Event Details

REGISTER HERE:

http://rockford.shrm.org/forms/2025-fest-rocking-rockford

EVENT:  2025 HR FEST: Rocking HR in Rockford 
Date: September 30th, 2025
Time: 12:00pm-4:30pm (Networking to follow)
Location: The Hard Rock Casino Rockford

Get ready for an afternoon packed with energy, education, and empowerment at 2025 HR Fest: Rocking HR in Rockford — a half day seminar designed to elevate your HR game and connect you with some of the best minds and resources in the industry hosted by the Rockford SHRM Chapter. 

What to Expect:
•    Three dynamic speakers delivering insight on today’s most pressing HR topics
•    10+ curated vendors offering tools and services to support Human Resource Professionals 
•    Networking opportunities with HR peers from across the region as you enjoy light refreshments and food
•    Giveaways, swag, and plenty of surprises along the way!
•    Stay after the event and explore all the Hard Rock Casino has to offer! 

Whether you're looking to stay compliant, innovate your people strategy, or build stronger workplace culture, HR Fest is your must-attend event of 2025.

Rebecca Francis:

Power Skills Over Soft Skills: How Emotional Intelligence Shapes the Way We Work

In fast-moving workplaces, the way we handle emotion—our own and others’—can be the difference between tension and trust, confusion and clarity, burnout and balance. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is one of the most practical skills for anyone managing people, supporting teams, or guiding conversations that matter.

In this energizing, interactive opening session, participants will explore:

• What Emotional Intelligence really means—and why it’s essential in people-facing work

• How stress, communication styles, and emotional pressure show up in everyday situations

• What happens when EI is underdeveloped (and how to course-correct without conflict)

• Straightforward strategies to increase awareness, reduce emotional reactivity, and respond with intention

Attendees will walk away with practical tools to help them show up more effectively in conversations, challenges, and the cultures they help shape. Whether working in HR, supporting operations, or leading people, this session offers a reset in how we approach the human side of work.

Ben Killoy:

The Secret Ingredient to a Magnetic Culture

When your best people stop referring friends and your top leaders start checking out, the problem isn’t perks or policies. It’s something deeper.

In this powerful and practical keynote, Ben Killoy reveals what’s really keeping your culture stuck, even in high-performing teams that are quietly struggling. You’ll walk away with a leadership mirror, questions that uncover blind spots, and a clear way to build a culture people want to be part of. The secret isn’t about what’s missing. It’s about who’s missing.

Miguel Pascual:

Live HR Leadership Interview: Learning from Miguel Pascual, HR Director at Hard Rock Casino Rockford

In this live interview session, attendees will hear directly from Miguel Pascual, HR Director of Hard Rock Casino Rockford, as he shares insights from his experience leading human resources in a high-growth, highly regulated hospitality and entertainment environment. The conversation will explore real-world HR strategies and challenges, including talent acquisition and retention in a competitive labor market, building and maintaining a strong workplace culture, leveraging HR technology to streamline operations, and supporting leadership development within a 24/7 business model. Attendees will gain practical takeaways on aligning HR strategy with business goals, navigating workforce dynamics, and fostering innovation while staying compliant in a regulated industry.

Sponsored by: More Info Coming Soon :) 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Rockford Area SHRM is a professional association serving the greater Rockford area. We are dedicated to professional development and building community for individuals who regularly engage in some aspect of the human resources profession.

The mission of Rockford Area SHRM is to advance the human resources professional by providing opportunities to share best practices through experiences, education and networking.

Members of the Rockford Area SHRM are able to attend most events at no additional cost. You will find events at https://rockford.shrm.org/. Be sure to register for events through the website.