Onrec.com set to shake up US market

This article appeared on John Sumsers ’Interbiznet’ Electronic Recruiting Newsletter - June

Two Davids
This fall, the industryís eyes and ears will be squarely on OnRecís initial launch in the United States. The OnRec Global Summit for Online Recruitment is being held on the 12th and 13th in Chicago. The event partners include EMA Chicago and CareerJournal. Monster is a Gold Sponsor

OnRec, as you probably know, is an event producer from England. The firm has a massive vendor network in Europe, a regular fee based publication about the online Recruitment Industry, an online archive of press releases and news. Generally speaking, OnRec has traffic that puts it in the same league as interbiznet and Erexchange (see this graph).

Their timing is astonishing. The Erexchage Fall Expo is scheduled for September 12-14 in Hollywood Beach, Florida. To compete with Onrec, David Manaster is bringing in the heavy artillery. Seth Godin, the direct marketing guru is speaking at Erexchange event. A paid speaker is a real first at the event.

The industry, once tired and formulaic, is getting a needed recharge. Gone are the days when relationships and audiences can be taken for granted. OnRec brings a strong reputation for making its vendors successful. They do that while making their audiences successful. Itís not the American model of the conference business.

Erexchange is in a model shift. New periodicals and a thriving software assessment business are moving ERE away from its grass roots in online Recruiting. They seem to be headed towards the corporate recruiting market while de-emphasizing the Electronic aspects of Recruiting. Volunteer talent, many who have built successful careers on their free speaking and writing are being replaced by paid speakers and report / article writers. The shift in business model and mindset while under competitive assault is risky.

We like the changes, though. Erexchange was getting hidebound. The same faces presenting the same ideas is a recipe for audience decline. David Manaster is to be congratulated on facing the challenge with real innovations.

David Hurst, the energy behind OnRec, will be a worthy competitor. He is known throughout Europe as a man who knows how to build and maintain networks. Willing to invest in a new beach-head, Hurst is an entrepreneur to watch.

The battle of the two Davids will play out in the months ahead. By the days of the conferences, the results will be in. For Erexchange to win, they have to have the most bodies and a great deal of buzz coming out of the chute. For Onrec to prevail, less is required. They can establish a firm toehold in the market with a reasonable showing.

From their, weíd suggest that the other conference players begin to look sharp. The results of this small scale competition will change the industry as a whole.


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