5 Things We Learned at Training Conference & Expo 2020

The BenchPrep team attended and exhibited at the Training Conference & Expo 2020 in Orlando last week. This conference was nothing short of amazing for us as we had many insightful conversations, learned a lot about the current challenges within the training industry, and soaked up some sun (can you blame us? We’re from Chicago!)

In addition to the many conversations we had at our expo booth, we also held a session to discuss the 3 Keys to Getting Your Learners More Engaged and were awarded the opportunity to give demos as part of winning a Training Mag Network Choice award in the Best Learning Portal/LMS category. Out of the many topics that were discussed at the conference, there were a few that hit home for us. Here are the top 5 things we learned while at Training 2020: 

Digital transformation is still relevant

We spoke to many organizations that are thinking about moving their training program from instructor led to an online platform. In a world where everything is digital, it is surprising that ILT is still prevalent in the training industry and organizations are just now thinking of how to digitally transform their training program. 

When talking to professionals at the conference, we discovered that when talking about digital transformation within the company, there is a tremendous amount of persuading that needs to be done. This slows down the process and can ultimately leave you feeling very stuck.

While many attendees mentioned their training programs are already online, just as many said they were just starting to think about digitally transforming their training programs. If this rings true for you and your organization, think about what’s holding you back from making the change and work forward from there. 

“Traditional” LMSs are limiting 

Gone are the days where you needed an LMS to simply manage your content. Organizations are looking for more robust platforms that focus on the learner experience, offer data and analytics, and provide ROI. During the conference, our team had a few conversations about various LMS platforms not having data and reporting within the platform. Without data and reporting, how do you know if your training is effective? You don’t! Making decisions about your training program shouldn’t be a guessing game. You need analytics to make intelligent decisions. 

Learner Engagement is a huge problem

The modern learner is distracted, overwhelmed, and often they’re just plain bored. Many attendees mentioned that learner engagement is the biggest problem they face within their training program. Your training program doesn’t have to be daunting or a “check-the-box” experience. You can create an engaging experience within your training program by adding gamification, including discussion boards, and ensuring the program is personalized to the end-user.

People are overwhelmed with how many LMS options there are 

After the conference, it was clear that people are overwhelmed with how many LMS options available to them. With so many learning management systems on the market, it can be difficult to determine which option checks all of the essential boxes for your company, or if a traditional LMS is actually the right solution to address your training needs. 

Organizations often don’t look at their training program as a revenue driver

Why choose between learner success or revenue when you can have both? After talking about the 3 pillars of an effective learning program, people were wide-eyed whenever we mentioned the word “revenue”. Your training program should be a source of revenue for our organization. If it’s not, it might be time to reevaluate your program strategy and the platform you use to deliver your training. 

Training Conference & Expo 2020 was a great opportunity to learn about what is happening within the training industry and the different challenges within the industry. If you missed us at this conference, we will be at ATP Innovations in Testing (Booth #421) from March 30th - March 31st and Learning Solutions (Booth #321) from March 30th - April 1st. 

Having a hard time finding the right LMS for your organization? Download our Learning Management System Guide to find out how traditional LMS software solutions compares to BenchPrep.