How to make the most of your Workday Rising EMEA 2026 experience

Workday Rising is one of those events where the challenge is not finding something to do. It is deciding what deserves your time. 

From 17–19 November, the Workday community will come together in Barcelona for three days of keynotes, sessions, labs, demos, customer stories, and conversations at Fira Gran Via. That is a lot to fit into three days. 

The good news? Getting the most out of Workday Rising EMEA does not mean trying to do everything. A little planning, a few good questions, and some room for the unexpected can make a much bigger difference.

What are the 7 most important things to think about to get the most out of your Workday Rising EMEA 2026 experience? 

1. Decide what questions you need to answer before you build your agenda 

Firstly, think about what you want to know by the time you leave Barcelona. Pick two or three questions that matter most to your organisation. Then use them to decide which sessions, demos, and conversations deserve a place on your calendar. 

It is easy to start scrolling through the session catalogue and mentally filling every open slot. Resist the urge, at least for a minute. 

Maybe you are trying to get more from the Workday products you already have. Maybe AI is high on the agenda, but you are still working out where it can make a practical difference. You could be rethinking finance and planning, navigating the complexities of payroll across different countries, looking at your ongoing support model, or figuring out how to simplify a process that has become more complicated than it needs to be. 

It is much easier to come home with something useful when you know what you went looking for.

2. Build your shortlist of sessions, but leave space for spontaneous conversations and meeting with peers 

The Workday Rising EMEA Session Catalogue is available, so start exploring the sessions that align with your priorities and reserve your place when booking becomes available. 

Look for a mix of Workday product updates, practical guidance, and real customer experiences. Hearing what is coming is important. Hearing how another organisation actually approached a challenge can make it much easier to picture what comes next for your own team. 

Strada will be part of two customer sessions this year, featuring Rituals and White & Case. Both will share insights from their Workday journeys, including lessons learned and practical approaches to improving efficiency, driving adoption, and getting more value from Workday. 

In other words, come for the technology. Stay for the "how did you actually do that?" questions. 

And once you start filling your calendar, leave a little space open. Some of the best conversations at Rising happen because a session sparks a question, someone introduces you to a peer, or you see something in a demo that you want to explore further.

3. Make time for conversations that are smaller than a breakout session 

A packed room is great for hearing a big idea. It is not always the best place to ask the very specific question that has been sitting on your team's to-do list for six months. 

That is where smaller conversations can be some of the most valuable time at Rising. 

Workday's Braindates are designed around exactly that idea, connecting attendees with peers and experts for conversations based on shared topics and questions. 

You can also connect directly with Strada experts throughout the event for practical, one-to-one conversations about your Workday priorities, from AI readiness and payroll to ongoing optimisation and expanding your Workday footprint. 

Our advice for getting the most out of these conversations 

Have a real and specific question in mind, such as: 

• "Here is the process my team is still doing manually. What could we do differently?" 
• "We have been live for three years, and this part still feels harder than it should. What have you seen other teams do?" 

Avoid generic questions that do not help build conversations, such as: 

• "Tell me about AI." 
• "How should we optimise Workday?" 

Specific questions tend to lead to much better conversations.

4. Treat Rising Central like a working session focused on your organisation's priorities 

The Expo (aka Rising Central) is your opportunity to explore what's possible with Workday and connect with the experts who can help you put those ideas into practise. 

If there is something you want to see, ask to see it. If you are evaluating an idea, bring the scenario from your own organisation. If you have a question about how something would work with your current Workday environment, ask that instead of sitting through a generic overview. 

Go with a purpose. Otherwise, Rising Central can quickly become a lot of booths, a lot of conversations, and a bag that somehow gets heavier every hour.

At Strada booth 102, our experts will be available for focused conversations around four key areas: 

• Ready your Workday for AI: Explore how to strengthen your data, processes, and governance to prepare for AI adoption. 
• Transform payroll complexity into clarity: Learn how to simplify HR and payroll operations, improve visibility, and support compliance across your organisation. 
• Free your teams to focus on strategic impact: See how HR and payroll outsourcing can reduce administrative complexity and give your teams more time for strategic priorities. 
• Help mid-sized organisations get more from Workday: Explore practical ways to build a scalable HR and workforce foundation that supports future growth. 

That means you can come by with the problem you are trying to solve and get pointed towards the right conversation. 

And if you already know what you want to discuss, you can book a 1:1 with one of our Workday experts ahead of the event. 

5. Find time to step away from the noise and have more meaningful conversations 

Three days at a conference is a lot. Your brain, your feet, and probably your inbox will all remind you of that. One of the smartest things you can put on your agenda is time to step away from the busy conference floor and connect with people in a more relaxed setting. 

Whether that means finding a quiet spot to catch up with a colleague, meeting someone for coffee, or continuing a conversation after a session, some of the most useful discussions happen outside the formal agenda. 

This year, Strada is hosting an exclusive Workday Rising Customer Party at Velissima in Barcelona on Wednesday, 18 November, from 20:00 to 22:00. 

Just minutes from the conference centre, the evening will bring together Workday customers, partners, and industry leaders for great food, drinks, live entertainment, and conversation. 

It is an opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new people, and exchange ideas with others who are navigating many of the same challenges. 

Explore the details and join us at the Strada Customer Party. 

6. Remember the people parts of Rising that do not look like "learning" 

Make time to catch up with people you know, meet people you do not, and participate in some of the experiences happening outside the traditional session schedule. 

One of the biggest advantages of Workday Rising EMEA is the opportunity to connect with organisations from across the region, each bringing different perspectives, challenges, and approaches to getting more from Workday. 

You might meet someone managing payroll across multiple countries, a team exploring AI adoption, or an organisation that has already worked through a challenge you are facing. 

Take advantage of Braindates, networking opportunities, and informal conversations throughout the event. And do not overlook the chance to connect with peers over coffee or during one of the community celebrations. 

The point is to leave a little space in your calendar for the conversations, connections, and experiences you cannot plan in advance.

 7. Before you leave Barcelona, decide what comes next 

Revisit the sessions that stood out, compare notes with your team, and identify the ideas worth putting into practise. 

This can be difficult. By Thursday, your notes app may be a questionable combination of session takeaways, screenshots, names, product ideas, and sentences that made perfect sense when you typed them. 

Before you head home from Workday Rising EMEA, make sure to debrief and ask these questions: 

• What are the three things worth bringing back to your team? 
• Who do you need to reconnect with? 
• What deserves a closer look? 
• What can you actually act on? 

And if one of those questions or next steps involves figuring out what an idea could look like in your own Workday environment, keep the conversation going with us after Rising. 

The goal is to take what you have learned in Barcelona and use it to get more value from your Workday investment long after you get home. 

Here is your Strada shortlist for Workday Rising EMEA 2026 

• Visit Strada at booth 102 in Rising Central to explore how to get more out of your Workday. 
• Book a 1:1 with a Strada expert to discuss AI readiness, payroll, HR operations, optimisation, or expanding your Workday footprint. 
• Attend our customer sessions featuring Rituals and White & Case to hear practical insights from their Workday journeys. 
• Join a Braindate to exchange ideas and connect with peers facing similar challenges. 
• Join us at the Strada Customer Party at Velissima on Wednesday, 18 November, for an evening of connections and conversation. 

Make the most of Rising and get the most out of your Workday. 

Explore everything Strada is doing at Workday Rising EMEA 2026.