Fresh Eyes and MN SHRM 2011

I had a performance measure once. I've had performance measures before but this one was different because I wasn't meeting it. I was talking to the boss about my pending doom one day and she had an idea. It was an amazingly simple, slap-the-forehead-why-didn't-I-think-of-that idea and the one idea that would turn this whole thing around.

It was an idea borne of fresh eyes.

I wrote over the past year about getting outside of my work right in my own backyard and stalking local HR pros. Yes, this year, I am getting outside of my work and no, I am not stalking local HR pros. But I am working along side them on a project. The project? The 2011 MN SHRM State Conference for 2011.

If you know me, you are probably thinking, "What?!" And you are right to think that. In my 15+ years in HR (and as a card carrying SHRM member) I attended one national conference and almost one whole state conference. My attendance record has been sketchy because, all-in-all, when I sit down to decide how to spend my time, conferences don't make it to the top of my list , especially HR ones:

I know HR and don't want to spend my time listening to speakers who repackage what I know (albeit in an engaging, poised, and entertaining way) and redeliver that back me. It's not about the speakers, it's about me and where I find value. 

So here's the deal.

The 2011 MN SHRM State Conference is going to be different. It's going to be unconventional. It's going to rock.

It's going to take fresh eyes to get us there.

So fresh eyes, riddle me this, what would make a trip to Minnesota in 2011 worth your time?