"It's part summit, part think-tank and part boot camp," says Christine McLeod with a laugh. McLeod is the organizer of the upcoming Impact99 conference, planned on Oct. 6 at Quest University.
Designed to look at furthering the idea of reinventing the workplace in a digital age, the conference will provide HR and business leaders with a rare opportunity to collaborate around new ideas, tools and strategies that can reshape their company's culture and workplace.
The conference's creator, local business owner McLeod has always been incredibly passionate about the link between engaged employees and business results and soon found herself wading into the new world of social media with her business, Impact People Practices.
"When I started this social media journey a year ago, I had about 60 Facebook friends and had no idea what Twitter was," she said. "I just dove in, one platform at a time and spent a lot of time listening and watching and reaching out to those people I thought were doing an outstanding job creating authentic brands," she said.
Fast forward one year and McLeod's network has exploded with connections, which gave birth to the idea of a conference, a collaboration fostered through the use of social media such as Skype and Twitter with her business partner and social media expert, Toronto-based Jeff Waldman.
Impact99 is the first Canadian social and HR conference of its kind. To be held in Toronto and Squamish this fall, the events will gather 99 influential leaders to share their collective knowledge and connect with and learn from some of Canada's leading social media and HR experts.
Coun. Patricia Heintzman is supportive of the fact Impact99 will take place in Squamish.
"I think there is significant opportunity to host small workshops and conferences like Impact99 in Squamish," she said. "Squamish is perfectly located within an hour of most of the Lower Mainland and blessed with an inspirational environment that offers an incredible value-added experience for attendees."
Heintzman said she recognizes the need to address the rapidly changing workplace.
"The topic of this workshop is very timely. Workplace culture is being redefined so rapidly not only out of necessity but also technology is providing the means to communicate on so many different levels to so many people. And to many people this is overwhelming. Impact99 will demystify social media like Twitter, Facebook, etc. Social media is redefining leadership, workplace and communication," Heintzman said.
"Christine is representative of the youthful energetic demographic that is ever-present in Squamish and I see these small, individual companies and individuals as catalysts to further employment generation in the area," said Heintzman. "Fifty-four per cent of Squamish businesses are one-person businesses. For me, that equates to huge economic growth potential and jobs."
McLeod said she hopes to see at least a dozen tickets sold to Squamish and Whistler businesses.
"If you are a business owner or manager passionate about creating a strong employer brand, attracting and retaining the best talent out there and curious about how social media can help re-think every aspect of "HR" in your organization, this is an event for you," she said.
The format of the day is meant to be interactive, engaging and fun and judging by the big smile on Quest student Zeeshan Rasool's face, this will not be a typical conference. Rasool is the creative director for Impact99 and has worked with McLeod as an intern, alongside Quest student Hassaan Rahim. Rasool confesses he is thrilled to be a part of Impact99. "
Now that I can see it coming, I am getting excited," he said, adding that the use of social media tools to organize the event was an invaluable component to the entire process.
McLeod said she wants to "shake things up little bit in HR" and describes the attendees as "HR trail blazers who are recognizing there's not just one way of doing things."
McLeod wants to encourage Squamish business leaders who have a great team to come to Impact99. Organizers are offering a discounted registration fee to local businesses until Monday (Sept. 26). To receive a 20 per cent discount when registering, type in the code "Chief." For information or to register, visit www.impact99.caand click on the Squamish conference.
