Our annual conference is here, and we're so excited! The energy created by this event helps us get reinvigorated to do what we love doing as we see attendees "get it" regarding involving participants in their own learning. This week is a great time to get away and charge your batteries and plan so what you learn here is applied back at the office after a great week of experiencing learning at its best.

Here are some of the new sessions we have this year:

Using Social Media to Reach Learners-#101

Face Book, My Space, Twitter, Moses, Jingle - What's the buzz? In 2009, social networking became the number one driver of online traffic, surpassing even pornography. People are spending more time connecting online and seeking innovative ways to digest the events of the day. In this session, explore the how and why of social media and discover the basics of how to reach out to your learners using these tools.

Using Simple Opener and Closer Techniques to Enhance Your Training Session-#102 ­

Want a quick opener or closer that can be done in two minutes or less?  In this session, each participant will learn four openers and four closers that can be done quickly using props found in the kitchen or office.

Simple Flip Chart Techniques to Enhance Your Training Sessions-#106

Most trainers agree there is higher retention of content when there are more chances to revisit content. Great flip charts are one of the best ways to review and increase retention. Each participant will learn 10 flip chart techniques and be able to perform each technique with ease by the end of the session. 

Tools Showcase for Virtual Learning-#109

Do you want to keep up with the breakneck pace of technology?  Come to this session and unearth new possibilities with virtual learning tools with a proven track record. Session requires that you bring your laptop. We may have this open to webinar participants.

Frame the Puzzle: Using Storyboarding to help Design Training-#202

Effective training design begins with analyzing gaps in business results to determine if training is the solution (or part of the solution) and then designing learning solutions that will close the gaps. This session will model a proven process that engages key management personnel in the front end of training, therefore getting their ownership and commitment. Learn a modified form of Walt Disney's "Storyboarding" technique that we've used successfully with many Bob Pike Group clients.

The conference begins Sunday, September 12 with pre-conference workshops and then kicks off Tuesday night, September 14, with a networking event. If you can make it, we'd love to have you! If not, follow the twitter traffic at #BPG10 to see what you're missing and catch a few creative training tips, too.