
- Plan document, summary plan description, SMM, SBC.
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
- Plan-related expenses vs. other expenses
- Areas of potential concern
- Documentation and policies
- How good people can make poor choices
- Training your new trustees
- Areas drawing DOL attention
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
This session provides an informative and comprehensive analysis of recent, pending or upcoming legislation activities that will continue to shape your plan decisions.
Available Virtually
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
- How funds can enhance their workplace culture
- Identifying the seven benchmarks inherent in a results-oriented well-being program
- Mental health initiatives
- Inclusion considerations
- Financial wellness
Available Virtually
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
- Targeting your plan's most common conditions: Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, depression and more
- The impact of preventive care
- New strategies for success
- Case study examples
Available Virtually
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
- Defining stop-loss coverage
- Selecting appropriate coverage levels
- How to utilize stop-loss effectively
- Understanding coverage lasers
Available Virtually
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
- The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on markets
- Where is AI being used in investments today?
- Investing in AI-driven companies and technologies
Available Virtually
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Available Virtually
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
- Tailoring messaging to specific generations
- Bridging language barriers
- Driving utilization of existing offerings
- Being creative while fulfilling legal obligations
- Case study examples
Available Virtually
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Once you've assessed your plan's risk, it's time to consider the options. From investment strategies to benefit design to funding policies, a well-funded position opens the door to important—and sometimes difficult—decisions.
- Investment strategies tailored to plan maturity and cash flow needs
- Plan design features for long-term sustainability
- Considerations around benefit improvements
- The importance of stress testing and stochastic modeling
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
- What's coming down the pipeline?
- Specialty drug update
- Biosimilars, formularies, utilization management and other cost-containment strategies
- Gene therapy/genetic testing update
- The role of advocacy groups
- Legal and legislative implications
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Paul Lacombe, R.Ph., MBA
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
- High-level industry check-in
- Coverage, funding, legal considerations
- Defining the market: Ketamine, LSD, MDMA, psilocybin and more
- Common pitfalls and best practices
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
- What drives interest rates?
- What the Fed news really means
- Understanding the charts
Available Virtually
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
- How do you talk about your plan to stakeholders?
- Building a model of education
- Goals of the retirement plan
- Planning for the future
- Delivery methods
- Appropriate messages for participants, employers, trustees and administrators
Available Virtually
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Performance metrics and standards (including performance penalties)
- Fees and reporting, including §408(b)2(B)
- RFPs and RFIs
- Vendor cybersecurity best practices and questionnaire responses
- Reviewing service provider succession plans
- Understanding the trustee's fiduciary responsibility of selecting the fund professionals
Available Virtually
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- Preventing workplace violence
- First aid, CPR, AED, naloxone/Narcan, mental health first aid and more
- Importance of active shooter training
- Crisis intervention strategies
Available Virtually
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
- New trends in plan design
- Risk and return
- Options that are attractive to employers and participants
- Pros and cons of variable benefit plans
Available Virtually
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Big data and data analytics
- What your vendors bring to the table
- Audits—Dependents, death, cyber and compliance
- Policies and procedures
- Contract language
Available Virtually
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
- Investing through the lens of a plan type
- Investment horizon
- Risk tolerance
- Reserves and cash flows
Available Virtually
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Attend this session to learn about the Department of Labor's trends in retirement plan audits and investigations. Everything from current trends to future initiatives will be covered, as well as details on how to navigate an investigation successfully.
Available Virtually
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Red Shoes Living—standing out for embracing the positive at work and in your life—is the most relevant and life-changing business message for our time. As an internationally recognized speaker, Lonnie Mayne shares the simple framework of Red Shoes Living with audiences around the world. The foundation of his success is the Red Shoes Living concept that centers on getting the best version out of employees by focusing on five key Red Shoes pillars. These pillars encourage employees to stand out in the work they do and in the life they live. Whether it’s business or personal Red Shoes Living is a way of life. In a world that is increasingly noisy and negative, the Red Shoes philosophy has become a symbol for making a positive impact in the world of business.
Available Virtually
Pricing
Through September 29, 2025
US$1,850.00
Member
Members Only
Nonmember
After September 29, 2025
US$2,150.00
Member
Members Only
Nonmember
Certificate of attendance are offered to virtual participants who meet session requirements. In-person attendees will not be able to complete their requirements by attending virtual sessions.
Continuing education credit for professional licenses and designations are not available to those attending the event virtually.