Filled with the sound of music, the Training 2024 Conference & Expo struck a chord with more than 2,000 Learning and Development (L&D) professionals who attended the Orlando event in February. Musician and author Rick Lozano energized attendees at both keynotes with his entertaining tunes such as his “Training Still Matters” song. Day 1 keynoter Jason Arday connected with the crowd through a rousing Day-O callback from Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat” song. Sewa Beats rocked the Coronado Springs Resort in a procession to the Expo Hall and their experiential leadership sessions. And even Elvis was in the building—or the Expo Hall at least.
With “Training Matters” as the theme, this event was all about inspiration and continuous learning as it kicked off with the first-ever generative AI Prompt-Off and featured nearly 100 breakout sessions, 12 certificate programs, and 13 hands-on clinics. More than 60 exhibitors packed the Expo Hall, which also showcased a Virtual Engagement Lab; the Innovations in Training Test Kitchen; and the new Learning Discovery Zone, where attendees chatted with experts and tried out new things. Attendees also learned how to elevate their training at the co-located Learning Leaders Summit (see p. 42) hosted by JetBlue University.
“I left the conference feeling reenergized, rejuvenated, and inspired to share and implement what I learned with others,” one attendee shared. Another added, “This was more than a conference but a community of training professionals supporting, caring, and learning together.”
Now that’s music to our ears!
KEYNOTE QUOTES
“As human beings, we are conditioned to tell people what they can’t do, rather than how exceptional they are. You have this amazing opportunity to continue to do the amazing things you do. Believe you can do something greater than the sum of the parts.”
—JASON ARDAY, Professor, University of Cambridge
“It’s important to look at things from all different facets. The big picture and small details are equally important. Consider changing the way you look at things and see how things change. Assess, analyze, articulate, and then adapt/act.”
—AMY HERMAN, Lawyer, Art Historian, and Author
2023 EMERGING TRAINING LEADERS
Nineteen of the 25 2023 Emerging Training Leaders attended an awards ceremony held on the Expo Stage. The program highlights training professionals who have been in the industry between 2 and 10 years and have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and business savvy. To read about the winners, visit:
https://trainingmag.com/the-skys-the-limit/
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Star-Studded Celebration
Star light, star bright, who will be #1 tonight?
The answer to that question posed to the nearly 400 attendees at the 2024 Training APEX Awards Shining Stars Gala was…The Haskell Company.
The black-tie Gala took place February 26 during the Training 2024 Conference & Expo at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL. Sponsored by Adobe, Awarding You, Brainier, and iRewardify, and produced by Training’s event management partner, Brella Productions, the event revealed the 2024 rankings and recognized the winners’ stellar learning and development achievements with crystal trophies.
Some 26 newcomers broke into the Training APEX Awards rankings of 105 companies this year. Haskell, Transworld Systems Incorporated (#2); State Compensation Insurance Fund (#3); and Paychex, Inc (#4) now are eligible for 2025 induction into the Training Hall of Fame, which saw Medical Solutions and Rosendin inducted this year.
Five winners also were recognized with Training APEX Best Practice Awards, and another five winners received Training APEX Outstanding Training Initiative Awards
BEST PRACTICE AWARD WINNERS
- Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
- Compass One Healthcare
- Southern New Hampshire University
- State Compensation Insurance Fund
- The Haskell Company
OUTSTANDING TRAINING INITIATIVE AWARD WINNERS
- Applied Materials, Inc.
- BankWest, Inc.
- ESL Federal Credit Union
- Long & Foster Real Estate
- Novartis China
