Interviewer: Mahmoud Mansi
1-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: SHRM has been a strategic partner and been present in almost all of the HR conferences happening in UAE. What made you decide to launch your own conference in the region and how did the idea start?
Claire Smith: Being the organizer of the largest HR Expo in the Middle East and the largest portfolio of HR events, we are in contact with the region’s HR professionals on a daily basis and so we are naturally able to spot trends in the market. We launched the HR tech track for the first time as part of the 2018 edition of our HR Summit and Expo and it was a resounding success so we knew we had to launch a standalone HR Tech event.
2-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: There are some conferences in the region that tackle HR technology, what will the SHRM TECH EMEA 2019 bring new to the audience?
Claire Smith: SHRM tech will provide a holistic view into the way in which HR Tech is changing the world of work. SHRM Tech won’t subscribe to a one size fits all approach to HR Technology, rather it will focus on making HR technology work for your business aims and help you to achieve a sustainable digital future.
3-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: We as HR Professionals enjoy and learn from attending conferences, however we never understand how these conferences were organized and all the planning and efforts done to reflect such quality in the end. Can you share with us what happens behind the scenes?
Claire Smith: Months of research go into the initial planning phases of an event. We have to make sure the content is up-to-the-minute and then we go about sourcing partners and sponsors who can both add value and gain value to the event.
4-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: What are the usual expectations of the delegates in a conference, and how do you assure to meet their expectations?
Claire Smith: Delegates want an experience and they want to be able to engage and interact with the experts on stage and we make sure to offer plenty of opportunities to ask questions and interact throughout the event through the form of interactive panels, lively debates and round tables. We make sure that delegates leave the event with not just knowledge but new connections and a wider professional network.
5-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: We find conferences a perfect venue to learn about practical solutions, new trends, cases studies and experiences. Unfortunately, there are some employers who do not recognise the importance of such conferences when it comes to L&D or hiring or any other relevant HR function. How can conferences further validate their importance and empower their delegates?
Claire Smith: We recognise that time out of the office can be difficult to justify so we make sure to add workshops and practical learning opportunities in all our conferences. These workshops are normally accredited, so delegates have a record of their learning and a professional qualification. At SHRM Tech for example, we have 6 workshops to support the topics covered in the main conference.
6-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: How can delegates maximise their learning from attending the conference?
Claire Smith: Before the conference, delegates can engage with our pre-event marketing materials, we also do free webinars and interviews with featured speakers. During the event we advise all delegates to ask questions, engage with the speakers and book onto at least one of our university or SHRM accredited workshops to help maximise learning. After the conference delegates can stay up to date with news on the SHRM Tech website or our HR observer platform which features content and webinars throughout the year.
7-HR Revolution Middle East Magazine: Public speaking is becoming an essential competency in HR, whether in conferences or in internal corporate events. From your leadership experience in this, what tips do you have for people to enhance their public speaking skills?
Claire Smith: Take part in conferences – if you’re not comfortable with speaking on a main stage just yet, we offer smaller seminar theatre programs that can be less intimidating and more relaxed. The best advice is just to practice! With public speaking the more you do it the less intimidating it becomes!
Thank You Dear Claire for Sharing your Insights & for your Contribution!
