What I learned at HRUnite! 2023: The more we connect the better we thrive

Last week I hosted the #HRUnite2023 Conference in Frankenmuth, Michigan for the fourth year. It is the annual gathering of a limited audience of 100'ish regular #HRPros at the "Fabulous" Bavarian Inn Lodge and Conference Center.

People often ask me why I selected this location and venue for a gathering when there are so many options available in larger towns or flashier locations. When Lee Meadows kept 'nudging' me to lean into a full conference offering for our growing #HRUnite community, I initially was reluctant. Friends, putting on a multi-day conference is a significant undertaking, and I am an HR professional by day. But one September day in 2019 when I was smacked in the face by a muse, there was only one place that I considered which celebrates the same inclusive community values that we share in HR. The Bavarian Inn Lodge.

Frankenmuth, Michigan has held on to it's Bavarian founders European traditions. It is a quaint small town located in mid-Michigan approximately 90 minutes north of Detroit, and 20 minutes north of an international airport. I chose the Bavarian Inn because of fond memories as a child visiting both the lodge and Frankenmuth. The lodge has been a family owned business operated by the Zehnder family and matriarch Dorothy, and every time I have visited the property I have always been treated as if I was a member of the family. **I want to take a brief moment to celebrate Dorothy, who died two days before our conference this year on July 9, 2023 at the age of 101. She was an amazing individual and visionary. Her spirit will remain at the lodge forever.** The lodge brings people together, to connect, celebrate and gather which was the goal of our annual conference. The more we learn, share and connect with other HR professionals, the better our #HRCommunity becomes. So it became a July tradition and our annual #HRUnite Conference was born, and planned thanks to a small group of individuals who volunteer their time to help me make magic happen.

This is a gathering that brings people from all coasts (East/West/South and North). From Arizonia to Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Virginia too. For the past four years I have had the absolute blessing to meet many of our #HRCommunity for the very first time in real life! Those I know and have embraced in a virtual connection (social media, zoom or phone) and nurtured a connection that blossomed even further thanks to this conference. Come to learn, lean into disruption, be inspired, equipped and reminded. I have so much #HRGratitude for the ability to spend time with those who I learn and admire that believe in the power of our HR community and our profession as a whole!

It is not just the connections that inspired this conference. The other main factor is that I recognize that not everyone in our profession has the opportunity to attend learning and development opportunities that bring in national speakers or those outside of the area we work and live to learn from. I can relate to working in an organization as a department of one (or few) where we had a limited or no budget for professional development opportunities. I know that feeling of curiosity and longing to attend the state SHRM conference or other events and not having the financial ability to do so. So my mission is to create an affordable conference experience (thanks to the help of some #HRAwesome sponsors) that allow us to create an intimate audience experience where you get to sit down and have dinner with the "Steve Browne's" of the world (who by the way is one of the realest HR people I know - aka he is a person that you can run into a grocery store in aisle 10 - just a regular HR guy that happens to walk out on stages in a room of 10,000 people...). I am able to help make that possible thanks to some amazing sponsors/supporters of our HR community who agree with this purpose. It is not just the cost, it is the full experience of building connections. It is for this reason that we deliberately keep this experience limited to 100 in-person attendees to make sure those who attend, walk away knowing someone new to have that #HRHelpingHR phone a friend - and are now part of this amazing network of people JUST LIKE YOU!

On a personal note, I recognize how important support from others in our HR profession is as I was navigating some pretty insane HR issues (from my day job) that totally tried every mechanism available to absolutely distract me from this incredible conference experience with those that attended. I hid it well but I felt immense guilt and FOMO for not being able to being able to say hello for more than 30 seconds or get to know new faces this year, because I was doing what HR people do. I was heading the call when HR is needed in an unforeseen anticipated need (even when it is during a time dedicated to me). This is what we all face every day (and why we face burnout and often isolate ourselves from opportunities like this conference experience. This is the reason why I (and everyone in our HR profession) need to ensure we do not lose sight of the relationships that we have made in our #HRCommunity because it is those relationships that help you weather the storm. I am grateful that I can be vulnerable to laugh, cry and celebrate all that is good in our profession, and lean on others to inspire and remind me that the work we do is making an impact when things go sideways. We are in the people business, and people being people can get messy!

So if you are wondering why "Long walks along the Cass River in July, buttered noodles and famous Bavarian Inn chicken, and hanging out with 100+ HR friends (old and new) is such an amazing experience you do not want to miss?" than I suggest you watch for details on HRUnite! 2024 taking place on July 9-11, 2024. We are going for our 5th sell out and because it is our FIFTH anniversary it is going to be more than just 2.5 days of #HR conversations, connections and community.

If you have attended or been a part of this conference experience, please let me know your thoughts and if we are hitting the target of the original purpose of creating this conference experience for our HR community.

My sincerest thank you to everyone who attended, presented as a speaker, supported (as a sponsor or your time) and celebrated the joys of #HRUnite2023 You are the reason I proudly celebrate being a human that works in human resources. As Steve Browne reminded all of us - "it is a good day to make it a good (HR) day!"