I will start by defining each so that there is no misunderstanding what type of event I am referring to.
- User Conference; an event put on by a vendor for thier customers and prospects where the education and expo hall are focused on how to use thier product.
- IHRIM Conference; an event put on by a neutral third party with the purpose of educating its attendees about the industry. Educational events and the expo hall are focused on providing a breadth of vendors and sessions across multiple topics in the industry area.
Now on to the assessment of each:
Dimension #1 The Expo Hall - User Conference is only going to focus on the Vendor product suite and related services for that single vendor. The IHRIM Conference assembles over 100 vendors.
- Attend the User Conference for your product specific demonstrations that detail the various features and functions. Here you can also talk to partners of your vendor who may offer services that help enhance and extend the investment in your software purchase.
- Attend the IHRIM Conference to research a technology purchase and talk to a variety of service providers. You can expect to see high level demonstrations of multiple products and in doing so educate your self on the available products in the market place today. Your vendor will probably be at the IHRIM Show, so you can even spend some time wiht them to see the latest and greatest they have to offer.
Dimension #2) The Educational Sessions - User Conference educational sessions will be focused on how to use thier product and it's modules/functionality. The IHRIM Conference will be focused on knowledge around "Key Knowledge Areas" in HR Technology such as Business Strategy Development ; Systems Assessments and Implementation; Use of Technology for Business Solutions;Professional Development;Applications for HR Processes and HR Systems Operations.
- Attend the User Conference to get indepth education of how others have implemetned your specific product and learn from your vendor experts about how to take advantage of new features and upgrades.
- Attend the IHRIM Conference to get the foundational education you need for working in HR Information Systems. The educational sessions will provide learnings on how to select, support and implement systems and best practices in the industry regardless of the vendor you choose.
Dimension #3) Networking. The User Conference networking will be with those like you who have purchased and are using the specific vendor product. The IHRIM Conference networking will be with those like you who work in the HR Information Technology field diverse in thier use of specific vendor products and technologies.
- Attend the User Conference to connect to those people who you can tap into when you need to learn specifically about the vendor product you have implemetned and would like to understand in more detail how others tackled the same problem/situation.
- Attend the IHRIM Conference to connect to those people in HR Technology who are in your industry, City/State, those who use the same products that you do and those who are using products you may be considering for a future purchase. You can share information about the challenges you face as an industry, perhaps learn about products they use that you are not familiar with but could make a difference at your company. You can network with them locally and share experiences you may be struggling with that are specific to your geography and of course share specific product use experiences.
As you can see, there are benefits to attending both. In my opinion from an education perspective it is not an either/or proposition.
Both are important to excel and advance in your current job and your career in the industry.
