Live from SHRM 09 – Wrap Up
The other day, someone asked me how many SHRM Annual Conferences I’ve attended. Lucky for me a list was provided in the Conference Daily so I counted them up – 14. Wow! I couldn’t believe it either. I must say that, even with the down economy and low attendance, SHRM didn’t skimp at all on this event. They made a huge investment into the program and it showed.
For those of you who weren’t able to be there, you missed a good one. Here’s my wrap up …
Session Soundbite
Without a doubt, the HR Bloggers Panel with Kris Dunn, Lance Haun, Jessica Lee and Laurie Ruettimann was a huge hit! China Gorman, SHRM’s Chief Operating Officer, is a skilled moderator and kept everyone engaged. I think it was a great idea to live stream the session and hopefully, in the future, SHRM will consider doing more of this.
Expo Highlight
The expo closed on Tuesday but there was still much to experience. I stopped by the career transition center that was being sponsored by Lee Hecht Harrison. They were offering workshops and personal coaching sessions for HR Pros in transition. They also offered advice for companies that were considering layoffs. One of the consultants mentioned they’ve seen hundreds of people during the event.
Kudos to SHRM and Lee Hecht Harrison for offering this great resource at the conference.
Swag of the Day
In packing for the trip home, I realized that I snagged some pleasant surprises in the expo that I wanted to mention. The Bureau of National Affairs (aka BNA) was giving out cans of Café du Monde coffee and Ajilon had huge bags of M&M’s. Coffee and chocolate…yum. That trumps a jump drive any day.
Foodie Spotlight
I had a wonderful evening with the Jackson Lewis folks at Restaurant August. The firm is filled with the best and brightest legal minds. If you ever have the chance to dine at Restaurant August, it’s an invite you should never turn down. The highlight was the crispy seared Louisiana redfish with Silver Queen Corn and local crab meat. Just typing that makes me hungry again…
You Made My Day Award
I’d like to give a shout out to the SHRM staff for putting this event together. I’ve actually worked on the conference team back in 2003 when the Annual Conference was in Orlando. The hard work and commitment to giving the attendees, speakers, and exhibitors a quality show is phenomenal. They deserve our accolades (and a long paid vacation!)
Like many others, I’m getting settled back into life at home and the office. That means lots of laundry, nursing my blisters and answering tons of email. But it was an awesome trip – I made a lot of great friends, learned new ideas, and pumped a ton of money into the New Orleans economy. I’ll start saving now for next year – San Diego.
I’m thinking of using this format to report on future conferences. If you have any comments about it, please let me know. Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing July 4 holiday!
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