LASHRM: Where Are You Going to Go?
| By Dave Ryan | HR
LASHRM: Where Are You Going to Go?
LASHRM is in the bag for another year. I was pleased to be a part of this year’s event. This conference will be remembered as the planes, trains, buses, and $220 cab rides conference for all of the difficulty many folks had in getting to Baton Rouge. The other thing that will be remembered about this event is, the fact that this is going to be Robin Schooling’s Swan song with the event, or at least that is what she is putting out for public consumption.
Although I have attended more than my share of State SHRM conferences, this was my first trip to Louisiana. It was well done. The sessions were spot on with relevant and current content. Outwardly there were no major flaws, so kudos to the LASHRM board. The event was run like a well-oiled machine.
Upon reflection , there is one thing that I keep coming back to about the event. I have watched the event unfold on line in years gone by, just as it did this year. LASHRM has a nice social media presence for the event. So much so that it makes the event appear larger than it really is. My understanding was that there was around 300 attendees and 65 vendors. I have also been told in the years that the event is held in New Orleans, the numbers are between 500 and 600 attendees. However, by SHRM State Conference standards still a mid-sized event.
So my point to all of this, is this. Through some very adroit selection of speakers, special invitations to social media team members and participation by LASHRM board members, they have created somewhat of an illusion. This is a GOOD THING! They make the event appear like it is the place to be, people come from all over the country to attend this event, so if you are in the Louisiana area, how could you even think of passing it up because it is so freakin’ great.
Having spent several years working on the same concept in Illinois, I am genuinely impressed with the work LASHRM has done. Please give them a round of applause!
However, LASHRM board, you have set the bar high. If Ms. Schooling takes more of a back seat or God forbid gets out of the picture all together, I ask, will this event have the same look, the same feel, the same social media cache? This remains to be seen. My hope is that LASHRM will honor Robin’s work and continue to press the envelope, and be one of the leading SHRM State Conference. The torch has been passed.
Thank you Dave for the insight into our more than 30 years of Louisiana SHRM and our state conference. A couple of facts to enlighten as we talk about attendance numbers. We have never enjoyed 500 -600 in any of our venues although our State Conference committee of 15 volunteers all with brilliant minds, endless entergy, and innovative ideas will carry on. I had hoped to see increased attendee numbers from our increased social media efforts over these past three years but so far we hold steady at just over 300 in attendance. As long as our ultimate goals are met of advancing the profession and supporting the profession while supporting our 9 local professional SHRM chapters I will feel successful. We’ve done that successfully for over 30 years with hundreds of volunteers.
Gretchen McKinney
Louisiana SHRM Director
Louisiana Conference on HR volunteer for 11 years
I agree with Dave that the social media attention surrounding #LASHRM14 made me take notice. I never checked to see how many people were in attendance this year and/or year’s prior and I’ve never been to a Louisiana SHRM State Conference. Yet, social media brought the Louisiana SHRM Conference onto my social radar last year and made it a focal point in the same radar this year. (Thanks, in part, to PIC.)
The buzz made me take notice as ½ of the Social Media Director role for Mississippi SHRM. It made me ask, “Hey, what are they doing over there?” It made me wonder what I could learn and incorporate into future Mississippi events.
Isn’t that, in the end, the overall point of a conference? Don’t we all want to educate others…share the knowledge?
I am saddened to hear that this was Robin’s last year as my online interaction with her has caused me to hold her in high regard; however, I also know that times change. So, with that said, I thank LASHRM for providing social media insight in 2014 and wish them the best for 2015 and beyond.