A friendly wave. A warm smile. A playful fist bump. A hearty handshake. A heartfelt hug. All were on display as nearly 1,200 Learning and Development (L&D) professionals gathered in person for the first time in more than two years for the Training 2022 Conference & Expo at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in February.
“The Training Conference was just the boost I needed,” one attendee admitted. “I came, I learned, I networked, and I came back to work energized by the advice and encouragement from my peers.”
Keynotes focusing on happiness, creativity, and inspiration ignited that spark for attendees. They then found plenty of opportunity to learn from and collaborate with each other during 100-plus breakout sessions, eight certificate programs, 11 hands-on clinics, and a gather around mixer event, plus a plethora of experiences on the Expo floor, including: Learning Stage presentations, Innovations in Training Immersive Lab demos, vendor conversations, chats at the Winners’ Café, and lawn games. Co-located events GamiCon and the Learning Leaders Summit offered additional face-to-face time and dialogue.
“The 2022 Training Conference is the best place for all people within the L&D field to broaden their thought process, be introduced to training opportunities they did not know existed, and hone skills they already use to enhance the capability of training within their organizations,” an attendee noted. “Great things can happen when you remove the limits of your mind!”
TRAINING 2022 SHOW WRAP-UP
KEYNOTE QUOTES
“We say, ‘I’ll be happy when I get that degree or job, get the COVID-19 vaccine, get married, have children, etc.’ But every time you have success, your brain moves the goalpost. So success is a continually moving target. We need to have a conversation around what leads to happiness. We need to raise the feelings of optimism, social connection, and positive emotion.”
—Shawn Achor, Positive Psychologist and Author, “The Happiness Advantage”
“Let curiosity be your dowsing rod. It’s OK to go down a rabbit hole on the Internet, for example. You can’t plan to be unexpectedly fascinated by something. Explore. Ask questions. I’d rather have the heartbreak of failure or being told, ‘No,’ than always wondering if I could have done something.”
—Dessa, Singer, Rapper, Writer, and Host of podcast Deeply Human
“Inspiration is life fuel. It opens you up so the excitement about an idea overrides the fear of failure. Inspiration is contagious. Once you ignite the spark, feed it and let it grow. And pass it on to pay the inspiration forward.”
—Deanna Marsigliese, Character Art Director, Pixar Animation Studios
Attendees from Creative Reaction Lab (www.creativereactionlab.com) know how much Training matters! This nonprofit organization’s youth-led, community-centered mission combines education and civic engagement for racial justice and healthy living. Training magazine donated a portion from every Training 2022 registration—and then matched that amount—to the organization.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
2021 EMERGING TRAINING LEADERS The 2021 Emerging Training Leaders are recognized at an awards ceremony held on the Expo Stage. This awards program highlights training professionals who have been in the industry between 2 and 10 years and have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, business savvy, and training instincts. To read about the winners, visit: https://trainingmag.com/etl-winners-orchestrating-success/
TRAINING APEX AWARDS GALA
APEX Winners “Rays” the Roof!
Basking in the golden glow of recognition, 2022 Training APEX Awards winners celebrated their shining achievements, learned their rankings, and received their crystal trophies at the Here Comes the Sun Gala on February 28 during the Training 2022 Conference & Expo at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL. Attended by 300 Training APEX Awards winners and Training Hall of Famers, the black-tie gala was sponsored by AMA, Brainier, Brella, and Seiko.
Medical Solutions earned the top spot, followed by Rosendin (#2); State Compensation Insurance Fund (#3); The Haskell Company (#4); and Paychex, Inc. (#5). Some 17 new companies broke into the Training APEX Awards rankings this year. Five winners also were recognized with Training APEX Best Practice Awards, and another five winners received APEX Outstanding Training Initiative Awards (see below).
In addition, United Wholesale Mortgage was inducted into the Training Hall of Fame.
- Medical Solutions
- MTM, Inc.
- Pilot Company
- State Compensation Insurance Fund
- Visa Inc.
OUTSTANDING TRAINING INITIATIVE AWARD WINNERS
- Applied Materials, Inc.
- Bell and Howell
- Michigan State University Federal Credit Union
- Personnel Board of Jefferson County
- Thermo Fisher Scientific’s PPD Clinical Research Services
