Workday Rising is Almost Here

At Workday, our customers are at the center of everything we do. We’re always looking for ways to connect with and drive higher value for our customers, and we believe strong customer engagement is part of what makes Workday different. Yet as we’ve matured, we’ve learned that although it’s extremely important for our Services team in the field to engage with customers on a regular basis, our customers reap even bigger benefits when connecting with each other.

That’s where Workday Rising comes in. We’re very excited for our upcoming customer conference that takes place in Chicago, Sept. 26-29. Workday Rising gives our customers the chance to connect and collaborate with each other, their local Services team leaders, and our Products organization. Additionally, it provides Workday with a great venue to get open and honest feedback from customers about their experiences, helping us to evolve our products and services offerings.

Some of you may be familiar with Workday Rising, because your colleagues and team members have attended. However, in addition to the traditional content your teams know and love, this year we are taking it up a notch and providing a greater variety of sessions, including content that’s especially designed for our customer executives.

Here’s a look at some of what’s new at this year’s Workday Rising:

• Kickoff Keynote. Nothing launches a great event like a speaker who instills inspiration and energy, which is why we’re delighted Dr. Peter Diamandis will deliver Workday Rising’s kickoff keynote on Monday evening. He is founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, a bestselling author, and was recently named one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine. Dr. Diamandis is a true visionary on how digital disruption is impacting every major industry, and how that presents opportunities for those who embrace it to achieve massive growth.
• Business Leader Forums. This new series of talks, featuring executives from Deloitte, IDG, IBM, Patagonia, Workday, and more, will bring leading thinkers and practitioners to an intimate stage to share insights into managing through change. They’ll share perspectives based on global business trends and their own impressive leadership experiences at some of the world’s most admired organizations.
• More at the Workday Booth. In addition to learning about our products, customers can stop by the “Straight from the Bar” zone, where legal professionals will offer guidance on a number of compliance topics, including the Affordable Care Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, international data privacy, and more. You’ll also learn more about our growing Workday Pro certification program and Workday Community site, and be able to meet with members of our Customer Enablement and Support teams.
• Workday Customer Keynote. No one tells inspiring stories of growth and transformation better than our innovative customers, and we’re delighted to have Workday customers share their experiences and vision in our keynote session on Wednesday morning. Stay tuned—we’ll share more details on those customers within the next few weeks.

In addition to this, you’ll also hear from Workday leaders, including Workday Co-Founders Aneel Bhusri and Dave Duffield, in our executive keynote Tuesday morning. And last but certainly not least, there’s the legendary Customer Appreciation Party Wednesday night where Grammy-nominated artists OneRepublic will take the stage at Chicago’s Navy Pier to perform their greatest hits.

Our Services team is looking forward to this face-to-face opportunity with customers, and I know many other teams across Workday anticipate gathering with you in September to discover new possibilities, gain new perspectives on overcoming challenges, and hear how you are navigating change and driving your organizations forward.