From the President: Greg Adamson
LTEN Board members help wrap up the annual conference
If you’re anything like me, you’re still feeling the energy from #LTEN2023, our annual conference held in June. It’s been a couple of months, but I can still tap into that surge that comes from the shared experience, the learning, the networking.
In case you can’t tell, I thought the conference was awesome, and everything I expect from these events. I made new connections, learned new approaches and solutions and feel even more confident in my abilities to deliver for my team, my company, our clients and their patients.
Hopefully you’ve been to an LTEN conference, but if not, let me tell you it’s a busy time. There are main stage speakers, workshops, Learning Labs, a vibrant exhibit hall and this year’s new Tech Demos one person literally can’t attend every every learning opportunity. That’s exactly why I advise both individuals and teams to plan their time wisely.
With that in mind, I’m taking the same approach for this recap column. I’ve asked some of my colleagues on the LTEN Board of Directors to share their thoughts and experiences from the conference to go with mine. Let’s see what they saw at #LTEN2023:
First, I asked my predecessor, Richard Sampson, vice president, global training& development, for Cepheid.
“The 2023 LTEN Annual Conference exceeded my expectations again. The ability to connect with like-minded professionals and to visit with industry leading Preferred Industry Partners(PIPs) and other supporters made the time a must on my calendar,” Richard said.
“I found great value in the workshops and the informal conversations about the challenges and rewards we all face in the training space. The energy and excitement created by the LTEN staff really adds to why this is always a “must attend” for my team and myself. I am looking forward to 2024 in Orlando already!”
Amity Cutaia, executive director, global capabilities, learning and development for Astellas, commented on the crowds as well.
“The 2023 LTEN Annual Conference was back in full force — what pandemic? I was able to connect with so many colleagues and industry partners all in one place,” Amity shared. “It would have taken me a month of meetings normally to connect on new ideas with my peers and gain key industry insights on upcoming learning innovations while I was able to accomplish all that in three days here! Time and money well spent.”
Another past president, John Sjovall, executive director, commercial learning and development for SK Life Science, also took advantage of the opportunities.
“The LTEN conference was a great week, I caught up with great friends, partners and all the acquaintances,” John said. “I truly enjoyed the speed coaching activity and getting to know new people. Learning about how organizations are using AI and the emerging technologies is always a great activity and helps me stay informed and up on the latest trends.”
Mark Lockett, head of training and development for Sanofi Genzyme, made a mark at the conference as our final main-stage host. He did a great job and was quick to share kind words about the event.
“A common refrain from Team Sanofi was ‘This was the best LTEN conference.’ Every team member walked away with something of value that will aid in how we prepare to launch products, continue to build a coaching culture and better integrate learning into the day-today workflow,” Mark said. “All in all, we left inspired, motivated and reinvigorated.”
Those feelings are what it’s all about. They came through in the list of highlights from Michelle O’Connor, president and CEO of CMR Institute.
“It was a great week,” Michelle said. “Here are a few of my highlights: High participation by so many new companies; great venue and high-quality sessions; exhibit hall was well attended and a good opportunity to connect; wonderful people as always, including the LTEN staff, and the energy and passion for LTEN!”
But wait, as they say in the infomercials, there’s more.
Jeff Hartzler, head of U.S. learning and development for UCB Pharma and one of the LTEN Board vice presidents, saw the reach of the event.
“It was global,” Jeff said. “We had great discussions with global members and look forward to our next step in the coming month to gain greater insights on how we can best engage and expand with this group.”
Finally, I talked with Jon Murray, vice president, employee experience, for Novo Nordisk, who summed it all up nicely.
“You just can’t underestimate the power of coming together, live face to face,” Jon said. “The workshops were very strong, the speakers as well, and a big thumbs up to the PIPs for all their hard work. The intimate connection points with colleagues from across the industry were priceless. Big thanks to the LTEN team for making all of this happen!”
I’ll second all those comments and I’ll wrap it all up by urging you to make plans for#LTEN2024 in Florida from June 10-13, 2024.
Until then…
Greg Adamson is president of the LTEN Board of Directors and executive director, sales training, for Olympus Americas. Email Greg at greg.adamson@olympus.com.
