SHRM Conference June 2009 New Orleans – The Choice Stinks!
Posted on | May 20, 2009 | 6 Comments
Disclaimer – With this post and the title of it, my goal was to make a literary pun based on the heat and humidity of New Orleans in the summer. Based on replies I have received, obviously the article did not come across as I intended. I went too far. I wrongly did not consider that mentioning New Orleans in a negative light still hits a raw nerve with many over the tragedy left from Katrina. I apologize if I have offended anyone in any way. The original post has been edited based on feedback I received.
I’m going to the SHRM conference and sort of looking forward to it. I won’t have a booth but I will be walking the exhibition hall and chatting with our existing HRIS vendors and prospective HRMS software vendors. That being said, I truthfully don’t think SHRM could have picked a worse place, for the time of the year, to hold their annual conference. New Orleans in the fall, winter, or spring has a lot of character and can be a nice place to visit if you are careful; but IN THE SUMMER? No pun intended but the choice stinks.
I am a native Floridian and now live in the Tampa area. I know what heat and humidity are. I actually like it. Florida’s state motto is the “Sunshine State.” I think a more truthful motto would be “Florida, the Big Sweaty Hug.”
Then, there is New Orleans in the summer. Again, I am a Floridian but let me tell you, you have not seen heat and humidity until you have been to New Orleans in the summer. I ended up there four of five years ago at the same time of year as SHRM’s upcoming show. I, a native Floridian, did not believe any place could be hotter and wetter than South Florida in August. Oh, was I wrong. Walking around the streets of New Orleans was sheer torture. There were busy road side booths selling drinking water, personal fans, and cooling neck tie things. It was all needed just to not pass out. I’m not kidding. There was one day my wife and I walked about two hundred yards across a treeless court yard and we were not sure we would make it without passing out. In my 44 years of a Floridian existence, I have never experienced heat and humidity that came anywhere close to comparing to New Orleans in the summer.
Bring lots of light weight summer clothes. Leave the dark colored business suits at home and please bring lots of deodorant, maybe even a back up stick or two. Antiperspirants won’t work so leave them at home. If you booked a hotel room within a few blocks of the conference center and planned on walking to the show, skip the walk and take a taxi. Ignore my advice once maybe, but you won’t twice, trust me. Walk around the show and you will quickly be able to point out, or smell out, who walked and who took the air conditioned taxi.
Here’s a link from Frommers regarding being safe in New Orleans.
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/neworleans/0020020106.html
Tags: hr software vendors > HRIS vendors > SHRM conference > SHRM conference New orleans > summer in New Orleans
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6 Responses to “SHRM Conference June 2009 New Orleans – The Choice Stinks!”
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May 20th, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Maybe it’s the sarcasm that’s more stinging than the facts that you presented. New Orleans just went through a horrible experience and wasn’t the highest prior to being left out in the cold by the government. I’m very glad SHRM is trying to help the economy and I’m sure the aid and assistance of Human Resources (ironic I should be using this terminology here) professionals would make a difference. You can’t stab somebody and then say sorry and make it okay.
May 20th, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
Clearly you never been to any of the SHRM conferences in Las Vegas. I have been to two. It’s a fun place if you like walking around with your head in an oven. I had nosebleeds for weeks from the 110 degree heat and zero humidity.
I’m from South Florida, too…
May 20th, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
No doubt about it New Orleans is going to hot and moist in the summer…AND it has never been a safe city. All that being said, New Orleans is one of my favorite cities. I don’t think their is a city in the US (besides perhaps NYC) that has better restaurants. If you want to find a place where you can let your hair down and enjoy yourself. New Orleans is right up there for me. It has been a conference mecca for years and hopefully will return to its former glory!
May 20th, 2009 @ 11:44 pm
Tara,
I apologize if I hit a raw nerve. I was attempting to create a satirical post regarding the heat and the crime in New Orleans in the summer. Based on your reply, I removed the more sarcastic comments from the original post. Once again, sorry if I offended you in any way.
I get that having the show in New Orleans can be a tremendous boost to that economy. Certainly, 10,000 HR professionals can help the city out. I am happy to participate and hope that we are all able to make a difference.
Clay C. Scroggin
May 21st, 2009 @ 5:13 am
Admittedly I am somewhat biased as a New Orleans native, but I commend SHRM for committing to New Orleans so early after Katrina. They make these decisions 4 or 5 years in advance and, I think, took a risk to support a city.
Last time the conference was in New Orleans, the heat and humidity did get to me as I walked back to my hotel, but it has also been hot in other cities (Orlando, Vegas, and even Chicago).
I would encourage every who is considering coming to the conference to come, just to see how far New Orleans has come since its devastation, if nothing else.
Clay…hope to see you in the exhibit hall.
May 21st, 2009 @ 6:21 am
I understand your attempt emphasize the need for SHRM to move their conference to another time of the year if using great conference locations such as New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando — any location other than the south is ideal for a late June conference. Thankfully you recognized the tone of your blog and made appropriate corrections and comments. Having attended SHRM conference in NO, LV, Orlando, San Diego, Washington and Chicago I will have say that the Vegas conference had to be the most sweltering one. Keep in mind that if you don’t find a hotel close to the conference center in NO (mine was within a block)SHRM provides plenty of air conditioned shuttle buses at no cost. Just so you get a full understanding of actually how many SHRM attendees show up at these conferences — the last two conferences had over 26,000 attendees. Not counting spouses/family that might tag along — that is a boost to any cities’ economy — hot or not!
I think that SHRM should change the date because it is at the end of the fiscal year for most organizations. Those of you who go — enjoy and make the most of it! The conference and New Orleans is worth the trip and time.