While the SHRM Annual Conference just ended, the SHRM Housing Office gave attendees a sneak peek into the prices for the 2019 Conference being held in Las Vegas, June 23-26.  You, too, can make your early reservation for next year's conference (only good until 6/22...otherwise you'll have to wait until November) by clicking here. 

So, how expensive will hotels cost and how does it relate to previous years? To examine this question, I look at selected SHRM conference brochures (i.e., the ones that I still possessed) over the past 18 years to see what it would cost a person to book a single room on a per night average.  Clearly, prices in 2001 will be different than in 2018, so I use an inflation calculator to adjust costs to today's dollars.  I do not include taxes and fees (and Las Vegas hotels vary in their resort fees)

What do the results tell us? 


Cost of an Average SHRM-Affiliated Hotel (per night: 6/23-6/26; 1 room, 2 persons) 


San Francisco (2001): $282.47 (standard deviation of $62.35)
Chicago (2008): $281.43 (standard deviation of $32.40)
Washington DC (2016): $280.37 (sd of $32.49)
Chicago (2018): $272.47 (sd of $17.47)
San Diego (2010): $269.11 (sd of $46.32)
Chicago (2013): $265.88 (sd of $22.02)
Washington DC (2006): $254.64 (sd of $43.75)
Philadelphia (2002): $240.17 (sd of $64.21)
New Orleans (2017): $225.82 (sd of $36.27)
San Diego (2005): $226.01 (sd of $55.11)
Atlanta (2012): $216.21 (sd of $24.12)
Las Vegas (2007): $183.74 (sd of $35.41)  
Orlando(2014): $171.79 (sd of $38.23)
Las Vegas (2019): $164.15 (sd of $37.93)
Las Vegas (2015): $149.93 (sd of $24.00)
Las Vegas (2011): $141.1 (sd of $19.62)

SHRM 2019 looks to one of the cheaper options compared to previous years.   Rooms, on average, will cost approximately $108 (+ tax) LESS per night than this year's conference in Chicago.  This will be the 3rd lowest average hotel cost in the last 18 years.  Even with the resort fees, you're likely to be able to stay an extra night for the same price that you paid for 2018.

There is a bit more variation in hotel prices from the two previous years in Las Vegas.  The five number summary also bears this out:

Maximum: $229 (plus tax)
3rd Quartile: $195
Median: $157
1st Quartile: $139
Minimum: $99

Fifty (50) percent of the options are less than $157 per night.

What does this mean?  You'll be able to stay at 5-hotels at a lower rate than most of the options in Chicago this year. To me, the place to stay is the Vdara.  $125 per night is a very good price for this 5-star hotel (even with the $32/night resort fee).  It is in a very good location on the Las Vegas strip, and, for those who dislike casinos, it is casino-free.  Even better, SHRM hotel costs in Las Vegas are usually competitive even against such sites as Hotwire and Priceline.

See you in June 2019.

I've been a SHRM student chapter advisor for nearly 20 years.  For most of that time, I have brought several dedicated students each year to  SHRM Annual, who want to advance their learning as they pursue a career in HR.

Dedicated students are giving up nearly a week of their summer break, sacrificing a few days of work where they earn tuition money, to attend SHRM Annual, often on their dime.  Students have raised money through the student chapter during the academic year to attend, or they are paying for hotel, airfare, food, discounted conference registration and other incidentals out of their pocket.

However, we are not unique. There are many student advisors as well as hundreds of student members across the country who do the same.  Some colleges, including my own, even offer course credit to students who attend the conference

One of the highlights of the conference for them (as well as me) was a stand alone student conference on Saturday and Sunday morning prior to the start of the SHRM Annual Conference.  Faculty members could meet and discuss the future of HR education.  Students get to share best practices and ideas with their peers across the country. SHRM also highlights quality student chapters as well as recognizes the advisor of the year award.

But, of particular note, was the quality of the programming that was geared directly to students.  HR leaders such as Laurie Ruettimann, Jennifer McClure, John Hudson, Matt Charney, Meredith Soleau, Jon Petz, Simon Bailey, Joe Gerstandt, Clint Swindall, Libby Sartain, Tim Sackett, and Ryan Estis have provided quality content to those attending.  Several have offered content multiple years.

Unfortunately, after 20+ years, SHRM will no longer be offering the student conference at this year's meeting in Las Vegas. Like everyone else, students would have to pay extra to attend the Saturday Pre-Conference One-Day Workshops.

So, I reach out to my dedicated readers for suggestions for alternative HR activities to students arriving early to the SHRM Annual Conference.  Unfortunately, a Zappos tour is not available as the last tour is on Friday, June 27 at 1:00 pm.

Are there other plant tours one might take?  Are their readers out there getting into Vegas early, who might be able to give 45 minutes to an hour of their time on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning to sit with a few students and discuss a HR topic of their choosing?  Starbucks is on me.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other suggestions to enhance the learning of the HR leaders of tomorrow.

With the news  that hotel reservations are now being accepted for the 2015 SHRM Annual Conference, I bring you my 6th annual expose of SHRM hotel costs.


I look at selected SHRM conference brochures (i.e., the ones that I still possessed) over the past 15 years to see what it would cost a person to book a single room on a per night average.  Clearly, prices in 2001 will be different than in 2015, so I use an inflation calculator to adjust costs to today's dollars.  So, how does the 2015 Conference in Orlando compare to years past?

Cost of an Average SHRM-Affiliated Hotel (per night: 6/28-7/1)
 Chicago (2008): $267.00 (sd of $30.74)
San Francisco (2001): $266.69 (standard deviation of $58.80)
San Diego (2010): $254.95 (sd of $43.88)
Chicago (2013): 253.46 (sd of 20.99)
Washington DC (2006): $240.38 (sd of $41.30)
Philadelphia (2002): $226.45 (sd of $60.54)
San Diego (2005): $212.11 (sd of $51.72)
Atlanta (2012): $204.31 (sd of $22.80)
Las Vegas (2007): $173.20 (sd of $33.38)
Orlando(2014): $162.07 (sd of $36.07)
Las Vegas (2015): $142.79 (sd of $22.85)
Las Vegas (2011): $133.83 (sd of $18.56)

Not surprisingly, when you saw Las Vegas as the location of choice in 2015, you knew you would be able to get a hotel relatively cheaply, and the numbers don't lie.   This will be the 2nd lowest average hotel cost in the last 15 years.  Half of the hotels are below the median cost of $149.  The first quartile is at $131, and the 3rd quartile is at $1596.   The lowest price hotel is at $99 with a top price of $179.  5 star hotels such as the Bellagio ($179), Venetian ($149), or Wynn ($165) can be had for not much more than the average hotel room...just be leery of the resort fees.   Even better SHRM hotel costs in Las Vegas are usually competitive even against such sites as Hotwire and Priceline.

Just get ready to save your pennies, as more expensive hotels will be expected as Washington, DC and Chicago will be the destinations in the not too distant future.

See you in Las Vegas

We're rapidly approaching the 6th iteration of the HRevolution conference sponsored by Sumtotal, October 6th at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.

Steve Boese and Ben Eubanks have already shared their reasons for attending the event.

While all the sessions will likely be fantastic, for me, the session I am most looking forward to seeing is "What HR Can Learn from the Television Industry" with Kelly Kahl and Phil Gonzales.

Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime, oversees the planning and scheduling of all primetime programming for the CBS Television Network.  He also supervises coordination between CBS programming divisions and the network’s respective operations in sales, marketing, affiliate relations, news, sports and research, as well as with the CBS Television Station Group.

 Joining Mr. Kahl will be Phil Gonzales, Senior Vice President, Communications, for CBS, who oversees the network's publicity campaigns on behalf of primetime series, specials, longform, as well as late night and daytime programming.  He also serves as the media liaison for network activities in program development, casting and scheduling.

So, why should those in HR listen to these two?

To focus on promotion, public relations, and crisis management.  

Whether it is the firing of an employee at AOL or the recent issue with Applebee's firing a waitress over a tip, the importance of crisis management once again rears its head.  The TV industry deals with crises all the time (think Charlie Sheen's outburst and quitting over "Two and a Half Men)".  

Similarly, HR could always do a better job with promoting what it does. What would they suggest HR do to better improve its often battered image?  What is HR's pitch?  Does being in HR make, perhaps, good TV?

Find out the answer to these questions, and more, by attending the HRevolution event in October.  Click here for more information and to register.

The HREvolution unconference will be taking place on October 6th at the Mandalay Bay in  Las Vegas (you can buy tickets here.  In the previous five years, the conference has been incredibly successful, growing from a small uenknown conference of 50 attendees in Louisville, KY in 2009 to its 6th iteration with 200+ attendees in October.  To explore why it has been so successful, I drew inspiration from Jonah Berger's book, "Contagious: Why Things Catch On."  

In Contagious, Berger identifies six key components (with the acronym STEPPS) that allow messages or ideas to go viral:

1.  Social Currency

To Berger, social currency allows to share things that make us look good.   "Knowing cool things....make people seem sharp and in the know."   One has to break the pattern people have come to expect.

The unconference experience of HREvolution challenges the typical HR event in that instead of being passive observers, attendees are encouraged to participate and take the discussion in a different direction  than the presenter may have originally intended....this is a good thing.  

Further, social currency makes people feel like insiders, due to the scarcity and exclusivity of the idea or event. The limited number of people that attended the first iteration of HREvolution in Louisville generated quite the stir and excitement that others wanted to belong.

2.  Triggers

Triggers are things that are at the top of our mind or on the tip of the tongue.  According to Berger, "give people a product they enjoy, and they'll be happy to spread the word."  One creates ongoing word of mouth, where people talk about it weeks later.

HREvolution certainly has brought a strong response from others.  Excitement is shared on Twitter, Facebook or a blog about the experience.   When each event is over, people want to know when it will be occurring again.  Check out at some of the HREvolution experiences people have shared in the past, and actively recruit others to attend.


3.  Emotion

An idea becomes contagious when we care enough to share it with others.  It creates what Berger describes as the "power of awe."  For an idea to become contagious, it must focus on feelings.

HREvolution concentrates on conversations that haven't or aren't this taking place.  Whether it focuses on eliminating of keeping the performance review or the intersection of politics, pop culture and HR, HREvolution creates high arousal emotions that drive people to action and inspire attendees by showing how they can make a difference.


4.  Public

Berger argues that "when we can see other people doing something, we're more likely to imitate it."  This is the power of observability.  When one follows the HREvolution hashtag, the conference advertises itself when one sees the passion and excitement that is being tweeted by the attendees, and those not in attendance.  Just ask Steve Browne how he felt about missing it.

 5.  Practical Value



Does the idea help people help others? Does it provide news one can use.  

Not only do people take back to the workplace ideas from HRevolution that can create actionable change, it is incredibly cheap to attend.  Thanks to the kind people at SumTotal Systems, the premier sponsor of the event, 50 tickets are available at an early bird discount of $125.  In addition, registering for HRevolution gets you a code for $600 off the registration fee (most promotional codes you'll see in the coming months will be in the $500 range) for the HR Technology Conference.  It's almost like you get to attend HRevolution for $25.

6.  Stories

"Is the idea embedded in a broader narrative that people want to share?  Is the story not only viral, but also valuable?"

"Bifurcation." "Creepers."  "Cinco De Wempen."  People who have attended HREvolution soon develop their own jargon and stories of their shared experience.  See, for yet another example, the HR Improv session was particularly popular. 

In sum, I hope you see how exciting the HREvolution conference can be.  I was one of the 50 original attendees in Louisville and moved from simple acolyte to co-planner for the past three years.

I hope to see you in Las Vegas in October.

Tomorrow, I head to Las Vegas for the SHRM 2011 Annual Conference & Exposition.  Like last year, I will be blogging it up...In the spirit of Spinal Tap's noted auteur, Marty DiBergi, I hope to capture...the sights, the sounds...the smells....of the 2011 Annual SHRM Conference. I hope to get that...and a lot more. But, hey, enough of my yakkin'....


So, what do you all want to read about from the conference? What stories do you want to hear about? Here are some of the initial blog ideas I hope to bring you:

1. Behind the scenes of the student conference - Every Saturday, SHRM Student Programs puts on a mini-conference for students and student chapter advisors. This year, it will include a social media panel with the likes of John Nykolaiszyn, Matt Charney, Robin Schooling, and Laurie Ruettimann. What does the Future of HR look like?
2. Attending the SHRM Annual Conference as a student. What does a student expect to capture from his or her attendance? What did he or she think about the experience? What did he or she think about the exhibit hall? Was he or she treated well by fellow HR professionals? Exhibitors?
3. The Exhibit Hall - what were the best and worst displays? What were the best and worst freebies? Will Monster.com once again bring the biggest menace to the exhibit hall experience...the rollerbag!?!?
4. Does any one really win at the exhibit hall? By now, many are receiving conference pamphlets from vendors requesting that they stop by a vendor's booth for a chance to win an iPod, Garmin, TomTom, iPad, gift card, etc. This will be my 11th SHRM Annual Conference, and in the previous 10 years I've won bupkus. Do people really win the prizes advertised?
5. The party scene - Lots of parties night to counterbalance the bevy of educational opportunities in the day.  Sunday brings you the TLNT Tweet-up.  Monday has The SHRM11 TweetUp and the Badger Bash (sponsored by the WISHRM state council).
6. Other topics may include SHRM's Academic Initiatives as well as the SHRM Foundation.

What do you want to read about?

I know you come to True Faith HR for hard hitting HR analysis...and what could be more hard hitting than an analysis of SHRM Hotel costs.  Last June, I examined the cost of hotels at the 2010 SHRM Annual Conference, and found some significant differences.  Do those differences remain in 2011?

Once again, I looked at selected SHRM conference brochures (i.e., the ones that I still possessed) over the past 11 years to see what it was cost a person to book a single room on a per night average. Clearly, prices in 2001 will be different than in 2011, so I used an inflation calculator to adjust costs to 2011 dollars. So, how does Las Vegas compare to years past?

Cost of an Average SHRM-Affiliated Hotel (per night)
Using a typical Sunday-Wednesday night as a baseline:
San Francisco (2001): $251.47 (standard deviation = $55.44)
Chicago (2008): $247.23 (sd=$28.46)
San Diego (2010): $243.59 (sd=$41.93)
Washington DC (2006): $225.81 (sd=38.80)
Philadelphia (2002): $214.47 (sd=57.34)
San Diego (2005): $201.03 (sd=$49.02)
Las Vegas (2007): $162.58 (sd=$31.34)
Las Vegas (2011): $126.25 (sd=$17.51)

As expected, Las Vegas is statistically significantly cheaper than every other in the sample.  Its even statistically cheaper than 4 years ago.

Never has there been a better time than to attend the SHRM conference than today with hotel prices at their lowest prices by far.   Even adjusting for inflation, it is $36 cheaper to attend today than 4 years ago.    Once again, you'll be able to nab a 5-star hotel such as the Bellagio ($199 in 2007; $149 in 2011), Venetian ($189 in 2007; $139 in 2011) or Wynn ($215 in 2007, $139 in 2011) for a price of a hotel in the bottom quartile in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, or San Diego).  

But...you better start saving your pennies for 2013, as the conference will be in Chicago, and you'll likely be paying twice as much for hotel rooms as you are today.

See you in Vegas!

Last weekend, I was attending the ASBBS Conference in Las Vegas.  Having some spare time, and being somewhat a hamburger aficianado, I decided to grab lunch at the Burger Bar in the Mandalay Bay.  Perusing the many options on the menu, I came across the Rossini burger which they were selling for $60.

That's right, you can get a $60 burger at the Burger Bar.  Vegas certainly lives up to its excess

What do you get?  "Kobe beef, sauteed foie gras, shaved truffles on an onion bun.  Named after a XIXth century Italian composer whose love for fine food was legendary.  The preparation always includes foie gras, truffles and a rich brown sauce, in this case, Black Perigord Truffle."

Now, I wasn't brave (or wealthy) enough to drop $60 on a burger.  But, it made me wonder if a $60 burger can truly live up to its price tag.  Would the very selling price influence my perception of its taste?  Would my expectations be heightened?  Am I more apt to like it because I do not want to admit I made a mistake in spending that much money on a burger (especially since In-n-Out Burger was less than a mile away and I could have gotten a fantastic meal for less than $5.00)?

With that in mind, are we guilty of the same kind of thoughts in the design of our HR programs?  Do managers become enamored with the service they provide, thinking it is the equivalent of a $60 burger?  Do employees believe HR is delivering a Rossini or just a Whopper?