Every year, I attend the annual HR Technology Conference & Expo. People ask me about what parties I’m attending. This year, my answer is simple.
“I don’t know.”
At the end of the night, it’s usually me and a bunch of friends sitting around eating pizza and talking about life.
HR Tech is a big deal in our industry, and there are quite a few people who take themselves super cereal and want to talk to me about the future of HR. But let’s be real. Even Bill Kutik is obsessed with the parties.
(I think this is why he sticks around and can’t let go!)
I just had a call with a consultant that ended with the question, “Did you hear that Third Eye Blind is playing at HR Tech?”
This was a weird moment for me. I just never thought my adult world would intersect with my college life back in 1997.
The scene at HR Tech is something else. It’s odd to hear some dude over 40 lecture me on how HR ladies “don’t get tech strategy” while having a pretty intense conversation with me about a random band that had one hit song.
“They had two songs, Laur. You know Motorcycle Driveby? C’mon. You know it.”
No, I do not. I don’t have time in my life for that kind of bullshit.
“I wonder if they’ll have the original line-up?” asked my friend.
Nobody wonders that. That is a lie.
“Knock it off. The after-party is going to be sick. If you make fun of Third Eye Blind, you aren’t invited to my suite.”
Yeah, okay, that’s a blessing.
And I am never invited anywhere because I don’t know how to have fun. One year, I went into a party hosted by a European HR technology company at some swanky hotel in Chicago. I overheard someone ask, “How did she get in here?”
How did I get in there? What went wrong with my life that I’m hanging out with Germans who don’t like me?!
So if you are at HR Tech, next week, I might see you at the Third Eye Blind concert-slash-party. More than likely, I’ll see you at the hotel bar because that’s how I do HR Tech. I’ll be eating pizza with other nerds while avoiding pesky German HR consultants!
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Pizza at the bar with friends, talking about life, is really why I go to conferences in the first place. That’s the best way to pick up good, useful info. Always. 🙂 Have fun!
Agreed. Hope to see you at a fun pet conference soon!!
I believe it is the Cornerstone OnDemand Party, not the “Third Eye Blind” party.
I have six to go to Wednesday night, including the RiseSmart party, where Jason Averbook and I will have a public discussion and Q&A about the issues of the day.
Naturally, I have plotted my arrival and departure time at each one down to the minute.
Since one is unfortunately off-site (wouldn’t you like to know about that one in the Zappos CEO’s penthouse downtown?), I had to hire a car and driver, since the taxi wait-time at any hotel is so unpredictable.
A Vegas traffic consultant was happy to tell me the drive-time back and forth to it at the two different times. And the Mandalay Bay concierge was very nice about estimating the elevator and walk-time between the others within the hotel.
How dare you call me “obsessed” with the parties, short stuff?
Some people calle prescient.
PA – You and Averbook talking does not sound like a party to me. Have fun. Be a pro and get a helicopter.
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