DirectEmployers Association Earns Three Stevie® Awards in Its American Business Awards Debut

Indianapolis-based nonprofit wins Gold, Silver, and Bronze across three competitive categories in first-ever submission to the prestigious American Business Awards, recognizing excellence in annual conference programming and member engagement.

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DirectEmployers Association, a nonprofit member-owned organization dedicated to improving employment outcomes for veterans and individuals with disabilities, today announced three Stevie® Award wins at the 2026 American Business Awards—Gold, Silver, and Bronze—in the organization’s first-ever submission to the competition:

• GOLD STEVIE® Conferences & Meetings: Association Meeting—DEAMcon: Not Your Average HR Conference
• SILVER STEVIE® Customer Service Department of the Year: All Other Industries—DirectEmployers Member Engagement: High-Touch Human-Centric Support, Every Step of the Way
• BRONZE STEVIE® Corporate & Community, B2B Event—DEAMcon: Not Your Average HR Conference

“These awards reflect what our Members already know: that DirectEmployers shows up for them—not as a vendor, but as a strategic partner. Every action our teams take is grounded in genuine human connection,” remarked Jeff Gill, Executive Director, DirectEmployers Association. “To earn this level of recognition in our very first year entering the American Business Awards competitions challenges us to keep raising the bar.”

The Gold and Bronze Stevies honor DirectEmployers Annual Meeting & Conference (DEAMcon)—the organization’s annual conference, now in its twentieth year—which has grown from a one-and-a-half day meeting with fewer than 20 attendees into a two-and-a-half day event drawing 250-plus HR practitioners, compliance professionals, and industry leaders. DEAMcon25, held May 21–23 in Scottsdale, Arizona, arrived at a defining moment: as sweeping federal regulatory changes caused peer conferences to cancel or scale back, DEAMcon pivoted in real time, dedicating sessions to the policy shifts unfolding during the event itself. Attendance has risen 28% since the first post-pandemic in-person event in 2022, and 81% of attendees said DEAMcon25 exceeded their expectations—awarding it a 93-out-of-100 satisfaction score. Planned and executed entirely by a four-person in-house marketing team, the conference featured 50 speakers, nearly 19 hours of certified content, and rare direct access to OFCCP and EEOC officials.

The Silver Stevie recognizes the Member Engagement team, whose response to 2025’s regulatory turbulence told a similar story. While competitors automated and pulled back, DirectEmployers expanded its team and leaned into high-touch support—dedicating up to 36 hours of personalized onboarding per new member and resolving 3,469 support tickets in under eight hours each. The result: a 93% member retention rate and customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) of 96.4% and 98% across its two core service touchpoints.

The American Business Awards recognition extends a streak of Stevie Award wins across three consecutive years in the Sales & Customer Service Awards—and marks the organization’s arrival on a larger competitive stage. Both wins ultimately serve the same mission: equipping talent acquisition and HR compliance professionals with the knowledge and connections to expand meaningful employment for veterans and individuals with disabilities.

About DirectEmployers Association

DirectEmployers Association is a nonprofit HR trade organization and a recognized leader in HR compliance solutions and online recruitment. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Association serves over 1,100 employer Members from the Fortune 2000. With a focus on helping U.S.-based employers navigate the complexities of federal contractor compliance, DirectEmployers also offers expertise in strategic partnerships and innovative technology, empowering its Members with the tools, education, and support needed to succeed in an ever-evolving talent acquisition landscape.