Europe’s leading showcase of workplace learning is back for its 21st year! On the 12th and 13th February 2020, the Thinqi team will be at ExCel London for the annual Learning Technologies Conference and Exhibition. You’ll find us on Stand L15, where we’ll be ready to welcome you, armed with cutting-edge modern learning technology, freshly steamed lattes, irresistible bakes and a slap-up offering of learning expertise.
In between conversing with our lovely stand visitors, we’ll be immersing ourselves in the conference to discover what’s hot in the ever-changing world of workplace learning. With over 30 conference sessions and more than 70 industry-leading speakers and facilitators, the tricky part is deciding which sessions to go to.
Here are just a few examples of the things we’re looking forward to this year.
Marketing L&D: right people, wrong skills?
The technology and business landscape is undergoing a monumental shift. Changing job requirements have prompted organisations to redesign work, so it’s no surprise to learn that 54% of the workforce must now be reskilled. Many people are now without the skills they need to succeed in their roles, and organisational leaders are now turning to learning and development to provide a solution. Feeling the pressure?
Bianca Baumann of Learning eXperience and Teresa Rose of CounsultHer will be delivering their session, ‘Marketing Learning’, on Tuesday 12th February. The talk promises to demonstrate how to map out learner experience using marketing funnels, and how to leverage content strategies and create multi-touch blended learning solutions in order to successfully upskill the workforce.
The #womeninlearning movement continues to grow…
After a hugely successful 2019 campaign, the #womeninlearning movement now includes over 800 L&D professionals, and looks set to charge into 2020 with growing momentum. In 2015, research conducted by Donald H Taylor and the Learning and Skills Group community revealed that men are twice as likely to have leadership roles in learning. Since then, various studies have been conducted, and the 2019 movement has prompted further research, crucial discussion, and the first ever Women in Learning conference.
Now, #womeninlearning comes to Learning Technologies as part of the all-new lunchtime structured networking sessions. Chaired by the movement’s co-founders, Kate Graham of Fosway and Sharon Claffey Kaliouby of The Learning CONSORTIUM, the session provides a unique opportunity to hear first-hand stories and key lessons learned from leading female L&D professionals. It’s a must for creating new connections and gaining insights on how to get to the top in L&D, regardless of gender.
Taking the dread out of data
As with last year’s Learning Technologies event and Summer Forum, data and analytics remains a key focus area for Learning Technologies in 2020 – and, it seems, for good reason. Data analytics forms a key part of each of the following:
- The ‘Performance and Impact’ area of the LPI capability map
- The ‘Evidence-Based Decision Making’ at the core of the CIPD Profession Map
- The ‘Improving Impact’ section of Towards Maturity’s Snapshot of L&D Capability
- The 2019 Global Sentiment Survey, run by Donald H Taylor, where it ranked number 3 in last year’s list of hottest trends for L&D
The evidence is clear: the use of data and metrics is invaluable for L&D professionals. Not only does it allow us to measure the success of our learning interventions, but it also enables us to better identify the needs of our learners.
This year, we’re spoilt for choice on all things analytical.
Chaired by Andrew Jacobs, L&D Transformation Lead at HMRC, Wednesday’s ‘xAPI’ session sees Richard Pedley of Fidelity International and Megan Torrance of TorranceLearning providing valuable insights into how to ensure the data you are collecting can be used to drive learning that’s useful, relevant, and conducive to lasting behaviour change.
It’s just one of your many chances to equip yourself with the know-how you need to get confident with analytics.
In summary…
It’s easy to see why Learning Technologies is always a firm favourite in our event calendar. With a packed schedule of 200 unmissable seminars, 200 exhibitors and the launch of the International Learning Thirty under 30 programme, the 2020 conference promises to be another fantastic year of insights, networking and meaningful connections.
See you there! (Remember, Stand L15…)
We're always exploring key trends in the learning and development world, so keep an eye on our blog and social media channels to see when new insights are published: