Plus, plus, plus …
Once upon a time in a land not so far away, Walt Disney, himself, talked about the power of what he called “plussing.” The term means adding that extra something to a project to make it even better. When customers get more than they were expecting, that’s where the oohs and ahhs come from.
Those concepts were on full display at PrismHR LIVE in Orlando, Florida, home to Disney World, which was Walt Disney’s brainchild, of course.
Whether it’s Expedition Everest, Space Mountain or HR software designed to help small and medium-sized businesses compete for talent, dreaming big and the drive for excellence through innovation starts with two things: inspiration and imagination. Both of those concepts were on full display at PrismHR LIVE 2025, which took place in the breathtaking Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida, last week.
Attendees got to see inspiration in action as PrismHR Tax made its LIVE debut along with the new PrismONE Mobile App and reimagined AI-powered Applicant Tracking solution for PrismHR Talent Management. We also talked about PrismHR’s HR Compliance and the new PrismHR Retirement Services. These were among the innovations designed to help your businesses grow by giving you the tools you need to attract new clients and retain current ones.
We also were joined by our friends at Execupay making their PrismHR LIVE debut. Execupay, a PrismHR-affiliated company, offers payroll and HR tech for Payroll Service Bureaus and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). So if you saw some new faces with LIVE badges wandering around the vast hallways of the Gaylord Palms Resort, there’s a good chance they were there to learn more about tech innovation from the Execupay side.
All of this innovation begs the question: Is it possible that we are just scratching the surface of what is possible?
Possibly. But for PrismHR LIVE 2025 attendees and PrismHR customers and their clients, the answer is “Absolutely.”
The tech and innovation on display in Orlando last week are unprecedented in the HR outsourcer (HRO) industry, and the speed at which the transformation is taking place is faster than a velocious velociraptor vrooming on by. (If you rolled or coasted with us at Universal Orlando Resort during PrismHR LIVE, you get it.)
In other words, we’re redefining what’s possible.
Day One, June 8, 2025
This year’s first night at PrismHR LIVE was a little different.
PrismHR hosted its customary Welcome Reception in the Discovery Studio where apps were circling, attendees were mingling, and PrismHR Marketplace partners were displaying their integrated solutions. In addition, our friends at Nayyaa—which enters the Marketplace this summer—hosted a Bourbon & Cigar event with hand-rolled cigars, premium whiskeys, gourmet appetizers and a heartfelt toast to Craig Babigian. Craig recently retired from PrismHR after being with the company for more than 35 years, and his contributions to the HRO and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) space are immeasurable. All we can say is, #ThankYouCraigB!
The video recording team was also out and about asking PrismHR 40th Anniversary Trivia questions to unsuspecting LIVE attendees. One example:
“Which giveaway at PrismHR LIVE 2015 was the toast of the town?”
- An Engraved Wine Glass
- A Branded Toaster
- A Bottle of Champagne
- A One-Year Membership in the Bread of the Month Club
Do you know the answer?*
And to get people excited for the next day’s keynote, PrismHR provided shuttles to Disney Springs where attendees were free to explore a magical land filled with good food and drinks, balloon flights, merch and much more. What a plus!
It was a great warmup for what was to come on the first full day of PrismHR LIVE 2025.
Day Two, June 9, 2025
The day started with a video showing PrismHR’s legacy in the HRO and PEO space over the past 40 years. It was followed by Rick Torrence and Kevin Andrews explaining how far the software and technology have come in such a short time and where it is going.
There was also a tribute to Craig, including a video of him describing the evolution of the company in Craig’s own words. He was quite surprised by the tribute and award, but it was a touching moment for someone who’s done so much for the industry.
Next up was Aleksandra Boruk and Melissa Eversole, both wearing Minnie Mouse ears by the way, announcing the winners of the first-ever Prismatic Awards honoring excellence and innovation. Awards were given in five categories with five nominees in each.
The Prismatic Winners are:
- Partnership: Trion Solutions
- Retention: Resourcing Edge
- MVP Community Support: Sequoia One
After Aleks and Melissa left the stage, it was time to talk partnerships. Venessa Wilson and Kraig Sanders were on hand to talk about our robust partnership program and to hand out the PrismHR Marketplace Partner of the Year award to Norton LifeLock Benefit Solutions. By the way, we asked PrismHR LIVE attendees to share their pictures with Kraig on social using the hashtag #PrismHRLIVEKraig. Have you shared yours yet?
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!
It was then time for our first keynote speaker, Duncan Wardle. Duncan is the former head of innovation and creativity at Disney. He is also the author of the book The Imagination Emporium. Duncan shared ideas for “zings,” “sparks” and “novas,” aka the tools he uses to help build an innovative culture.
Maybe even a few “plusses” here and there as well? Yeah, lots of plusses.
The rest of the day was filled with sessions ranging from the “PrismHR Innovation Showcase” to “Supercharge Your Operations With ClientSpace” among others.
The day concluded with a trip to Universal Studios where a rainstorm couldn’t wash away all the fun. There was even enough of a break from the wet weather for many in the group to see some dinosaurs running around in the VelociCoaster, which hits speeds up to 70 mph—very important when you’re trying to dodge those apex predators from the late Cretaceous epoch. That’s a plus!
But there was much more to chew on during the final day of the conference.
Day Three, June 10, 2025
The final day of PrismHR LIVE 2025 kicked off with a breakfast with the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations’ (NAPEO’s) Casey Clark. The president and CEO of NAPEO talked about industry trends and insights for the PEO industry.
This was Casey’s second PrismHR LIVE. Check out Casey’s interview with us from 2024.
After breakfast, there were several engaging sessions, including PrismHR’s Neil DeLucia (on the right below) and State Tax Solutions’ Scott Guenther discussing “Mastering Tax Complexity” and how PrismHR Tax can help.
We also heard from Dr. Ryan Todd, co-founder of Headversity explaining how chaos impacts our brains and leads to stress and burnout. Eric Carlson was also on hand to discuss PrismHR HCM innovations.
The day concluded with a powerful message from our keynote speaker Coach Ken Carter, who inspired the 2005 film Coach Carter starring Samuel L. Jackson. Carter forfeited basketball games even though his high school basketball team was undefeated at the time because some players had grade point averages below the 2.3 GPA that they had agreed to maintain to be a part of the team.
“Reset your preset,” he told PrismHR LIVE attendees. In other words, try different things beyond the conventional methods to find success. Carter inspired, high-fived and joked with the audience as he wandered around the ballroom.
And with that, it was a wrap on another stellar PrismHR LIVE. Next year, we’ll see you in Denver at the scenic Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. There will be so much to talk about—beginning with inspiration and imagination.
To channel our inner Yoda, who’s now a Disney character, when it comes to PrismHR LIVE 2025: Plus it, we did.
As Master Yoda once said, “Always pass on what you have learned.” Isn’t that what PrismHR LIVE is all about?
*Trivia Answer: B. A Branded Toaster. It even added a PrismHR logo on the toast believe it or not. Photo courtesy of Deana Morgan, vice president, revenue operations, who went above and beyond to track down historic PrismHR photos for the videos shown at LIVE, including pictures for the Craig Babigian tribute video.
James Tehrani is PrismHR’s content marketing manager. He is an award-winning writer and editor based in the Chicago area.
