NRN columnist and human resources expert Jim Sullivan looked kind of bemused at the beginning of his panel this afternoon.
It featured this year's winners of the SPIRIT awards, which are given by NRN for excellence in human resources recruitment, training and retention. 
Turnout was sparse. 
"Raise your hand if you have a space next to you," he shouted out. I was sitting in front, but I assume everyone raised their hands.
"Move on up and fill in the spaces," he yelled, as if there were a throng he needed to shout over.
It was a good panel if you were looking for insight into human resources. Janet Potts from St. John's Medical Center, Diana Psaras from Red Lobster, Marcus Garner of B&O American Brasserie in Baltimore and Patrick Yearout from Ivar's Seafood Bar in Seattle all had plenty of insights for how to get staff members to buy into corporate culture, work hard and not quit to work somewhere else (the consensus was, hire right the first time and you've solved most of your problems).
But when it came to Q&A time, a couple of audience members wondered why the room had so many empty seats. The social networking panel held in that room earlier was standing-room-only.
Ken Schiller, founder of K&N Management in Austin, a restaurant operator who was on the social networking panel, said he thought it was because human resources, though not sexy, is hard.
What fun is that?