The 2015 ISSA & WASS Midwest Staffing Conference took place on April 16th and was a resounding success! The 4th annual conference brought together leading professionals in the staffing and recruiting industry. The conference gave attendees the opportunity to network, learn about the latest industry trends, and participate in workshops to build and enhance skills.
The conference kicked off with a dynamic keynote address by Jonathan Bowman, detailing the power of maintaining a strong network in both life and business. Considered to be a prominent voice in leadership theory, Mr. Bowman’s keynote combined humor, stunning photography, and poignant storytelling to convey an inspiring message to all attendees.
Following the keynote address, attendees made their way through a series of workshops. New to the conference this year was a helpful “track” system to guide attendees. It allowed individuals to customize their program for the breakout sessions. Each of the tracks had a distinct theme with unique areas of concentration. Attendees had the freedom to choose from among Temp, Direct Hire, Best Practices, or Young Professional tracks.
The tracks were led by a variety of staffing and recruiting experts, including Chris Cosmos, Jon Bartos, Dan Fisher and Barb Bruno. All of them are incredibly successful and highly respected voices within the industry. They each conducted energetic learning sessions that melded real-world examples, role-playing, and easy-to-implement strategies for success.
Attendees also had the opportunity to interact with a variety of industry-specific exhibits and vendors. The exhibit showcase included leading staffing software companies, marketing firms, financial consultants, insurance providers, and many more. The exhibit provided a fantastic platform for attendees to find out more information and get questions answered directly from experts in the various fields.
“The networking opportunity at the conference is unbeatable. We’re able to talk to people that are fellow leaders, owners, managers and career folks in our business,” said Diana Smith, an ISSA Board Member and conference chairperson. “We also get a lot of legislative information and other important information for people who are running our staffing companies in the Midwest.”
The day wrapped-up with the always popular cocktail reception, giving everyone the chance to mix and mingle. After the last business card was exchanged and the final hand shaken, it was time to reflect on the day. Attendees departed the conference armed with new skills, knowledge, and expertise to help them advance forward in their career, business, and life itself. The hardest part now is waiting 12 months until next year’s conference!
(Thank you Mike Roeslmeier of ABD for the great editorial!)
