People flock to DevLearn Conference & Expo, the eLearning Guild’s premier annual event, for a variety of reasons. Some attend to understand emerging technologies; some come to network with like-minded people; and some attend simply because they love Las Vegas. But one of the main draws of DevLearn is the plethora of learning opportunities.
This year, conference attendees can choose from more than 200 sessions covering a wide variety of topics that can advance their skills and expertise in the management, design, and development of technology-based learning. These include seminars taught by industry luminaries, as well as ordinary L&D colleagues from around the globe. Some of the sessions are hands-on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), where attendees follow along, step-by-step with an instructor, learning how to master a key tool or technology.
Start your day off with one of 36 Morning Buzz discussions; casual yet facilitated discussions conducted over coffee where participants share their own tips, insights, and best practices on important industry topics. Stop by one of five learning stages in the pulsating Expo Hall, where leading vendors will present the latest in eLearning development tools, tech, and strategy. Or take a deep dive into a particular topic of interest before the conference begins at one of 21 different pre-conference workshops, six co-located full-day events, or the new two-day Agile Project Management Certificate Program.
“The great part about a program of this size is that you can go broad or deep with the session topics available,” says Bianca Woods, senior manager of programming at The eLearning Guild. “Want to spend your whole conference doing a deep dive on emerging technology? We’ve got you covered in every session block. Want to instead solve a number of wildly different challenges you’re experiencing in your work by targeting a wide range of topics? It’s easy to do that too.”
Woods herself is looking forward to several sessions designed to approach L&D in new and creative ways. These include “Learning Buzzword Bingo,” which will include a humorous combination of discussion and actually playing Bingo, and “L&D Mystery Series: The Case of the Disengaged Learner,” which is set up as an interactive mystery.
Mark Britz, the Guild’s other senior manager of programming, notes how DevLearn continues to grow, not just in terms of the number of learning opportunities but in the diversity of the offerings. “I really enjoyed seeing so many sessions submitted that present new ideas, new technologies, and the blend of both to solve today’s organizational challenges,” he says. “This year you’ll be amazed at the level of creativity and innovation the learning community is bringing and it’s all on display at DevLearn!”
Britz is particularly interested in sessions that will explore organizational strategy. These include “Three Approaches to Implementing Workflow Learning,” which will examine case studies in different verticals, and “Elevating L&D’s Value to the Business,” which will delve into how the learning function can gain more prominence and influence with the C-suite.
15 years of learning
Unlike other learning conferences that have come and gone, DevLearn is still going strong and in fact is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year! There is a reason why it has such enduring appeal. It is constantly evolving to meet and address the new challenges presented in our industry.
“We include the core topics people care about, but also have a chance to explore some of the more cutting edge approaches and technologies in learning development that you aren’t likely to hear about elsewhere,” Woods points out. “Although putting together a program this large is a lot of work, the end product is pretty fantastic.”
Take your learning to the next level
Learn, network, and grow at DevLearn19, taking place October 23 – 25 in Las Vegas. Register by September 6 and get an additional $100 discount, on top of any other discounts you may be eligible for.