Today is my first day back in the office from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference in Las Vegas. While at the conference, I had the opportunity to meet with some of the human resource bloggers I follow all year on Twitter and through my RSS feed. Since these individuals are known for their expertise on everything human resources, I asked them each to share their employee recognition advice for HR professionals and managers. 

Rachel Salley (@rachelsalley)from the Career Anarchist blog stopped by the Baudville booth twice to complete her interview! Thanks for your dedication, Rachel! Visit the Career Anarchist blog to read her musings on the SHRM Annual Conference, employee engagement, and more.

Jessica Miller-Merrell (@blogging4jobs) also stopped by twice to chat with me about social media, HR, and employee recognition. Jessica is well-known in the HR industry for her blog, blogging4jobs.com. She’s apparently also one of the most popular SHRM attendees. She confided that she had six parties to go to on Monday night!

Matthew Stollak (@akabruno) of the True Faith HR warned us that as a professor, he would give us an academic response to our question about employee recognition. We didn’t mind! We thought his answer was great.

It was wonderful to finally meet Sharlyn Lauby (@sharlyn_lauby)in person at the conference this year. Sharlyn is president of Internal Talent Management Group and blogs at HR Bartender, so we talked about how to use recognition to make training more effective. We were able to give her an exclusive sneak peek into some exciting new products we have coming out in September.

Finally, we see the “Pin Man” every year at SHRM. Since we’re big proponents of lapel pins, we had to interview him to learn more about his impressive collection. Naturally, we added a new piece to his collection!

Overall, the bloggers all echoed the same sentiment: that employee recognition is important and is most effective when it is personalized to the recipient and sincere. What’s your piece of employee recognition advice for HR and managers?

The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference  starts on Sunday, June 26, and the Twitter world is already a buzz with attendees connecting, sharing tips, and preparing for the conference. We asked our team of veteran attendees what advice they would offer SHRM conference goers. Read their advice before you pack your suitcase and head to Vegas!

1. Wear comfortable shoes. You do a lot of walking inside the convention center. That exhibit hall is bigger than it looks! Cori, Marketing Communications Specialist

2. Bring a sweater. It may be hot outside, but usually the air is cranking inside the convention center. Cindy, HR Manager

3. Make a conference plan. The SHRM Annual Conference can be overwhelming with all the session options and hundreds of exhibitors. Set goals for the show and make a plan to make sure you get to the right sessions and vendors. Cindy, HR Manager

4. Bring something back for your team in the office. Your team held down the fort while you soaked up the learning (and some sun), so recognize their extra efforts! Take back a small gift for each member of your team. Lilly, Product Art Manager

5. Network. Share ideas and make friends with other SHRM attendees. One of the best parts of the SHRM Annual Conference is talking to attendees and meeting new people! Lilly, Product Art Manager

6. Take advantage of the free giveaways. The SHRM expo hall is known for its giveaways and freebies. In our booth, you’ll find super tote bags and delicious cupcakes. We’ll also introduce you to our sister company, IDville. David, Inside Sales Representative

7. Attend an after-hours event. Last year’s Tweetup was a great place to meet with attendees in a more casual and slower-paced environment than the exhibit hall. For a list of the different events happening at the conference, jump over to the Blogging4Jobs blog. Cori, Marketing Communications Specialist

8. Be inspired. Take advantage of being in a new city and a change of scenery. Find something that can inspire a new project. Last year in San Diego, I took some photographs of a ship in the harbor that I incorporated into an art piece. James, Designer 

9. Learn a lot. The SHRM conference is the premiere place for HR professional development, and the sessions should be the first priority for attendees. But the learning doesn’t end when the sessions do! Make an effort to learn from other attendees and exhibitors. They have lots of good information and tips to help you do your job better! Cori, Marketing Communications Specialist

10. Have fun! Even though SHRM is a business trip, it’s a business perk! Go ahead and explore the new city, meet new people, bond with team members, and make memories. Take advantage of your time outside the office. Lilly, Product Art Manager

Learn more about Baudville at the SHRM Annual Conference. We will have lots of exciting things happening in booth #3427! 

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

It’s that time of year again… when tradeshow related-tasks are constantly added to my “to-do” list… when I develop anxiety over what clothes to pack…and when I’m kept up at night worrying about my booth arriving on time. In the midst of all the tasks and stress, I focus on the human resource professionals I’m going to meet and reconnect with - they make it all worth it!

That’s right, the Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference is upon us! In two weeks, I’ll be stationed in booth 3427 in the Las Vegas Convention Center talking to attendees about all the easy, effective, and affordable employee recognition solutions Baudville has to offer.

By now, I consider myself a SHRM Annual Conference Veteran. That’s right, capital “V.” Although I can’t touch the attendance records by some attendees (many have been going for 10+ years!), this year marks my fifth return to the largest human resource conference on the planet. And it’s going to be a hot year!

We’ll have lots going on in the Baudville booth, and new faces eager to share the Baudville story with attendees. Here are a few things you can expect in booth 3427:

- Sunday night cupcake reception featuring decadent treats from GiGi’s Cupcakes. But hurry! They go fast!
- Free tote bags with the cleverest HR sentiment at the show
- New staff t-shirts – what will they say this year?!
- Exclusive Print and Posts on our SHRM catalog
- A chance to win your very own Baudville t-shirt
- Top recognition products that can transform your culture
- Super Hot Rocking Markdown for everyone who stops to say “hi”

 
Baudville staff show off their unique shirts at SHRM 2010.
This year, you can win your own Baudville shirt!

As you can tell, SHRM is going to be rocking in Las Vegas. Stay connected with us for all the conference festivities by following Baudville (@Baudville) and me (@coricurtis) on Twitter, and sign up to receive our blog posts via email so you don’t miss any of the action!  

See you in two weeks!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.