Must-Attend Shows: HR Tech, SourceCon and ERE Expo

There are three great events this fall that you must attend if you can that I won’t be able to make.

I know. Me not make a conference. But I’ve got other commitments. Real commitments, people.

HR Technology Conference – 9/29-10/1 – Chicago

The first one I’m mentioning is the HR Technology Conference put on by HR Executive Magazine. This is a really fantastic conference co-chaired by the one and only Bill Kutik (the Obi-Wan Kenobi of HR Technology).

I loved the hands on feel of the conference which focuses on practitioners, consultants and analysts (always the analysts) sharing best practices, findings and other help guidance to get you through the confusing world of HR technology. And the crowd is great too with both technology geeks and HR generalists filling the halls between sessions.

I made some of the best connections at the conference last year and I know it is going to be even better this year (even without my presence). If you are in any way involved in HR technology or need to get educated on it, this is the conference to attend. Period.

If you do decide to attend, use the discount code REHAUL10 to score yourself $500 off the on-site registration. I get absolutely nothing out of the deal but maybe if enough of you use the discount code, Kutik won’t have to use the force on me next time.

SourceCon DC – 9/28-9/29 – Washington DC

So you’re in the sourcing business and you’re wondering where you can get some education and networking with the best in the business? Sometimes being a sourcer feels like a lone wolf. Hey, maybe you’re attracted to that lifestyle? I won’t judge!

SourceCon is the premier event for sourcing. I went to my first SourceCon this spring and was absolutely stunned by some of the cutting edge ways these folks can find people (and maybe I was just a bit paranoid too). For someone with very little experience with sourcing, it was a lot to eat up in a couple of days.

This fall’s event is being held at the International Spy Museum and is being chaired by the great Eric Jaquith. While that alone may be worth a trip for me, you’re going to have some of the best in sourcing give you the latest tips and tricks to find that needle in the haystack.

Register before the event to save yourself a couple hundred dollars.

ERE Expo – 10/26-10/28 – South Florida

Last but not least is the big daddy of all recruiting conferences, the ERE Expo. The fall expo is typically held in South Florida which I hear is the polar opposite of Portland in late October (must be tough to have sunny weather about 60 degrees, right?).

But you’re not going for the tan, you’re going for the great educational and networking opportunities. The expo has it.

Headed up this fall by Tony Blake, VP of Recruiting & HRIS for DaVita, the conference is going to be hands on with sessions led by the thought leaders and innovative practitioners you’ve come to expect from ERE. We’ll also have a trade show where you can hobnob with our generous sponsors and trade show exhibitors.

After this spring’s ERE Expo, I went home and slept the weekend after. There is a lot of great information and networking packed into 2.5 days to absorb and just like SourceCon, it invigorated me even more about the challenges of recruiting more than ever.

You can still save $300 off the on-site registration price if you register soon. And if you’ve got a specific need for either the ERE Expo or SourceCon like a group or something else, let me know and we’ll see if we can accommodate you.

Editor’s note: I work for ERE Media, the company that puts on SourceCon and ERE Expo. They are still great shows to attend but feel free to call me biased. I’ve been called worse.