By Tristia Hennessey, Lead Instructional Designer
The Learning Solutions 2023 conference is almost here, and there’s a lot to be excited about. This year’s conference promises to be a fantastic event with a variety of activities, keynotes, speakers, and networking opportunities. Here are some of the highlights we’re looking forward to.
Game Night is on Wednesday, April 12th, 6:30-8:30 p.m., providing attendees with a chance to unwind after conference sessions, network and have fun while playing games. Whether you prefer board games, card games, or trivia contests, Game Night is the perfect opportunity to bond with your fellow conference-goers while engaging in some friendly competition.
DemoFest on Thursday, April 13th, 5:00-6:30 p.m. is another exciting event that we’re looking forward to. This event showcases the latest innovations in learning and development, giving attendees the opportunity to see firsthand how these solutions can transform their organizations. It’s a great time to get inspired by other projects and see how organizations are pushing the envelope with their training initiatives, and vote for your favorites.
Of course, one of the biggest draws of the conference is the keynote speakers. This year’s lineup of 4 total keynotes include a variety of impressive individuals, including Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut. Massimino will share his insights on preparation, training, performance support, and problem-solving in high-pressure environments, drawing on his experiences working on the Hubble Space Telescope and the Space Shuttle.
Another keynote speaker we’re excited about is Emmy-nominated actor and host from Blues Clues, Steve Burns. Burns will draw from his history and career as an actor, sharing the show’s secrets for engaging and inspiring through video, and demonstrating how to better connect with an audience.
There’s a huge lineup of great speaker sessions across tracks that are sure to tickle the brain of conference attendee, like Data & Platforms, Development & Tools, Emerging Tech, AR/VR, Instructional Design, Games & Gamification, Management & Strategy, and more. As usual, there’s sure to be more sessions you want to go to, than you can actually fit on your schedule.
I’ll be speaking on Friday at 10:30 a.m. on Learning in VR: UX Principles and Storyboarding (Session 906), and Mike Roy will be speaking at the same time slot on Using Story Beats and Comedy Plot Curve for eLearning Scenario Development (Session 904). Both are going to be can’t miss sessions, so you’ll just have to learn to be in two places at once! Just kidding, we hope you’re still around on Friday to attend either one, and if you’re reading this, be sure to say hi and introduce yourself if you stop by.
Lastly, the Expo should be a hit with 40+ top suppliers showcasing their solutions. Celebrate the end of the first conference and expo day with some dessert at the IceCream Social at 2 pm, then bring your blood sugar back up after the following crash with a cocktail at the Expo Reception at 5:00 p.m. Some great Expo sessions are lined up too, focusing on a variety of hot trends and tools in learning, like ChatGPT and AI, Adobe XD, and microlearning.