Who doesn’t love a good win/win? SHRM ‘17 is almost here, which means it’s the perfect time to point out some win/win opportunities for both the millennial exhibitor and the millennial attendee. I am not excluding other generations, of course, but I figured it would make sense to shed a little light on this millennial point of view. After all, our generation has to carry on the SHRM tradition!

SHRM gives exhibitors and attendees alike an opportunity to learn, network, and engage with one another. As a millennial and first-time exhibitor, I could not be more excited. I feel that exhibitors like myself, as well as the attendees all, have a lot to gain from this event. And with over 650 exhibiting companies and 15,000 HR pros attending, I would not want anyone to miss out!

If you are already experiencing FOMO (that’s fear of missing out, for you non-millennials), don’t worry, you can keep up with our adventures on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Getting ready to head down to NOLA for SHRM next week? Here are 3 ways the exhibitor and the attendee can both win at #SHRM17:

If we think BIG picture:

By 2020, millennials will make up 50% of the global workforce. And we do not plan on stopping just then! Over 50% of millennials expect to work past age 65, while 27% percent expect to work over the age of 70, and 12% say they will likely work until the day they die.

WOW - we are one driven group of individuals. What I’m hearing is that we are going to be here for a while - so I expect to see some familiar faces at SHRM conferences to come. Let’s make them count!

As a young millennial in my early 20s, I am always thinking about what the future has in store for me in the workplace. I am sure that you can relate, regardless of where you are in your career. SHRM ‘17 is an opportunity for those of us in the HR space to meet new people, exchange ideas, and help each other grow in our careers.  If we aren’t doing that, then what are we accomplishing?

If I am exhibiting and showing you my remarkable, intuitive, easy-to-use payroll, HR, talent, and compliance software (c’mon, you knew this was coming), I want to know from you (the attendee) - what can we do better, what do we already do well? What do you want to see from us in the future?

Let’s go there - don’t be shy. We can all help each other!

If we use social media to network:

We all know that millennials are digital natives and are well-versed in social media. However, I am sure that it does not surprise you to know that almost all generations are fully taking advantage of social media today. In 2016, 86% of American men and women aged 18-29 used social media, compared to the 80% of Americans aged 30-49 (Gen X-ers) and 64% aged 50-64 (Baby Boomers) who used social media.

As an exhibitor, I look forward to meeting attendees, connecting with them and adding them to my personal network in order to build on the relationship we have begun. The evidence is there - we are all active on this social media “stuff”. And social media makes it so easy for us all to stay connected!  Whether you are an exhibitor or an attendee, don’t miss the opportunity to connect with the other attendees at the show, and use your social media platforms as your vehicle to remain connected afterward.

P.S. Have you heard of SHRM #NextChat? Every Wednesday members of the HR community get together on Twitter from 3-4PM to discuss and “chat” about hot HR topics. Everyone is encouraged to participate and then to connect with each other after. Personally, this has helped me build a rapport with HR pros, many of whom I look forward to meeting at the show. I am excited to put some faces to the names!

If we go in with an open mind ready to learn:

Millennials are the largest generation in the US workforce. More than one in three American workers today are millennials. Sounds about right from where I’m sitting, considering that 52% of the workforce here at Viventium is millennial. That’s a lot of young people in the workplace! I consider a largely millennial workforce to be “lowkey workplace goals” - which is millennial speak for “underrated workplace accomplishment”.

Just because some of us might be recent college grads and we aren’t in the classroom anymore doesn’t mean that we should forget how to learn. Be a sponge at the conference, soak it all in the best way that you know how!

Visual learners: make sure you pick up all of the collateral that the exhibitors have worked so hard to prepare for you!

Auditory learners: listen to product experts describe their offering in detail - chances are they’ve been practicing this conversation - it’ll be good!

Kinesthetic learners: ask the exhibitor to let you play around with their software. We are excited to show you what we got, I’d bet they are too!

Let’s learn from each other and apply these learnings once we’re back in the office! We will have all of these (human) resources right at our fingertips at SHRM. We need to take advantage of it!

If you keep these three things in mind at SHRM ‘17, the conference will be a win/win for all. Without the attendee, the exhibitor will gain nothing, and without the exhibitor, the attendee will gain nothing. After a year’s worth of planning for this conference, I cannot wait to see the remarkable results it will elicit when the exhibitor and the attendee work together.

One final thing I would suggest in order to win at the conference? Plan on visiting Viventium at our unconventional booth #1114 and see what we mean by a truly remarkable experience.

Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to follow our journey leading up to, during, and after SHRM.

This information is for educational purposes only, and not to provide specific legal advice. This may not reflect the most recent developments in the law and may not be applicable to a particular situation or jurisdiction.