KEEPING UP WITH THE INDUSTRY

August 13, 2014

The Society for Applied Learning Technology (SALT) Summer Conference begins today in Reston, Virginia. And, this year, I have the privilege of being the Session Chair for the “New Technologies” Track. That particular track will include sessions on cloud computing, virtual conferences, exercising the brain and wearable technology.

SALT holds two conferences each year: one in Orlando in February and the other in the DC area in August. While small, these conferences have always introduced me to the future trends in training. Most of the attendees are serious developers with creative visions for the improvement of training outcomes. For more than thirty years, I’ve been many times rewarded by attending SALT Conferences and have witnessed the early development of CBT, Interactive Laser Videodisc, CD-ROM, E-Learning, Gaming & Simulation, Mobile Computing, and Virtual Worlds.

SALT, under the very proficient leadership of John Fox, describes itself as follows: “Founded in 1972, membership in the Society for Applied Learning Technology® is oriented to professionals whose work requires knowledge and communication in the field of instructional technology. . . . It enables one to achieve knowledge for work in the field of applied learning technology by association with other professionals in conferences sponsored by the Society.” For me, SALT is the place most of the serious players in the field of technology training go. You can find them at www.salt.org

There are two other annual conferences you might consider when budgeting your expense line for next year. The largest, by far, will be the ATD (Association for Talent Development) which for decades was known as ASTD. Their May 2015 Conference & EXPO will be in Orlando.

This is the biggest training event anywhere — with an amazingly large international contingent of attendees. In addition to a multi-track conference, the ATD EXPO is the largest training products tradeshow in the world and well worth your time to explore. Every significant training company (big and entrepreneurial) will be there.

You can see for yourself at www.astd.org

TRAINING MAGAZINE sponsors its major event each year in February. Next year’s will be “Training 2015” and it will be held in Atlanta. In my experience, their tradeshow is the feature of this event. The conference portion seems elementary — and, secondary to what you will find on the show floor. Their Expo, however, is always a good place to see the more current technology training solutions, as that is the major focus. You can get additional information at www.trainingconference.com