Skip to main content

Loading...

Abstract blue and green gradient with dotted arc pattern. Forward 2026 logo with blue arrow design.
17 June 2026
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Forward 2026: Transforming the Employee Experience

Forward is the premier conference for leaders transforming the experience of their most critical asset: the frontline workforce.

Join us for a human-first conference designed to equip you with the tools, strategies, and stories that drive real impact – where it matters most.

This year

AI, Action, and the Human Advantage

Explore how AI, applied with purpose and intention, can elevate human potential at scale – especially for the employees closest to your customer, your product, and your bottom line.

Man speaking on stage with Today marks the beginning of a new on screen.
Blue abstract icon with circular pattern

The Connected Workforce

Building Culture & Inclusion Over Distance

From two-way comms and manager enablement to AI-powered recognition – learn how to create connections across sites, shifts, and languages.

Blue abstract icon with circular dotted pattern.

The Enabled Workforce

Equipping Your People for Peak Performance

Explore the tech stack, AI tools, and training strategies powering confident, capable, and future-ready frontline teams.

Blue icon of a column with dotted circular pattern.

The Resilient Workforce

Leading Your Organisation Effectively Through Change

What resilience really looks like in high-pressure environments – and how to build it, lead it, and sustain it at scale.

Get Your Spot

Reach out to your Flip representative for more information.

Until June 17, 2026

Standard: 375 €

Speakers

Bala Sathyanarayanan
EVP & CHRO at Greif

Bala Sathyanarayanan

EVP & CHRO at Greif

Daria Ezazi
Head of Corporate Communications toom Baumarkt GmbH

Daria Ezazi

Head of Corporate Communications toom Baumarkt GmbH

David Schwarzelmüller
Head of Digital Communications & Collaboration, HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA

David Schwarzelmüller

Head of Digital Communications & Collaboration, HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA

Julia Herrmann
Project Manager HR Digitalisierung at REWE Group

Julia Herrmann

Project Manager HR Digitalisierung at REWE Group

Jen Draper
Managing Director at Work Networks

Jen Draper

Managing Director at Work Networks

Katharina Hölzle
Professor for Technology Management & Human Factors, IAT University of Stuttgart; Director at Fraunhofer IAO

Katharina Hölzle

Professor for Technology Management & Human Factors, IAT University of Stuttgart; Director at Fraunhofer IAO

Khaled Thaler
Managing Director at HIRSCHTEC

Khaled Thaler

Managing Director at HIRSCHTEC

Marcus Berret
Global Managing Director at Roland Berger

Marcus Berret

Global Managing Director at Roland Berger

Mairian Gildea
Senior Manager, Employee Channels, CSL

Mairian Gildea

Senior Manager, Employee Channels, CSL

Marc Pühringer
Principal Sales Consultant bei HIRSCHTEC

Marc Pühringer

Principal Sales Consultant bei HIRSCHTEC

Mareike Heidemann-Jarosch
Product Owner Frontline Information & Knowledge Value Stream Domain Corporate Functions at REWE Group

Mareike Heidemann-Jarosch

Product Owner Frontline Information & Knowledge Value Stream Domain Corporate Functions at REWE Group

Ralf Ludwigs
Lead HR-IT, Processmanagement & Analytics bei toom Baumarkt

Ralf Ludwigs

Lead HR-IT, Processmanagement & Analytics bei toom Baumarkt

Roman Zitzelsberger
CEO Petromanos Group

Roman Zitzelsberger

CEO Petromanos Group

Sebastian Ullrich
Managing Director & Partner, BCG

Sebastian Ullrich

Managing Director & Partner, BCG

Portrait of a man with a beard on a blue triangular background.
Luke Talbot
Chief Product & Technology Officer

Luke Talbot

Chief Product & Technology Officer

Portrait of a man with a beard on a blue triangular background.

Luke Talbot is Chief Product & Technology Officer for Flip. His mission is to create lovable Digital Employee Experiences, so that work is a little more fun, with a little less friction, for everyone. Luke has been delivering B2B and B2C enterprise software for over 20 years, with over 15 years leading R&D organisations in the Digital Employee Experience (DEX) space. Sometimes when he feels nostalgic he likes to remember how many CDs we used to burn, or what it felt like supporting customers with RDP over 28k modem. Luke loves building time machines, finds peace in product market fit, and fights for Product Led Growth. Solutions looking for problems make him uncomfortable.

Benedikt Brand
CEO, Co-Founder of Flip

Benedikt Brand

CEO, Co-Founder of Flip

Before founding Flip, Benedikt worked as a project manager at Porsche AG. He noticed that there was a gap in the market for a standardised, easy-to-use tool that enabled internal communication with all employees – including the deskless workforce. He was guided by one specific aim: to create an employee-focused solution that keeps employees updated digitally, lets them network with each other and the company, and is both quick to learn and easy to use.

Location

Spark Europe

Junghofstraße 16, 60311, Frankfurt am Main - View Map

A GLIMPSE AHEAD

Forward is the annual conference by Flip — your chance to hear from industry pioneers, explore how HR, Communications, and Digital leaders are transforming their workforces, and walk away with tangible strategies you can put into practice today.

Workshops & Live interactive sessions

Participate in practical workshops that offer proven approaches to modernizing communication channels, enhancing the employee experience, and supporting organization-wide transformation.

People in a conference room attending a meeting.
Expert panels

Explore real-world success stories and strategies for empowering deskless teams with AI — driving more connected, informed, and engaged employee communities.

Panel discussion at a conference with four speakers on stage.
Visionary keynotes

Hear from global visionaries as they share transformative insights on organizational AI, employee experience, and the evolving workplace — and explore what’s next for the future of work.

Man presenting on stage with a slide about robotics and mass layoffs.
Exclusive product previews

See how AI solutions are reshaping how organizations communicate, engage, and support their people — and discover where the technology is headed next.

Two people taking a selfie at a Flip event with a backdrop reading Flip Int... Smarter Together.
Awards ceremony

Join us in celebrating companies driving frontline excellence and innovation – and learn how they're doing it.

People shaking hands at an award ceremony with Flip Award on screen.

Agenda

08:15 AM
Registration

Check-in & Coffee

09:00 AM
Opening Remarks (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Welcome to Forward 2026!

09:20 AM
Keynote (English with Subtitles)

Reimagining Work and the Workforce in the Age of AI.
Designing Organisations Built for an AI-Enabled World.

Show more
Horizon Stage - Floor 4
Marcus Berret Global Managing Director at Roland Berger
09:40 AM
Keynote (English with Subtitles)

Employee Experience. At Scale. How Digital Enablers Transform Work in a Decentralized Organization.

Show more
Horizon Stage - Floor 4
Julia Herrmann Project Manager HR Digitalisierung at REWE Group
Mareike Heidemann-Jarosch Product Owner Frontline Information & Knowledge Value Stream Domain Corporate Functions at REWE Group
10:00 AM
R&D Showcase (English with Subtitles)

What's Next at Flip: Connecting every employee to everything they need in one touch.

Show more
Horizon Stage - Floor 4
Portrait of a man with a beard on a blue triangular background.
Luke Talbot Chief Product & Technology Officer
10:40 AM
Coffee Break

Power Up with Coffee & Connections

11:15 AM
Breakout (German)

Alle HR-Prozesse in One-Tap: Die Operations-Transformation bei FORVIA HELLA.

Show more
Arena Room - Floor 5


Was passiert, wenn HR-Self-Service, Betriebskommunikation und Schichtpläne auf einer Plattform zusammenwachsen – und das Clipboard endlich in der Schublade bleibt? David zeigt, wie FORVIA HELLA die One-Touch-Experience für Produktionsmitarbeitende in der Praxis umsetzt: Urlaubsanträge, Schichtdaten-Korrekturen und Stammdatenpflege wandern vom Papier-Zettel direkt in die Flip-App. Ein Praxisbericht darüber, wie ein globaler Automobilzulieferer Flip zum zentralen Zugang für seine Frontline Worker macht – ohne Firmen-E-Mail, ohne Werk-PC, ohne Umweg über den Meister.

David Schwarzelmüller Head of Digital Communications & Collaboration, HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
11:15 AM
Breakout (German)

Mehr Zusammenhalt: Wie die toomunity 18.000 Mitarbeitende zu einer Learning Community verwandelt hat.

Show more
Workshop Room - Floor 5

Wie baut man Gemeinschaft, wenn 18.000 Mitarbeitende auf hunderte Standorte verteilt sind – ohne gemeinsamen Arbeitsplatz, ohne Firmen-Laptop? toom Baumarkt zeigt, wie aus einer Kommunikationslösung eine echte Learning Community geworden ist: Wissen wird geteilt, Erfahrungen landen nicht mehr in Silos, und Märkte lernen voneinander statt nebeneinander her. Ein Praxisbericht darüber, wie Zusammenhalt im Einzelhandel heute aussieht – und warum die Mitarbeitenden selbst der entscheidende Faktor sind.

Daria Ezazi Head of Corporate Communications toom Baumarkt GmbH
Ralf Ludwigs Lead HR-IT, Processmanagement & Analytics bei toom Baumarkt
11:15 AM
Breakout (English)

Connecting Global Teams: What Works (and What Doesn’t) When You Design for Everyone.

Show more
Liberty Stage - Floor 5


Connecting global teams sounds simple until your workforce spans offices, labs, manufacturing sites, and frontline locations where many employees don’t sit at a desk or regularly access traditional intranet tools.

In this session, Mairian will share the real-world lessons from rethinking how a global organisation connects its people through Collab, CSL’s employee communications platform. Rather than adding more channels or tools, CSL focused on simplifying the experience: designing for both wired and unwired employees, reducing noise through targeted content, and establishing clear governance to keep communication relevant and sustainable at scale.

This is an honest customer story about what didn’t work in the previous model, what worked once CSL designed for frontline realities, and what the team would do differently if starting again. Attendees will leave with practical, transferable ideas for connecting global teams through clarity, relevance, and inclusion–without overengineering the solution.

Mairian Gildea Senior Manager, Employee Channels, CSL
11:15 AM
Breakout (English)

Unleashing the power of AI to your workforce: using Agents, Flows and Automations.

Show more
Straight-Up Room - Floor 5


In this session, Flip's Product team provides an in-depth look at how Agents, Flows, and Automations work together to bring the power of AI directly to frontline employees. Attendees will gain firsthand insight into Flip's product vision and the practical mechanics behind AI-driven workflows. This session also offers a dedicated opportunity to ask the questions you have always wanted to ask – answered directly by the people who build the product.

12:00 PM
Lunch Break

Refuel and Reconnect

01:00 PM
Breakout (English)

The Gap Between Strategy and Reality – And Why It Matters on the Frontline.

Show more
Arena Room - Floor 5


In most organisations, there’s a gap between how work is designed – and how it actually happens on the frontline.

On paper, everything makes sense.
Clear communication. The right tools. Efficient processes.

In reality?
Teams are navigating workarounds, duplicating effort, and relying on whatever gets the job done quickest – whether it’s “official” or not.

This session brings that gap to life. We’ll contrast what leaders think is happening with what’s really happening day-to-day – and explore why so many well-intentioned strategies break down in practice.

Grounded in real-world examples from frontline environments, we’ll show where things go wrong, what it looks like when it works better, and the practical shifts organisations are making to close the gap.

Jen Draper Managing Director at Work Networks
01:00 PM
Breakout (German)

KI im Unternehmen – der Betriebsrat als Schlüsselpartner für Produktivität, Vertrauen und Akzeptanz.

Show more
Liberty Stage - Floor 5


KI-Einführungen scheitern oft nicht an der Technologie – sondern am fehlenden Vertrauen. Roman Zitzelsberger, Geschäftsführer der Petromanos Group und ausgewiesener Experte für Arbeitnehmervertretung und digitale Transformation, zeigt, wie Unternehmen den Betriebsrat vom Blocker zum Enabler machen – und warum partnerschaftliche Mitgestaltung der entscheidende Hebel für erfolgreiche KI-Adoption ist.

Roman Zitzelsberger CEO Petromanos Group
01:00 PM
Breakout (German)

Von Flip-Flops zu Flip Flows – dank MitarbeiterApp werden alle Mitarbeitenden in digitalisierte (Geschäfts-)Prozesse eingebunden.

Show more
Workshop Room - Floor 5


Kommunikation ist der Einstieg – aber Prozesse sind der Gamechanger. Marc Pühringer, Principal Sales Consultant bei HIRSCHTEC, zeigt anhand konkreter Praxisbeispiele, wie Unternehmen mit Flip den Sprung von reiner Kommunikation hin zu vollständig digitalisierten Workflows schaffen – und damit auch die letzte Meile der Belegschaft endlich in operative Prozesse einbinden.

Marc Pühringer Principal Sales Consultant bei HIRSCHTEC
01:00 PM
Breakout (English)

Unleashing the power of AI to your workforce: using Agents, Flows and Automations.

Show more


In this session, Flip's Product team provides an in-depth look at how Agents, Flows, and Automations work together to bring the power of AI directly to frontline employees. Attendees will gain firsthand insight into Flip's product vision and the practical mechanics behind AI-driven workflows. This session also offers a dedicated opportunity to ask the questions you have always wanted to ask – answered directly by the people who build the product.

01:45 PM
Coffee Break

Power Up with Coffee & Connections

02:15 PM
Keynote (English with Subtitles)

Rethinking the Human Side of AI at Work.

Show more
Horizon Stage - Floor 4
Katharina Hölzle Professor for Technology Management & Human Factors, IAT University of Stuttgart; Director at Fraunhofer IAO
02:45 PM
Panel Discussion (English with Subtitles)

Transformation in Times of Disruption: Leading in the Age of AI.

Show more
Horizon Stage - Floor 4
Khaled Thaler Managing Director at HIRSCHTEC
Sebastian Ullrich Managing Director & Partner, BCG
Katharina Hölzle Professor for Technology Management & Human Factors, IAT University of Stuttgart; Director at Fraunhofer IAO
Bala Sathyanarayanan EVP & CHRO at Greif
03:35 PM
Awards Ceremony (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Honoring Success, Inspiring the Future of Frontline.

04:15 PM
Closing Remarks (English with Subtitles)

Carry the Momentum Forward

Show more
Horizon Stage - Floor 4
Portrait of a man with a beard on a blue triangular background.
Luke Talbot Chief Product & Technology Officer
Benedikt Brand CEO, Co-Founder of Flip
04:30 PM
Evening Reception
Sky Lounge - Floor 6

Building Connections Beyond the Day

Who shouldn't miss it

If you’re shaping the employee experience for thousands of distributed workers, this is your conference.

Designed for:

  • HR Leaders

  • Ops & Transformation Executives

  • Internal Communications Leads

  • IT & Digital Innovation Leads

Our Partners

Colorful abstract logo of Gyde with three teardrop shapes. Scompler Prime logo SVG

What is it like at Forward?

Watch a recap of the flagship Forward 2025 in Berlin below.

In 2026, we'll be going even bigger, taking over the extraordinary Horizon stage at SPARK in Frankfurt am Main.

satisfaction rate

4.8

participants in 2025

>100

want to come again

95%