When I signed up to volunteer at the HRPA 2010 Annual Conference and Trade Show I have to admit it was for selfish reasons. To me it meant a change of scenery, mingling with my colleagues and of course the great food. Anything to mix it up, and find a new perspective!
I’m really very fortunate; volunteering at the conference gives me the opportunity to meet fascinating people who understand my world. A world of job sharing, terminations, salary caps and hiring freezes; or at least that’s what it has become during these tough economic times. I look forward to talking with fellow volunteers to learn how their organizations have weathered the storm and overcome the obstacles we all faced this year.
Volunteering offers me the opportunity to be in the presence of industry influencers when many others may not have the budget to attend this year. As one of only 250 selected from a whopping 600 who applied I know I’m privileged, so I’m going to make the most of it and try to be the eyes and ears for those that could not attend. However, seeing that I am scheduled to volunteer each of the 3 days, I of course can’t be in all places all the time. Fear not however, I have a fool proof plan to keep us all connected. With my trusty blackberry and the power of Twitter, I will be everywhere! (with your help of course). If in my travels walking the Trade Show I discover a exciting offer (I hear there is a free Smart Car give away at Booth 410) or I sneak into an early session to listen to an interesting Speaker (Ali Velshi Friday at 1pm – don’t miss it!) you can follow me at @sandragallacher and I’ll do my best to keep you up to date on what I learn. You can also see tweets from hundreds of others at the show by visiting www.armorpeoplelink.com/talenfindr. If you’re fortunate to be attending like myself, get in on the action by including the hash tag #hrpa2010 in your tweets. Your message will appear in real-time on our TalentFindr blog! There is nothing worse then feeling like you are missing out so get on board!!!!
Although volunteering is typically a selfless act, I have to say I think I‘ll profit tremendously from my experience at this years HRPA Conference and Trade Show. With many world renowned speakers sharing their insight on HR, how it has evolved, and what changes we can expect to see in the future, I anticipate I’ll walk away with priceless knowledge and a new perspective. Not to mention the fabulous people I’ll connect and engage in the process. Such valuable insight and experiences demands to be shared, as such I pledge to share with you all my travels from beginning to end; because ultimately it really is about giving back.
Follow Sandra @sandragallacher