2017 IOHRM Professional Development Conference

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our third IOHRM Professional Development Conference on Friday, September 29, 2017!

The 2017 conference will be a one-day event that will feature several speakers from the members of the IOHRM family and it will offer alumni the opportunity to earn continuing education credits. If you are interested in earning continuing education credits, please let Dr. Shawn Bergman know after you register.

The conference will be held on Friday beginning at 9:00 am and last until the evening, ending with a dinner and cocktail reception.

We were fortunate enough to have fifteen alumni attend our 2015 IOHRM Professional Development Conference, and we hope to have many more of our wonderful alumni in attendance this year.

Below you will find the schedule, how to register, deadlines, and hotel information.

Schedule

Thursday, September 28, 2017

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Pre-Conference Reception (not included in the registration)

  • Location: Café Portofino (970 Rivers Street, Downtown Boone)

Friday, September 29, 2017

8:30 am - 9:00 am: Coffee, Greetings, and Registration

  • Location: Plemmons Student Union - Parkway Ballroom

9:00 am - 9:30 am: IOHRM Welcome and Program Update (Drs. Shawn Bergman and Tim Huelsman)

9:45 am - 10:45 am: Session: Big Impact from Big Data: Developing a Data-Driven Culture

  • Presenters:
    • Cameron Brown (Second-year graduate student), Appalachian State University
    • Lorin Farr (Second-year graduate student), Appalachian State University
    • Aimee Wood (Second-year graduate student), Appalachian State University
    • Dr. Shawn Bergman (Founder and Co-Director of the HR Science Research Team), Appalachian State University
  • Session Overview: Big data and analytics has been recognized as fundamental to an organization's success and is consistently identified as one of top 10 Workforce Trends in recent years. Presenters will discuss strategies for developing a data-driven culture, the benefits of doing so, and the future of data analytics.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Session: What is sustainable business and how can HR play a leading role?

  • Presenter:
    • Dr. Jim Westerman (James E. Holshouser Distinguished Professor in Ethics and Director of Sustainable Business), Appalachian State University
  • Session Overview: Sustainability is the future of business. This session will introduce key concepts of sustainable business, the potential for business sustainability initiatives to enhance a firm's competitive advantage, and the critical role human resource management can perform in supporting such initiatives.

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Networking Luncheon

1:15 pm - 2:15 pm: Session: Tips on how to manage your career after graduate school

  • Presenter:
    • Stacey Hussey- 2011 (HR Generalist), Merchants Distributors
  • Session Overview: Managing your career is a skill that every professional needs to do in order to achieve the level of success you desire. Self-management of your career is essential, even with an advanced degree. This session will present ways to manage and plan for the career you want while providing several career-management tips based both on research literature and professional experience.

2:30 pm - 4:00 pm: Session: HR Insights: What's hot, what's not

  • Panelists:
    • Amanda Hutchins- 2014 (Technical Trainer), Biologics
    • Kristen Kaufmann- 2015 (HR Business Partner), VT Group
    • Elma Lloyd- 2012 (Senior Manager- National Recruiting), AXA US
    • Cynthia K Miller- 2001 (VP of Human Resources), Carolina West Wireless
  • Session Overview: Industry experts will share their perspectives on the current and emerging trends in Human Resources and related fields. Panelists are involved in a variety of industries will share their knowledge, experiences, and expertise to answer questions in an open panel discussion.

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Break (mingle, change attire, head back to the hotel, etc.)

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Cocktail Reception (family and significant others welcome)

  • Location: Plemmons Student Union - Parkway Ballroom

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Family Friendly Dinner

  • Location: Plemmons Student Union - Parkway Ballroom

Registration for the Conference

Registration for the conference can be completed here.

Please read further for more information on costs, deadlines, what is included, and for hotel information.

Registration closes Tuesday, September 26, 2017

  • Registration Costs:
    • IOHRM Alumni, Faculty, and Advisory Board Members
      • Registration before September 12, 2017: $85.00
      • Registration after September 13, 2017: $105.00
    • IOHRM Alumni class of 2017
      • Registration before September 12, 2017: $50.00
      • Registration after September 13, 2017: $65.00
    • Current IOHRM Students
  • Registration includes:
    • On-campus parking
    • Morning coffee, light breakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy-hour reception on Friday
    • Professional development workshops, which are eligible for continuing education credits

* All events will be held on the App State campus. Friday evening will be a family-friendly dinner for alumni and their families. All other scheduled conference events are for IOHRM members only.

There are no formal events scheduled for Saturday to allow alumni additional opportunities to socialize with their classmates and have time with their families to enjoy the High Country.

Hotel Information

Hotel Reservations for the IOHRM Conference

  • Rooms have been blocked at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Boone
    • Discount rates are:
      • $71.20 for Thursday, September 28, 2017
      • $89.00 for Friday, September 29, 2017
      • $89.00 for Saturday, September 30, 2017
    • Taxes are additional at 12.75%. You may reserve a room for one, two, or three nights. Each room has either a king bed or two double beds.
  • These special conference room rates will expire September 7, 2017.
    • To make your reservation, please call the Fairfield Inn and Suites reservation line at (828) 268-0677 and identify yourself as part of the IOHRM Alumni Conference.

Let Other IOHRM Alumni Know About the Conference!

It is possible that many of our IOHRM alumni will not see our initial announcements of the conference posted on the "IOHRM at Appalachian" LinkedIn group or on our "Appalachian State University IOHRM" Facebook page. These groups have been the primary way that we have tried to communicate with IOHRM alumni and announce the publication of our IOHRM newsletter "Eye on IOHRM." If you are not a member of our LinkedIn or Facebook group, please consider joining.

If you are in contact with any of your classmates, please let them know about the conference as we would like to have as many alumni coming back as possible. We hope you all can make the trip back to Boone and help us celebrate 30 years of ASU's IOHRM program!

If you have any questions or suggestions about the conference, please feel free to contact Dr. Shawn Bergman (bergmans@appstate.edu).