Review of ASTD

As promised, here’s a report on the recent ASTD International Conference in Atlanta. I’ll give my run down here, then you can look forward to a new entry in the next day or so from Ron, who will give his impressions.

First, I think it’s only fair to admit something up front: I’m a newbie. Yes, I’m a newbie to the Learning Industry. As such, this conference was critical for me as a marketer. It was my chance to become fully immersed with the practitioners, vendors, gurus, and other newbies. I had a chance between classes to strike up conversations with a number of attendees and get their perspectives on the conference, the industry and learning in general. Nearly every course I attended was full of new information, something of little surprise since I’m the new guy on the block.

Beyond the whole new world of learning, what I noticed most was the passion of those attending. Don’t get me wrong – I had a number of conversations and heard a variety of comments that are best described as “wry.” But that’s what stood out for me: even with all the headaches that can come as we strive to improve our organizations via sound learning, there was a palpable, positive atmosphere at the conference – something I think is indicative of the industry as a whole. I readily identified with Dave Vance – who was new to the industry just a few years ago – when he said in his presentation that learning is essential to achieving the goals of our organizations. As one attendee told me, “It can be tough, but it’s worth it.”

I’m looking forward to next year’s conference, and am already energized to attend other industry conferences where I can meet more of you and hear more about your challenges, goals and successes.