Last month, I regretfully had to have a 70-foot-tall, stately maple tree removed from my front lawn. Unfortunately, it had fallen victim to a condition called girdling roots, in which the roots grew around the base of the trunk and choked off vital nutrients and water. A few weeks later, I noticed a hint of green peeking out from the mound of mulch. I cleared away the dirt and found a small sprout growing in the spot.
I took that to be a good omen and hoped it might be an apt metaphor for the training industry, which has been in an economic stranglehold. Later that afternoon, my hopes were realized. I received the results of Trainingmagazine’s 2011 Industry Report, which revealed some welcome news: a 13 percent increase in training expenditures from 2010. Coupled with the fact that average trainer salaries increased $800 from the year before, this seemed to indicate the training industry is finally—hopefully—beginning to enter a new growth mode.
Like the training industry, the Trainingbrands also are experiencing a growth spurt. We hosted our first Learning 3.0 Conference in October, co-located with the Motivation Show in Chicago. That conference featured a new Tower Challenge Twitter Game, and some attendees also had an opportunity to tour the U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command.
We also have some new developments for the Training 2012 Conference & Expo coming up February 13-15, 2012, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta:
First, we’ve introduced a new Training 2012 App, with which you can access our free Training 2012 Webinar series; contact major industry suppliers; and onsite, find your favorite sessions, plan your conference schedule, and network. Download the app today at: http://crwd.cc/Training2012.
Next, we’ve brought back our Training Leadership Summit (TLS) as a conference-within-a-conference. It will take place February 13 during Training 2012 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Designed for in-house corporate and public sector training/learning executives, TLS will feature an interactive discussion with Dan Pink, author of “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” followed by best practice roundtables facilitated by Training’sTop 10 Hall of Famers and a CLO panel.
Finally, we celebrate Training’s 35th Annual Conference (our coral anniversary) with a special evening reception February 14 at the Georgia Aquarium. All full-conference attendees will receive a free ticket to this “must-sea” event. Visit http://www.trainingconference.com for more information.
Returning to the “growth theme” for a moment, please consider nominating a 2012 Top Young Trainer—a training professional age 40 or under who has demonstrated accelerated career progression, significant leadership skills, and the ability to orchestrate a large-scale training initiative. Companies can nominate up to two candidates. Visit http://trainingmag.com/article/top-young-trainer-nominations for more information and to download the nomination form. The deadline for submissions is January 8, 2012. Best wishes for a happy, peaceful holiday season and a successful 2012! See you in Atlanta next year!
