7 things you must do at Learning Technologies 2017
Don’t get overwhelmed by the huge number of exhibitors and sessions on offer at Europe’s largest L&D show, make sure these are in your list of must-dos.
If you haven’t registered for the exhibition yet, head to the website to fill in your details so you can access the event and free seminars.
To sign up for the conference sessions, complete the form on this page.
Here are our 7 recommendations of what not to miss:
- Conference keynote by Thimon de Jong – Future change: living and learning in the connected society
- Experience interactive 360° video
- Get involved Attend a demo? (Get your hands on the tech)
- Network like you mean it
- Take part in a Towards Maturity Exchange
- Get up to speed on the latest authoring tools
- Challenge your preconceptions
1 Opening keynote
Keynote speakers have the difficult job of setting the scene for the rest of the conference, and with a roster of speakers and themes as diverse as Learning Technologies, Thimon de Jong has his work cut out.
He’s described as a passionate and interactive speaker. His expertise is in human behaviour and its influence on business.
Learning Technologies is the place to see where the future of technology intersects with workplace learning, and Thimon’s insights will bring the real life experience of learners to the fore.
Expect a lively and informative opening to the conference which will help frame the rest of your visit with a vision of the near future.
The opening keynote takes place in the auditorium at 09:40 on Feb 1 with a live video stream playing in conference room 2. You can also catch a video recording at 1615 in a number of the free exhibition theatres.
2 Interactive 360° video seminar
If Thimon’s opening address has put you in the mood for leading edge learning, you can find out how the latest immersive technology is being put to use in Kate Nicholls’ talk on interactive 360° video.
The session will explain the value of the new technology for learning and how it aligns to real world business challenges. The practical focus will also include when it’s best to use it and the technical constraints.
Catch it at 12:30 in Theatre 5 on Feb 1, and if you want to experience 360° video yourself head to stand C10 for one of our demo sessions.
3 Get involved
There aren’t many opportunities throughout the year to really experience the type of learning experiences that are going to be possible in the coming year.
Now’s the time to put a plan together about the types of learning you want to investigate. There are going to be a lot of new experiences on offer that you might not have considered before, so having a must-see list will make sure you don’t get too side tracked.
You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions of the people who design the learning and use the technology, so use it to find out exactly what you need. If you have questions that aren’t covered in the case studies or the promotional material, now’s the chance to get them answered.
Look out for stands that are offering demos, you’re likely to find the right people to talk you through the technology Attend demos, take part in experiences and try and put yourself in the shoes of your learners whilst you do it.
4 Network
Take a leaf out of Don Taylor’s book and make it a priority to “hear good practice”. The Chairman of the Learning and Skills Group and Learning Technologies Conference Chair that advice during the Workplace Learning in 2017 Hangout.
Use the opportunity to network and talk to peers and experts around the exhibition. There are dedicated networking areas and times in the conference hall, mid-morning and afternoon on both days.
The good news is, there are more L&D professionals attending Learning Technologies this year than ever before, the bad news is, you’re going to have to prioritise your time.
Getting together with specific people is a great idea, but some of the best connections come about through chance. Take a good look at the programme and make time between your essential sessions for some browsing and chatting.
5 Take part in a Towards Maturity Exchange
Towards Maturity are hosting their Learning Technologies Exchanges again this year, and there are a great range of experts on offer for you to talk with.
Sign up for a session and join a small group of Learning and Development professionals in a face to face meeting with an expert from the conference roster.
The round table style of these sessions really allows participants and hosts to interact and explore the ideas that have come up.
Register for your session on the Towards Maturity site and make your way to Stand H24 for the event.
6 Get up to speed on authoring tools
For the L&D professionals who have a hand in creating their own learning content, Learning Technologies is a great place to catch up with popular learning tools.
Articulate 360 introduced a new subscription model, so if you need Storyline 360 then you’re getting the whole package added in. One of the best ways to find out more about the suite of software is attending their seminar session: Speeding up your workflow with Articulate 360 at 14:45 – 15:15 in Theatre 3 on Feb 1.
If you want some inspiration for creating new types of games and interactions using Storyline 360 have a look at this post on elearning industry that details the process of putting together our 2016 Christmas game.
The award-winning, responsive learning framework Adapt has its own presence at the event. Head to Stand H9 to hear how the open-source tools can help you create multi-device learning.
Sponge is a founding member of the Adapt open-source project and we’ll be happy to show you some of our latest learning modules created in the technology on our stand C10.
All the major authoring tools providers attend the show, so it’s a fantastic chance for you to ask specific questions and compare offerings in one place.
Challenge your preconceptions
The huge variety of seminars, stands and conference sessions means there are going to be subjects that you’re unfamiliar with or unsure about.
If there’s a piece of technology, strategy or type of learning you’ve ruled out as unsuitable for your organisation, this is the perfect time to revisit it.
One subject that’s seeing a renaissance at this year’s show is microlearning. There are a lot of sessions that promise to explain how this research-backed technique is working in real organisations.
Helped by advances in software and a deeper understanding of many different theories that contribute to it’s potential, Axonify is redefining what modern microlearning looks like. If it’s something you’re interested in re-assessing be sure to check out The truth about microlearning: delivering knowledge in a modern business at 14:45 in Theatre 1 on Feb 2.
Challenge your thinking and see if something at Learning Technologies gives you a new perspective. Finally, we understand that it’s going to be a long day for everyone, so we’ll be stocked up with complimentary cupcakes and coffee for visitors who want to come by and talk about what we can offer your organisation.
Visit us on Stand C10 to find out about the different ways that Sponge can help drive workplace performance in your organisation. Follow #spongeLT17 on Twitter and Instagram for the latest on our Learning Technologies events and insights.