Event Descriptions

Legislative Event

The Legislative Event is a half to full day program dedicated to current legal and legislative topics affecting the staffing industry. Experts are brought in to help keep staffing companies abreast of changes in laws and potential obstacles that might be hitting the industry. The conference is held in the Chicagoland area. Attendance for events in 2019 and 2020 was near 60. 

Midwest Staffing Conference

The Midwest Staffing Conference, held in partnership with WASS, is one of the largest regional staffing events held each year. This conference is typically a two-day event that covers a number of topics relevant to the industry, including social activities before and after the event. The conference is held in the Chicagoland suburbs and the attendance has been growing over recent years, with 2019 attendance reaching a record of 240 staffing individuals, and the 2020 virtual Midwest Staffing Conference drawing over 450 attendees. The conference is optimized to provide strong support and awareness for our sponsors.

Owner's Retreat/Symposium

The Owner’s Retreat/Symposium is a 1-2 day conference with topics catered to staffing and recruiting firm owners and executives. The 2021 Owners Retreat was held at Wingspread Executive Retreat and Conference Center in Racine, WI. Following a tour of the Wingspread house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, guests experienced happy hour and dinner in the iconic and original building. The 2019 Retreat was a 2-day event held in Lake Geneva, WI, highlighted by a lake tour aboard a restored turn-of-the-century steam yacht. The 2018 Symposium was a one-day event held at the Loews Chicago Hotel, followed by a networking event overlooking the city. The 2017 retreat was held in New Buffalo, MI and brought 40+ attendees to a beautiful setting that included learning sessions and wine tasting/dinner social events. Sponsors of this event can take advantage of having a well-targeted audience with a great opportunity to showcase their offerings. 

Member Appreciation Event

Each year, ISSA holds an exciting event for the members of the association. This includes both the members and sponsors that contribute in making the association a great organization to be a part of. Previous events include roof top Cubs games, Arlington Park Race Course and a Pinstripes Bowling/Bocce outing. The intent of this event is to have fun, network and get to know the membership at a deeper level. These events typically sell out early. Attendance for the membership appreciation outing has usually ranged from 40-100 people, depending on the activity.

Pinnacle Panel Event

The ISSA Pinnacle Panel Event is a direct hire focused panel of high-achieving recruiters, sharing techniques for managing the direct hire desk and practice for high production. The discussion is about 2 hours in length, followed by a networking session.  Attendance is around 40 individuals. In 2019 and 2020, a session for Young Professionals and those newer to staffing was added to the event.

Holiday Party

The Holiday Party changes each year, but is always one of our best events. The event is a late afternoon, into the evening event that has included high profile speakers, a panel of contingent labor/direct hire Buyers and Staffing Firm Owners from well-known organizations. The attendance for this event has ranged from 50-80 people and includes food and drink at well-known locations.

Young Professionals

The ISSA Young Professionals program seeks to attract, educate and network with young staffing and recruiting professionals within the Chicagoland area. Typically, these events are set as learning opportunities, coupled with a social activity. The 2019 training event at LinkedIn Chicago was sold out, with 60 attendees. In 2020, we hosted a virtual staffing trivia game, followed by a special session with members of the Pinnacle Society. Three events for Young Professionals are planned for 2021.

Website and Communications

ISSA highly values its sponsors and members. Communication, awareness and social engagement is at the top of the list of priorities for the Board of Directors. ISSA takes great measure to communicate to its audiences the involvement of its sponsors and how they positively impact their lives and businesses. The ISSA website traffic has been growing year over year and our web properties, including social, continue to grow a strong following.