FROM THE PRESIDENT – By Greg Adamson
Things are changing faster than we might have expected
If you’ve been around LTEN for a little while, you know that June is a big month for us. We plan events and share information with our members throughout the year, but June is conference month, and everything is just a little bigger.
Are you joining us June 10 to 13 in Kissimmee, Fla.? I hope so, because #LTEN2024 is shaping up to be one of our bigger, bolder, better events. Trust me, you’re going to want to be here.
Boldly Going
Let’s start here. Have you been to an LTEN annual conference before? Each year we have many old friends coming back – which is always one of the best parts –but we also have several new faces and new companies joining us. That’s exactly as it should be; LTEN is a network and every network benefits from new ideas and new energy. Last year we discussed the importance of “getting off our islands” to learn how other groups (companies) are doing what we do in our roles.
I’m a little bit amazed by the new folks … it’s brave coming to an event like#LTEN2024, especially if you don’t know a lot of people. We’ll have more than a thousand of us gathered in a big hall in a big hotel and your comfort zone may be somewhere far away. My favorite part is knowing that this is the only time of year more than 1,000 people will be in the same room and I know they all have either a similar role to mine or work for a similar department.
I encourage all attendees to sit by someone new at workshops and at the general sessions. Ask questions during the Learning Labs. Participate fully in the workshops and try to meet someone new in the hallways to discover how they meet and overcome the same challenges you face.
Technology Time
When I attend a conference, I want up-to-date topics and cutting-edge material. This year we will not disappoint.
At the top of our list is artificial intelligence (AI). We’ve seen AI coming for years now, and it’s officially here. The power of technology is already making it easier to design and deliver training, to track progress and to report results.
While it may seem like AI covers all the bases already, the technology still has plenty of potential benefits that we might not fully realize.
That’s where #LTEN2024 is coming in. This year, we’re revising our own event plans and making some changes. Most exciting perhaps is how we’ve turned the conference’s final morning into something new and special.
This year, Thursday, June 13, is our AI day – the entire morning will be devoted to delving into the role and potential of AI for life sciences training. We have top-notch speakers who have dived headfirst into the new technology, and they’ll share, inform and inspire you.
And, yes, there will be plenty of time for questions. Be sure you join us for that final day’s AI event, because you don’t often get easy access like this.
Conclusion
Once you receive the #LTEN2024 meeting app, I encourage you to develop your personalized agenda. Share it with your teammates coming. Divide and conquer so as to cover more topics and bring more workshop knowledge home with you.
Looking forward to seeing you in Kissimmee!
Greg Adamson is president of the LTEN Board of Directors and executive director, sales training, for Olympus Americas. You can reach out to Greg via email at greg.adamson@olympus.com or through www.linkedin.com/in/greg-adamson-9b85ba7/.
