AGENDA EB Summit
& Gala EBEA 2026
XV Jubilee Edition | October 16, 2026 | Warsaw
Fifteen years. Hundreds of projects. Thousands of people building employer branding across Europe. The 15th edition of EBEA is a milestone worth celebrating – not only because we are marking an anniversary, but because we are doing it together, with the best in the field.
EB Summit 2026 opens the day with a keynote on the state of the labour market and employer branding in Europe. Then the gala begins – a dynamic, high-energy awards ceremony where we announce the winners across 21 categories in 4 pillars. Every laureate presents their project in a 2-minute film: no slides, just energy and substance.
The Grand Prix EBEA 2026 closes the evening. One project. One Archer. The best employer brand of the year.
WORKSHOP | October 16, 2026 | 11.00–14.00
Sensing Zeitgeist:
How to Read the Spirit of the Times and Turn It into EB Strategy
Sensing Zeitgeist:
How to Read the Spirit of the Times and Turn It into EB Strategy
Sem Devillart – Cultural Theorist, Advisor, Researcher
The labour market changes faster than any strategic planning cycle. Candidate and employee expectations are shaped not only by market data, but by cultural phenomena – shifting values, social sentiment, emerging behavioural patterns. Companies that understand these forces build employer brands that attract and retain people.
This workshop teaches how to systematically observe and interpret cultural signals – and how to translate them into practical decisions: what to update in your EVP, how to write recruitment communications that sound current, and where to find inspiration you won’t find in HR reports. For employer branding professionals, it is a tool for crafting messages that genuinely connect with the moment.
Sem Devillart is a cultural theorist, advisor, and researcher – and the creator of the Sensing Zeitgeist method. She teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York, spent over a decade collaborating with AkzoNobel on global colour forecasting, conducted research at Harmony Labs, works alongside Zuzanna Skalska at the Futures Thinking School, and has spoken at events including the Conrad Festival in Kraków.
Places are limited – separate registration required.
11.00
Start
11.00
Start
Part I
How to read the zeitgeist? Method, signals, tools. How cultural phenomena shape the expectations of employees and candidates.
Part I
How to read the zeitgeist? Method, signals, tools. How cultural phenomena shape the expectations of employees and candidates.
–
Coffee break
–
Coffee break
Part II
Zeitgeist in EB practice. From cultural signals to EVP decisions and recruitment communications.
Part II
Zeitgeist in EB practice. From cultural signals to EVP decisions and recruitment communications.
14.00
Lunch break and networking
14.00
Lunch break and networking
EB SUMMIT 2026
& GALA EBEA 2026
XV Jubilee Edition
EB SUMMIT 2026
EB SUMMIT 2026
15.00
EB Summit 2026 Opening
15.00
EB Summit 2026 Opening
15.05
– 15.25
Is Your Employer Brand Keeping Pace with the Spirit of the Times? Sensing Zeitgeist in EB Practice | Sem Devillart
15.05 – 15.25
Is Your Employer Brand Keeping Pace with the Spirit of the Times? Sensing Zeitgeist in EB Practice | Sem Devillart
15.25
– 15.55
State of the Labor Market and EB in Europe – Research Report
15.25 – 15.55
State of the Labor Market and EB in Europe – Research Report
15.55
– 16.25
Keynote · details coming soon
15.55 – 16.25
Keynote · details coming soon
16.25
– 16.40
Coffee break and networking
16.25 – 16.40
Coffee break and networking
16.40
– 17.00
Pre-gala networking
16.40 – 17.00
Pre-gala networking
GALA EBEA 2026
GALA EBEA 2026
17.00
Official Opening of the 15th Edition – Gala EBEA 2026
17.00
Official Opening of the 15th Edition – Gala EBEA 2026
I
PILLAR I
17.05 – 18.30
EB ATTRACTION
Meet the honoured nominees and winners of the first pillar – EB Attraction. Honoured nominees receive a diploma and certificate; winners receive the Archer statuette and certificate. Each laureate presents their winning entry in a 2-minute film.
18.30
– 18.45
Coffee break and networking
18.30 – 18.45
Coffee break and networking
II
PILLAR II
18.45 – 20.15
EB & CULTURE
Meet the honoured nominees and winners of the second pillar – EB & Culture. Honoured nominees receive a diploma and certificate; winners receive the Archer statuette and certificate. Each laureate presents their winning entry in a 2-minute film.
20.15
– 20.30
Coffee break and networking
20.15 – 20.30
Coffee break and networking
III
PILLAR III
20.30 – 20.45
EB STRATEGY
Meet the honoured nominees and winners of the third pillar – EB Strategy. Honoured nominees receive a diploma and certificate; winners receive the Archer statuette and certificate. Each laureate presents their winning entry in a 2-minute film.
IV
PILLAR III
20.45 – 20.55
SPECIAL AWARDS
Special distinctions – awards for projects that go beyond the standard competition framework. The Grand Prix EBEA 2026 closes the 15th edition: one project, one Archer, the best employer brand of the year.
20.55
Gala Closing
Group photo of all 15th edition laureates
20.55
Gala Closing
Group photo of all 15th edition laureates
21.00
Networking and cocktail reception
21.00
Networking and cocktail reception