Shock & Awe: Serious Business 2026 Theme Revealed

We’re thrilled to announce the theme for Serious Business® 2026: Shock & Awe!

We’re looking forward to returning once again to our beloved conference homes, the historic Saenger Theatre and the iconic Roosevelt Hotel. The perfect backdrop for a gathering built on creativity, connection, and inspiration.

“I always just say “whats happeing in the world?’” shared Debra Neill on a podcast with The Tease.

This year’s theme, Shock & Awe, reflects the times we’re living in. As we all navigate a world where the ground keeps shifting, it’s clear that the landscape of both business and life feels more uncertain than ever.

There’s grief. There’s disorientation. And yes, there’s shock. “As a result of shock, we often see the awesomeness,” shared Neill.

But shock has a way of halting time, and sometimes, instead of rushing to numb or fix it, we need to pause. To acknowledge shock, not as weakness, but as wisdom knocking. Because, as the theme reminds us, within the cracks shock leaves behind, awe begins to shimmer.

This awe isn’t loud or dramatic. It’s the quiet kind that shows up as an unexpected kindness, a glimmer of beauty, the resilience in someone’s eyes. It’s the reminder that even in the rubble, life insists on growing.

At Serious Business® 2026, we’re inviting every attendee to live with both hands open, one holding the reality of what is, and the other reaching for what might be.

Our conference will be a space to reflect, to feel, and to connect with the messy, real, and deeply human process of transformation. We’ll explore what it means to embrace disruption and find wonder in unexpected places.

We can’t wait to gather again in New Orleans, to learn and grow together, and to welcome you into this year’s theme!

Stay tuned as we share more about Shock & Awe in the weeks ahead. Until then, we invite you to stay open - to possibility, to wonder, and to the magic that always finds a way.

See you there! Purchase your tickets here: seriousbusiness.net/tickets

Navigating SHOCK. seeking AWE.

Shock disrupts and disorients, but within its aftermath, awe quietly emerges. In the stillness after upheaval, there is resilience, beauty, and meaning— often subtle, but always present. Even in the darkest moments, life persists, and awe waits to be noticed.