In Full Bloom

My First Word On #HRTechConf 2013 — And Your Best Discount

Bill And Me And HRTechConf Makes Three!

I’m writing this as Ron and I are in New England visiting my family and both childhood and university friends.  One of our visits is to North Haven Island, off the coast of Maine and only accessible by Ferry (assuming the seas aren’t running too high).  I’m told we’ll have at least limited cellular service, and our B&B advertises wifi, so I’m sure I’ll be able to finish and post this wherever I am.

But it’s not all lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer at Bloom & Wallace (you might play the music while reading the rest of this post).  A quick look at my calendar and todo list are enough to frighten anyone, but that’s what comes of trying to pack two years of living — professionally and personally — into every calendar year.  The good news is that 2014 is going to be different.

Meanwhile, 2013 is already a record breaker.  It does my heart good to see so many major HRM enterprise software vendors and outsourcing providers hot on the trail of bringing correct object models and Blooming architecture to their increasingly true SaaS platforms.  Yes, metadata frameworks, proper multi-tenant architectures with inheritance and systemic effective-dating, and position-based and KSAOC-centric object models are just some of what’s taking root in our collective garden — although there continue to be far more weeds than I would like.  And all of this will be a topic for discussion and “killer” scenario vendor demos in Vegas.  These positive developments are just one of the reasons that I thought 2013 was the right year to make some big changes at Bloom & Wallace.

The 2013 HR Technology Conference in Las Vegas is going to be terrific.  It will be Bill Kutik’s last year as co-chairman of the show, and that is reason enough to get your butt to Vegas.  But there’s so much more.  As my farewell gift to Bill, I proposed and then helped Bill cook up a whole new format for our important Tuesday morning generation session.  My real gift to him — and hopefully to you — is playing second banana to his hosting of the first ever HR Technology “Tonight Show.”  We’ve got an amazing guest list, with (in strict alphabetical sequence so that you won’t be looking for hidden meanings in their order) Leighanne Levensaler, Pat Milligan, Brian Sommer, and John Sumser.  These are four big, creative thinkers and articulate even amusing speakers about HRM and HR technology, and they were chosen for that reason alone.  But rest assured that I’ll have a few thoughts of my own to contribute to the discussion, not to mention having a surprise or two for Bill up my sleeve.

If you read my post about big changes at Bloom & Wallace, then you know that 2013 is the last year I’ll be doing my very favorite “Ask the Expert” session at HR Tech (unless Steve Boese, our new conference co-chair, let’s me call it “Ask the Expert and a few of her favorite thought leaders who’ve come along to back her up”).  The timing couldn’t be better for my topic: “Should you spend one more dime on legacy vendors/products/data or process designs?”  It’s absolutely time to revisit not just the terrific innovation going on at the periphery of our HRM processes and systems but also at the very core of those processes and systems — our foundational HRMS with integrated talent management platform along with their data and process designs.  For many of us, it’s well past time that we took a fresh look at our business needs as they are now, with social, global, mobile, analytics, and so much more demanding our attention, and created an HRM delivery systems strategy for the future.  So do bring your questions and your snark-o-meter to my session.  Along with the business model changes at Bloom & Wallace has come a noticeable reduction in my never substantial inhibitions, so I’m sure we’ll bring down the house.

There are a ton of other great sessions scheduled (you can download the entire program here), and the exhibit hall will be crammed.  I’m making as much time available as possible to attend those sessions and, as I do every year, to try and do at least a flyby at every vendor booth — although Bill tells me that, with more exhibitors than ever, there’s no way, even with The Wallace’s help, I’m going to get to every booth.  I won’t even try to summarize the program because our impresario, Bill Kutik, writes the best marketing copy ever for this show, and you can find all of it at the conference Web site right here.  But hot topics for me this year are all things analytics, Lexy Martin’s survey results, and getting real about enabling HRM processes with collaboration (aka social tech), and robotics — yes, robotics.  Just as we’ve wiped out a ton of jobs with information technology, many more will be eliminated via the increased use of robotics, and all those robots must be spec’d (requisitioned?), acquired, onboarded, deployed, upgraded (developed?), and eventually retired/replaced/terminated.

Since I know that all of you are HR Technology Conference enthusiasts, there’s no need for me to do a laundry list of all the reasons why everyone who is anyone in our industry will be there with flags flying.  But to make it a little easier for any of you who haven’t yet registered and made your travel plans, have I got a deal for you!  Just use the Promotion Code BLOOM13 (all caps) when you register online at http://www.HRTechConference.com/register.html to get $550 off the rack rate of $1,795.  This is the largest personal discount available from anyone (only fair since I have presented more times there than anyone) and it doesn’t expire until the conference ends on Oct. 10.  That said, hotel rooms are already running out, so you have no time to lose.  And with the money you’ve just saved, you should have no problem paying for a rock bottom airfare with a little left over to send me a birthday card (Sept 24th, so it’s coming right up) — or not.
The Kutik is beside himself with glee over the early registration numbers, the show floor will be bursting at the seams in spite of vendor consolidation (did you know that new HR tech companies are hatching as quickly or more so than older ones are disappearing?), and I’m sure that hotel rooms (at least the discounted ones) will be filled to overflowing.  Come to celebrate Bill’s last show, to see me playing 2nd banana (yeah right!), to attend my last solo “Expert Discussion Session” (always fun because it’s all about your questions — that’s the entire agenda), and to say hello to The Wallace as he conducts his usual swag patrol looking for more stuffed toys and stress reducers.  Do say hello to Ron; we’ve got him convinced that everyone knows The Wallace.  So please do join me and everyone else in Las Vegas — it’s an absolute MUST.  Use the discount code yourself and share it with your colleagues, but use it quickly to have any hope of getting a hotel room.
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