How to Get Real ROI from IAMPHENOM: Turning Conference Ideas into an Action Plan

Conferences deliver value when attendees walk away with more than just notes, especially when the focus is on applying AI and automation to improve hiring and retention. 

Case in point? IAMPHENOM, the only Applied AI conference for human resources.

The opportunity is enormous, but so is the risk of ideas that never materialize — and without proving value, securing budget for next year's event becomes nearly impossible.

The VP of Talent Acquisition Strategy at a major mortgage lender saw this firsthand and decided to do something about it. Her framework delivers measurable impact that justifies the investment. It all starts with understanding the problem, then building a solution any team can use.

Read on to maximize your conference ROI!

Why Conference Value Often Gets Lost

IAMPHENOM and other HR shows deliver meaningful content at scale, but content alone doesn't guarantee impact. The TA leader had seen this pattern across multiple industry events. "It was just a huge black hole," she admitted. Teams attended sessions, enjoyed the experience, and moved on to the next priority once they returned.

The problem wasn't the quality of what they learned; it was what happened after. Without a plan to capture insights and turn them into action, even the best conference became just another line item on the budget. That realization pushed the company to rethink how they approached conferences, not as isolated events, but as opportunities requiring preparation, structure, and follow-through.

The Four-Stage HR Conference Framework

A few months before IAMPHENOM 2025, the company built a structured approach they could apply to any conference.

• Assess. The team reviewed the full IAMPHENOM agenda, categorized sessions by focus area using the conference’s tags, and documented their objectives. "We physically wrote down very specific goals," she said. This eliminated vague intentions and created accountability before arriving in Philadelphia.

• Organize. Already a Phenom customer, the company made a strategic shift in who they sent to the show — prioritizing practitioners who are using the solutions day in and day out. While execs still attended (IAMPHENOM features dedicated executive sessions and strategic content for leadership), the focus shifted to hands-on users who could absorb and apply insights immediately. Attendees represented recruitment marketing, TA technology, recruiting, and strategy, with IAMPHENOM sessions assigned by focus area, so each person brought back distinct expertise.

• Create Action. During IAMPHENOM, attendees captured notes in a shared repository and were challenged to identify three immediately actionable ideas. The team held morning huddles to align priorities, blocked free time to absorb sessions, and enforced a networking rule: find one new connection at every session. Team members weren't allowed to sit together for this reason. Klik SmartBadges at IAMPHENOM make this easier by enabling instant contact exchanges with a badge tap.

• Follow-Up. After returning from Philadelphia, the team gathered in front of whiteboards to share their three key takeaways. "We just went in, and I said, 'Okay, everyone write them on the walls,'" she recalled. They circled ideas, categorized them, and translated IAMPHENOM insights into a product roadmap with concrete next steps.

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The Adoption Breakthrough

When the team set personal goals after IAMPHENOM, every single person chose the same focus: adoption. Rather than chasing new products they'd seen at the conference, they wanted to learn more about what they already had.

"Our adoption was low," she said. Only 34% of the team was consistently working in the Phenom Talent CRM on a daily basis. Inspired by what they learned at IAMPHENOM about maximizing platform capabilities, the team partnered with Phenom's customer value team to create a four-week adoption training program.

The training included both the company's internal recruiters and their external RPO partner, who handled all servicing team hiring.

The Results from IAMPHENOM Learning

The payoff came quickly. Within months of applying their IAMPHENOM insights, the company achieved:

• 55% increase in platform logins

• 34% increase in total actions

• 100% team engagement in the system at least a couple of times per week

Unsurprisingly, the adoption focus drove broader business impact:

• Campus recruiting filled 105% of their hiring targets (up from 85%)

• Servicing team filled 90% of their hiring targets (up from 49%)

• Launched recruitment campaigns increased 391%

• Applications from campaigns increased 74%

Cost savings followed. The team eliminated LinkedIn seats, cut their Handshake contract entirely, minimized Indeed spend, and reduced sales channel ramp time by 50%.

The team also established an SME group where everyone who attended IAMPHENOM became Phenom platform experts serving as tier-zero support. Eighty percent have earned at least three Phenom certifications, and 50% have completed 11 or more. This reduced tickets to the TA tech team by 50% and gave recruiters faster access to peer support.

Perhaps the strongest signal of the shift? The team submitted their campus recruiting program to the Phenom HR Awards and became finalists. The same team that had struggled with adoption now had results worth celebrating publicly.

Learn more about the Phenom HR Awards

Ready to Build Your Own IAMPHENOM Framework?

IAMPHENOM returns to Philadelphia March 10-12, 2026. Over three days at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, you'll connect with thousands of talent leaders tackling the same challenges this company faced — and learn how applied AI and automation can solve them.

What to expect:

• Visionary keynotes from HR leaders, analysts, and industry experts

• Deep-dive breakouts and roundtables across TA, talent management, HRIT, and executive tracks

• AI & Automation Learning Lab with 75+ use cases across roles and industries

• Product demos and unveilings of next-generation AI and HR tools

• SHRM and HRCI professional development credits

• Signature networking, including the Rocky Steps Run, yoga, wellness activities, happy hours, and welcome celebrations showcasing Philadelphia

• Exclusive customer dinner and Talent Experience Awards gala honoring organizations, teams, and individuals achieving phenomenal impact with AI and automation

The conference becomes even more valuable when attendees arrive with clear goals and structured follow-through. As this TA leader's experience shows, applying an intentional framework transforms IAMPHENOM from inspiration into measurable adoption, cost savings, and business impact.

Register for IAMPHENOM now!