DallasHR to host 2,400 at annual conference in Fort Worth

DallasHR, the third largest affiliate chapter of the Society for Human Resources (SHRM), will bring together approximately 2,400 attendees, including human resources (HR) leaders and influencers from cities throughout Texas as well as 39 additional states and five countries, during the 77th edition of the HRSouthwest Conference in Fort Worth.

The annual conference is recognized as the official State of Texas SHRM conference and is considered one of the largest regional educational and networking HR industry events in the US. It is scheduled for Oct. 14-17, 2018, at the Fort Worth Convention Center and is expected to have a local economic impact of $3 million according to Visit Fort Worth.

The 2018 HR Southwest Conference, powered by DallasHR, will present more than 119 education sessions on relevant topics such as employment law, risk management, healthcare, leadership and talent management, delivered by industry experts and thought leaders.

The keynote speaker line-up features Scott Kelly, a history-making astronaut, retired U.S. Navy captain and author of a New York Times best-selling book, and Ginger Hardage, who recently retired from her role as senior vice president of culture and communications at Southwest Airlines.

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Kelly will share insights from his time in space that will inspire and challenge the audience to dream big, test the status quo and “choose to do the hard things.”

Hardage will discuss the importance of building and sustaining an organizational culture while navigating change.

“This year marks more than 20 years hosting the HRSouthwest Conference in Fort Worth. We look forward to converging on the city again to connect HR professionals from around the state and country and to provide education and tools to help attendees navigate change and become stronger in their careers,” Brad Shanklin, executive director of DallasHR and the HRSouthwest Conference, said in a news release.

The conference will also feature more than 185 exhibitors during the tradeshow program, Marketplace, which will run Monday and Tuesday during the conference.

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In addition, the HRSouthwest Conference will recognize its 2018 Texas Volunteer of The Year Award honoree, Pamela J. Bratton, who serves as co-director of government affairs for Texas SHRM and is vice president at Meador Staffing Services Inc. in Pasadena, Texas.

The 2018 recipients of the conference’s Excellence in Education Student Scholarship will be honored as well; the students include Mollie Barnes of Texas State University, Haylee Keisler of The University of Texas at Dallas, Josh Talbert of Texas Women’s University and Alayna Thomas of The University of Texas at Dallas.

To support the local community, the HRSouthwest Conference is conducting a charitable donation drive for the Samaritan House, a nonprofit based in Fort Worth that provides housing and resources for people living with HIV/AIDS and other special needs. Conference attendees are encouraged to donate essential items such as cleaning supplies, hygienic items and household items or make a financial donation. The HRSouthwest Conference will match donated funds up to $5,000.

For more information and to register, visit www.hrsouthwest.com