LAS VEGAS-WestStar Credit Union's latest job fairs in Nevada attracted more than 7,000 people.
The $134-million CU, which serves gaming employees from three branches in Las Vegas and one in Reno, Nev., hosted its first job fair in Las Vegas Jan. 11, 2011 [
Mona Joseph, AVP of business development for WestStar and organizer of all three job fairs, told Credit Union Journal this month's fair was "all about the community coming together to get people back to work."
"The majority of the people who showed up for the job fair were ready to go back to work, and it was a phenomenal turnout," she said. "We cut the line off at 12:30 p.m. to not stress out the employers, because the tables were getting absolutely overwhelmed."
Joseph said WestStar's out-of-pocket expense was just $100, which paid for snacks and bottles of water that were provided to the people working in the booths. She expects every employer that participated to return next January because it was "so successful."
"From the HR perspective there usually are several open positions available at the start of the year and we gave them great candidates," Joseph declared. "We know at least 100 people got hired on the spot and 800 were scheduled for second interviews as a direct result of the job fair. The HR people respected the fact we treated them as valued guests and we were well organized."
Donations Make Event Possible
To accommodate the crowd, this year's event was held in the Pavilion Ballroom inside the Rio Convention Center, with Caesars Entertainment Corp. donating the space. The January 2011 job fair was held at a local community college.
PSCU Financial Services donated backpacks plus giveaway items inside, which were provided to the employers. Joseph said PSCU offered to place an advertisement promoting the job fair in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, but the newspaper declined as it hosts its own job fairs and saw promoting the WestStar version as a competing event. Although Caesars donated the space, there were two fees involved, so PSCU paid the fire marshal fee ($425) and a labor strike-and-setup fee ($500).
According to Joseph, every local TV station sent camera crews. She said Caesars calculated the event secured more than 2.7 million total viewers via the broadcast and online media coverage, and more than $142,000 in publicity value.
"Caesars Entertainment was great," Joseph said. "When you partner with a big company like Caesars, it is amazing how much attention you get. Two other casino companies approached me after the job fair offering to host the next one on their property."
WestStar has learned lessons from each of its three job fairs, Joseph said, and the message from the most recent was 7,000 people was "a bit overwhelming." In the future, people will be issued a number when they arrive, with the number cut off at 4,000 attendees.
Joseph is already working on the next Reno job fair, which will take place at the end of March.
"The success of this job fair just proves a city can come together and make something happen for the betterment of the community," she said.
