2009 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition Recap

With over 200 concurrent sessions, attendees had their choice of educational tracks, including employment, employment law and legislation, international, skill development, strategic management, and total rewards. Certified attendees were able to earn up to 12.5 recertification credits in 72 hours. The economy’s impact on HR, our employees, and our organizations was a common theme throughout the presentations. The session providers shared new solutions for surviving and thriving in these challenging economic times.

The talk of the conference was Sunday’s keynote presentation by Jack Welch of GE fame. In talking with attendees, I found mixed reviews on his keynote. All were impressed with having him at our conference, and praised SHRM for bringing such top talent to the event. However, some attendees found his statements and suggestions unrealistic given our own organizational constraints and realities. Welch’s main advice? “Don’t be a victim…You have to have the guts...to make sure you're important in the organization.”

Mirroring Welch’s statements, presenter Hunter Lott strongly encouraged HR professionals to “get out of the babysitting business.” Tough love is the order of the day in this new economy.

Another area of buzz at this year’s conference was social networking. Many individuals “Tweeted” live from the event – some showing greater editorial skills than others. Remember, if you’re using Twitter, it’s possible that everyone can see your posts – not just your friends! SHRM also announced its launch of SHRM Connect, described as LinkedIn meets Facebook meets SHRM. The service is free to all members. You can access SHRM Connect through the communities tab on SHRM’s homepage.

While traffic in the exhibit hall was slower than anyone would have liked, the venue provided a great opportunity to catch up with clients, colleagues, and friends!

SHRM favorite Meet to Eat was once again a hit! Additionally, approximately 75 attendees participated in “voluntourism” to help rebuild the neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina almost 4 years ago. Many attendees found the Tuesday night Sheryl Crow show a great way to end the conference!

Missed this year’s conference? We’ll see you June 27 – 30, 2010 in sunny San Diego!