Happy Anniversary #HRevolution

by Matthew Stollak on Thursday, November 7, 2013


Four years ago today, some 50-odd people (or is it 50 ODD people) descended upon the Hilton Seelbach in Louisville, KY to attend the first HRevolution unconference.  Put together by Trish McFarlane, Ben Eubanks, Steve Boese, and Crystal Peterson as an alternative to the mega SHRM Annual Conference, HRevolution attempted (and continues to emphasize) to bring a new voice to the future of HR.   Topics for that first day included:


  • Blogging Basics - tools, platforms, getting started
  • Advanced Blogging Topics - hosting, building an audience, promotion, aggregation
  • Social Media in HR - building the case, learning the tools, planning the strategy, executing the plan, measuring the results
  • New Technology you can use - Demo and discussion of some exciting new technologies for information sharing and collaboration, low-cost (some even free), low maintenance, and really cool
Since its inception, it has had five iterations, with the latest in Las Vegas.  

For me, it has been a truly transformative event, both personally and professionally, as I have gone from a simple attendee, to presenter, to planner.

Significant friendships have formed.  People who never met prior to the event have taken trips together.

Its spawned the ever popular 8 Man Rotation series.

Its even led to marriage, as 6-time attendees Frank Zupan and Tammy Colson met in Louisville, fell in love one year later in Chicago at the 2nd HRevolution, and married four years later on the eve of the 6th event.

So happy anniversary HRevolution....here's to many more.   Anyone interested in St. Louis in May 2014?




3 comments

Trip down memory lane! Thanks for sharing, Matt.

by Ben Eubanks on November 7, 2013 at 3:31 PM. #

Vow! thanks for giving us a feel how the event turned out to be eventually -Significant friendships true indeed.

by Vinay on November 18, 2013 at 12:21 AM. #

congratulation for your anniversary keeps wining

by jim on December 21, 2013 at 1:16 AM. #

Leave your comment