2012 HRINZ National Conference
8-10 August 2012
The business conference for serious HR people
‘Diversity at Work’
Call for Speaker Contributions - Now Open
Background
The HRINZ National Conference held in central Wellington each year has become a legend. With an expanded conference programme now being offered each year, the three-day national conference provides the HR profession with strategic insight and direction through key note sessions, interactive workshops and concurrent sessions. It has become the ‘must attend’ event of the HR calendar.
Applications are now open for speakers for the keynote and concurrent sessions being held during the three days in early August 2012.
Theme Overview
'Diversity at Work'
According to the dictionary definition diversity is the state or quality of being different or varied; a point of difference. In the workplace, diversity is usually defined as having a workforce consisting of a mixed make up of staff - people from different cultures, ethnicity, gender, age, ability etc. More and more organisations are recognising the value of not having everyone the same – whether it is appearance, beliefs, experience, background or skills - the more varied the people the more opportunity there is for a point of difference around performance, productivity and potential profits.
The New Zealand workplace has changed significantly in the last few decades and as the world gets smaller the variety increases but just how good are New Zealand employers and organisations at embracing this to their advantage? Stories abound of the difficulties skilled and talented immigrants experience when trying to get that first job in their new country.
Similar stories tell of an ageing workforce who don’t want (or can’t afford) to retire; of young people unable to get their first full-time permanent job; of workplaces that won’t willingly provide flexibility for working mums and dads with young children (or troublesome teenagers). People with physical disabilities have to work that much harder to be accepted easily into the workplace and anyone with mental health issues face an uphill battle that can seem impossible to win.
The amount of women in New Zealand in senior management positions or on boards is appalling too and as a country we’ve actually lost traction over the last few years.
Legislation only goes so far to protect these members of our society but as most of us know a diverse workforce should be seen as an asset not a liability.
While it’s easy to see the differences based on physical appearances the real issue lies within our heads – most diversity issues occur between our ears!
The 2012 National HRINZ Conference will be addressing how embracing diversity can enhance workplaces, increase profits, and make the world a happier place.
About HRINZ
HRINZ has long been recognised as one of the most progressive, professional and desirable membership organisations in New Zealand. With over 54% of the known HR market as members across 12 branches throughout New Zealand we’re the voice of HR and people management and leadership. As a not-for-profit (but not-for-loss either) membership association providing thought leadership, professional development and career support to our members our annual conferences are the recognised source of direction on what the future holds for the workforces and workplaces across our land.
We’re seeking From Our Speakers
HRINZ is seeking top presenters for all sessions. We want to hear about what is happening in the New Zealand working environment. Our audiences are highly educated, sophisticated and smart so the sessions need to be pitched accordingly.
These sessions should provide learning not lectures and definitely not be sales presentations!
The following information has been prepared to help you understand our needs and to clarify for you what we are seeking from our conference presenters.
Session Types
All sessions will provide participants with an insight into a particular topic and allow for discussion and debate. We're particularly interested in 'real life' experiences or high quality research findings. All presentations should provide balanced content. We certainly expect the presenters to deliver on what they’ve promised and we will be working hard to ensure this happens on the day.
Speakers and Presenters
All speakers and presenters will expand and challenge the participants’ knowledge and understanding of the conference theme. Speakers will be selected for the quality and interest of their material, for their area and level of expertise, for their presentation skills and for their ability to engage participation from their audience.
We’re particularly interested to hear from ‘coal-face’ business practitioners who have the ability to present well.
It is vital that the proposal submitted in this application process is the same as the one presented on the day – our conference delegates are highly discerning and can be very vocal if a session doesn’t match the expectation.
Our participants are generally very well educated, experienced and skilled and it is important that all presentations are pitched at a high level – this audience should not be underestimated. To help speakers to understand and relate to the potential audience a delegate profile will be supplied to those chosen to speak prior to the conference.
Presentation Style
As mentioned above we are seeking presenters who can deliver their message in an interactive style – that means no lectures and no death-by-powerpoint, but lots of opportunities for the audience to participate. We believe that the conference delegates should be able to contribute as much as possible to the sessions and we try to capture the knowledge, experience and the collective expertise of all of those in the room.
Pitch
We need an indication as to the level of experience or knowledge your session would be pitched at. In the past some participants have expressed concern that the pitch of sessions they attended was too low for the audience. Your application will need to state whether your proposed session is pitched to senior, mid or beginner level HR practitioners. As mentioned above, care will be needed not to underestimate the audience.
Grunt factor
We need to know the ‘feel’ and skill type addressed in the presentation – for example either hard business skills or soft theory.
Application
You will need to indicate whether your session is based on theory, practice or results/outcomes.
Style
This indicator will show the percentage split of content, eg 35% presentation, 15% questions and answers, 20% group work, 10% forum and 20% reporting back.
The Application Process
The Institute is a not-for-profit membership association and as a non-commercial entity, we do not pay our conference session speakers to present; however we do provide a free conference registration to speakers, including participation at the social functions. All details are confirmed in a letter of agreement once the final selection process has been made. Presenters usually want to be involved with our conference for several reasons – to give back to their community through sharing their knowledge and experience; to test a theory, concept or idea; or to hear what others are doing, and many just seem to want to be a part of our exciting and high quality events.
While we don't wish to make the application process difficult or time consuming, it is important for the credibility of the Institute, and for the satisfaction of conference delegates, that all speakers and presentations are of the highest quality and 'fit' possible. Therefore it is essential that we are thorough in our application and selection process.
If you are still interested in speaking at our conference you will need to complete an application form, provide a brief bio of no more than 200 words, submit a synopsis of your idea/presentation of no less than 200 words and no more than 600 words, provide the names and contact details of two people who have heard you present in the past two years and be prepared to provide a high resolution photo of yourself in electronic format. Once we have received all speaker applications (by 1 February 2012) we will review them for suitability, match to the selection criteria and notify successful applicants by late February or early March 2012.
How to Apply
Applications must be made electronically on the official application form on the HRINZ website by 1 February 2012.
- Complete the application form below
- Submit a synopsis of your idea/presentation of no less than 200 words and no more than 600 words
- Provide the names and contact details of two people who have recently heard you present or who can comment on your material and presentation skills
- Provide a recent biography of no more than 200 words
Expectations
If your application is successful and you are chosen to present at our conference, it is expected that you will provide all information as requested by the conference managers in the format requested and within the timeframe provided. This includes details of your audio-visual requirements, your speaker's papers in electronic format and a current biography. It is also expected that you will present the material as outlined in the abstract provided by you and in the format that you have indicated, and that you will not deviate in any substantial way. HRINZ will provide you with a profile of delegates for the current conference closer to the time. Session speakers should endeavour to deliver material that is original, leading edge and appropriate for an audience of experienced human resource practitioners. They must not use the session as a promotional campaign for their own, or any others, products or services.
Cancellation
If you are chosen to present and you subsequently need to cancel, we require thirty days notice from you or a substitute (approved by HRINZ) needs to be provided by you. If it is likely that your time/workload may become over-committed as we get nearer to the conference date, we'd prefer that you consider this now and if in doubt don’t proceed with the application to present.
Rewards
A full conference registration, including participation at the social functions, will be provided to the conference speakers/presenters. Unfortunately HRINZ cannot cover travel or accommodation costs for speakers.
Applications must be received no later than 1 February 2012