HRevolution never ceases to impress me. The planning committee is a stellar group of HR professionals that know how to pull off a one day unconfernece in style. If you are not familiar with what HRevolution is, it’s an unconfernece of HR pros sitting around talking shop. It’s fabulous.
I have so many great take-aways from the weekends festivities that I’m not sure where to start. If you were considering going but didn’t, my apologies but you missed one hell of an event.
In the style of my favorite #bff Shauna Moerke, aka HR Minion, here are some random thoughts. It’s too early for me to have cohesive thoughts; lack of sleep and dealing with the TSA at ORD took all the energy my little brain had.
1. According to Stelzner, aka Mr Trump, the group gathered at Catalyst Ranch had a combined reach of over one million people.
2. The tweetups and dinner conversations alone are worth the cost, which is astronomically low compared to any other similar event.
3. Bill Kutik can sleep in a lounge chair, surrounded by people, during lunch. I can’t express how jealous I was of that nap.
4. Any room called The Sausage Room is bound to inspire shenanigans.
5. However you label them, we all had very similar words that described what makes work meaningful to us. Even beer fell under the category of comp and benefits.
6. Even a semi shy chick like me can find a couple dozen or so people to talk to without much effort.
7. Meeting new people is awesome, putting faces and voices with online friends is amazing.
8. Being on Team Second Place doesn’t mean you are second place. Dude you just had to be there.
9. Bacon maple popcorn. Need I say more.
10. Laurie says titles matter, in a briefest sense of her thought. I kind of agree with her but I kind of don’t. Still thinking on that one.
11. The HR Tech session was fascinating to a geeky girl like me. Apparently for the group we had, mostly smaller businesses ( under 2500 ee’s), it was amazing that some still used Abra. I was surprised to not see more of the big names mentioned, ADP specifically. Buyer mentality and experiences with implementation would have been nice to hear.
12. The HR Tech Conference, I needs to be at that; some one help a girl with no conference budget out.
13. There should be a Waffle House within walking distance at all times, especially at 4am.
14. HRevolution is the only place I’ve used my iPad and not felt like a rockstar, it was awesome to be around other techno-nerds. Even the flight attendant just stopped to talk to me about it.
15. Shauna and I shouldn’t be left on our own too often. Shenanigans occurred, on a grand scale. BFF’s were stolen, plans were put into motion to steal others, new ones were made.
16. Despite the reported rumors, it was confirmed that I am not more evil than Shauna. She is, in fact, as evil as me.
I didn’t come to HRevolution with a personal agenda or to do list. I knew it was going to rock and the plan was to roll with it and enjoy HRevolution to the fullest. Mission Accomplished.
Sort of. I still have lingering thoughts on some of the sessions and side conversations. Like the others, I’m sure those thoughts will work themselves out in upcoming blog posts.
Thank you to the planning committee, Catalyst Ranch, and theWit hotel for a great trip. Thank you to the people for making it amazing as always. I’m looking forward to the next one.
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I agree with you that the Tweetups and dinner conversations are worth the price of admission alone. HRevolution was a great opportunity to see and meet old and new friends to deepen connections we’ve made. I’m sorry we didn’t get to chat more this time, but it sounds like the shenanigans were worth it.
The Sausage Room still makes me giggle.
@Jennifer – I hate that we didnt get time to chat too. There was so much going on, I really didnt get a chance to chat with several people that I wanted to. But, shenanigans are always worth it, especially with Shauna.
@Laurie – I giggle so hard when I heard that; so many bad jokes, so little time.
One good take away was making an effort to step up engagement through blog comments. Already living the learning…
April, I agree with you and Jennifer that the tweet-up and socializing with amazing people attached to the HR world is worth the price of admission alone, then you throw in the thought generation by the sessions, damn what a day.
Great meeting you and all the rest of the virtual friends and converting them into real live people rather than just avatars. Now I just need to harvest and channel all the ideas/thoughts, etc. generated there.
April, I loved meeting you. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your experience at HRevolution.
Girl with no conference budget, you may get some help. Stealing from the scholarship program Nobscott had for HRevolution, we are trying to put one together for the HR Technology Conference(R). You’ll have a shot at one if you promise never again to write of us as “HR Tech” in print, violating our Federal trademark, but always as “HR Technology,” at least. Say whatever you like.
I’ve taken a 30-minute nap after lunch for 30 years. Unfortunately when I still had jobs, I sometimes had to resort to a men’s room stall. The lounge chair at the Ranch was so sweet!
@Matt – That’s a good goal to have!
@John – It was great finally meeting you as well John. That’s what I love most about these events, putting faces and real personalities with tweets.
@Jason – Thanks for helping organize the event; I especially loved the tux, good times
@Bill – You have my word, it’ll be HR Technology Conference henceforth. I’d love to hear more about the scholarship program, I’ll keep an eye out for that. And naps are an essential part of any day, fact.