After a couple of days training in Holland and 2 very long flights, I have arrived in Las Vegas and it’s time for last-minute ATD TK15 planning. As I make my way through the massive amount of session choices for each day, I have compiled my wish-list for the week. If you can help a boy make his dreams come true, let me know…
Wish number 1: Bring some real value to the 6 people who are coming to my pre-conf workshop on “Getting Started with Social Media for Training”
6 people have trusted me with 4-hours of their time on Tuesday afternoon before TK15 goes into full-swing. In my pre-conference workshop, we will discover the value of YouTube, Padlet, Pearltrees and Socrative for training. I want them to walk out ready for action…
Wish number 2: Turn 15 dollars into 30 on the blackjack table.. .. and walk away
Last year, I took 200 dollars to the casino. I wanted to experience the casino (for the first time) but not get too sucked in. It lasted 43 minutes. I am the worst black-jack player ever.
This year, I’m taking 1 $15 chip and going all-in 🙂
Wish number 3: Get a Muppet interview for the Vegas Videos
Every time I go to a conference, I interview speakers and give mini-updates via my YouTube channel. Last year in Las Vegas I spoke with Chad Udell on the amazing possibilities of mobile and Jane Bozarth on building a community culture. At the ICE conference in Washington Anders Gronstedt talked to me about transmedia storytelling and … wait for it … I even managed to get an interview on learning with Sprokit the robot at the Smithsonian 🙂
This year, I will follow a session with Michele Lentz from Oracle on bringing the magic of Jim Henson to instructional design. And apparently a real Muppet will be present. That’s got to be worth an interview, right?
Wish number 4: Make people make more noise than ever before
It’s sad, but true: I get-off on positive auditive feedback. My wife will tell you that even if she sarcastically says “I love you” during an argument, I still take it positively.
During my previous conference sessions I have convinced participants to make enough noise that JD_Dillon thought there was a train coming through . Can this be beaten?
Wish number 5: Follow these sessions and learn something new
Having been to 4 ATD conferences over the last 3 years, it seems harder each time to find new ideas. There are some great sessions planned on wider organisational learning topics which I will follow, like:
- How Geoff Stead has created an employee app-store at Qualcomm that get my attention
- ATD board-member Robert Todd of LinkedIn on a new approach to digital learning
- JD_Dillon of Kaplan will share how he has been breaking down organisational silos
To get the best from such a conference, it really depends on what focus you have during the week. I’m also hoping to get some new ideas as a trainer and to that end I will also follow:
- 2 sessions from Michelle Lentz: Finding Free Stuff for Training using Creative Commons and Fearless Instructional Design (with the Muppet !)
- Media Competences for Talent Professsionals with Jonathan Halls
Wish number 6: Make it through the week without being approached with help for any of my “party needs”
You may not know that I am apparently a US-drug-dealer magnet. I don’t know how it happens, but Denver, Dallas, Washington, Vegas, wherever… someone always tries to sell me something horrible. Credit to the last guy, who rather than outright asking “Do you need any crack, brother?” actually chatted me up for a while first with talk about the album he needed money to produce… I made it to my hotel… so far so good.
..and speaking of the hotel, I definitely owe fellow-speak Bianca Woods a beer. I was booked at Caesar’s Palace for over $200 a night, but she told me about the Flamingo just across the street. I have already saved $150 a night on the room. Which, by the way, is still awesome! Thanks Bianca!
Tune in for updates throughout the week.
Go Learning Geeks!
danSTEER 