World of Learning Summit (WoL)*
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The World of Learning Conference & Exhibition (WoL or WOLCE) in Birmingham, formerly the World Open Learning Conference and Exhibition (WOLCE) and the World Open Learning for Business Conference and Exhibition (WOLCE or WOLCE for Business), organized by the Venture Marketing Group, is a two-day event that brings together leading experts, brands and professionals from the L&D community under one-roof. It is an unrivalled opportunity for L&D professionals to learn, discover, interact, and network.
Since 2022 the conference is supplemented by the World of Learning Summit which was held online for the first time in 2020 instead of the conference and cancelled for 2021. The World of Learning Summit is a two-day Conference & Exhibition event that brings together leading experts, brands and professionals from the L&D community under one-roof.
In general the conference is held in October in Birmingham, the summit at the beginning of the year in London.
From 2000 to 2004 the conference was already once supplemented by e-Learning Solutions, formerly the e-learning exhibition & conference (e-Learning) held in spring in London and Manchester.
From 2000 to 2011 the conference was held in conjunction with the World of Learning Awards, formerly the WOLCE (Open) Learning Awards.
Conference History:
31st WoL 2024, 8-9 October 2024, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Conference Program TBD
WoL Summit 2024, 30-31 January 2024, London, United Kingdom
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Conference Program TBC
Plenary Sessions:
The importance of purpose at work
Unleashing the potential of AI: The future of workplace learning (opening session)
Mastering L&D skill adaptation in the age of AI & intelligent machines (opening session)
The L&D Exchange – Continuous learning: Embedding learning into your company culture (roundtable discussions)
Supporting, developing and retaining hybrid teams
Banish the Sunday night blues – driving purpose
The curious advantage
Ensuring you get value! Practical steps to take tomorrow
Breakout Sessions:
The skilled-based organisation
Assessing the impact & value of learning
Implementing an agile learning strategy
Leadership in the modern world: merging empathy, authenticity, and performance
A practical look at learning in the flow of work
Navigating the spectrum in a neurodiverse world
Mastering the talent development and retention cycle
Delivering effective change transformation
L&D skills for the digital world
Integrating AI into your learning strategy today
Truly personalised learning journeys
The evolution of reverse mentoring
Exhibition Seminars:
TBD
30th WoL 2023, 10-11 October 2023, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Plenary Sessions:
Strategies for effective L&D marketing
Balancing artificial intelligence and human ingenuity in Learning & Development (opening session)
The L&D Exchange – Addressing the skills challenge (roundtable discussions)
L&D’s role in recruitment, retention and re-skilling
Learning in the age of AI; unleashing results driven, outcome focussed learning strategies (opening session)
The optimal learning culture (roundtable discussions)
You are not a robot! (closing keynote)
Breakout Sessions:
The “burning platform” to develop change management skills, knowledge & competencies
Maximise the impact of coaching
How to make audiences care
Delivering learning to a hybrid/multisite organisation
Pivoting to a human-centred design approach
Measurement – the diversity delusion
The role of neuroscience in learning and change
From interruption to integration: delivering L&D in moments of need
Learning to drive: a structured yet agile approach to personalised learning
Evidence informed strategies for working smarter not harder
Developing future leaders
How to get more from your L&D budget
Exhibition Seminars:
…
Special events:
Learning Design Live (sponsored by the Learning Network)
WoL Summit 2023, 28 February 2023, London, United Kingdom
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CONFERENCE Talks:
Keynotes:
L&D delivering a performance driven, innovative and creative organisation
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Panels:
What does the economic, political and social uncertainty mean for the skills agenda? How do we tackle the talent crisis?
EXHIBITION Seminars:
n.a.
29th WoL 2022, 11-12 October 2022, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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CONFERENCE Talks:
Plenary:
Agile learning teams that drive results
The future of learning at work
The latest trends in learning technology
L&D at the core of business innovation and effectiveness
Creating the optimal learning culture to drive performance
Is L&D a critical business function? It’s time to seize the moment
A new era for L&D
Breakouts:
Effective immersive learning experiences
How L&D can be a driving force for diversity and inclusion
A change journey: Building change capability
Using learning for talent attraction and retention
Leadership development: Crisis to performance management
How to deliver learner engagement through self-directed learning
Understanding data to support the role of L&D
E-assessment; making easy work of measuring effectiveness
What makes virtual classrooms effective
How can L&D navigate & mitigate the global skills shortage?
Enabling learning in the flow of work
Building a culture of wellbeing
EXHIBITION Seminars:
Creating effective learning journeys and development plans with Bridge
How to overcome content chaos
The essential metrics that every L&D professional needs to measure
A true world of learning: How to create engaging multi-language courses with Gomo
Unmasking Imposter Syndrome
Building games for learning
Skilling: Transform L&D by leveraging the combined power of an LXP and an LMS
Fringe Seminar: Smarter ways for cultivating learning in workplace communities
How self-awareness can crack the ED&I agenda
Off the record: How to win with off-the-shelf content
Welcome to the future: Leadership development delivered in an infinite meta world
Showcasing how the latest Ai-learning technologies drive engagement, drive performance, and retain talents
Developing a robust remote learning solution at low to no cost
Learning… not to forget
Learning in teams – the vital role of the manager
Are you ready for change? Assessing your organisational change maturity
Learning in the flow with video
Four core disciplines of a high performing individual
How one financial service’s firm dramatically improved business results through gamified simulation training
New Learning for the New Leader: Using simulation training to master coaching
How an elite motorsport approach is unlocking performance in business
Timeless design principles for a fast changing world
Let’s Talk About Sex – Digital learning as a promotional tool – Brook Learn case study
Creating a successful learning programme for equity, diversity, and inclusion
How to optimise learner retention and engagement using online learning tools
The outcome that outweighs all others
Fringe seminar: Role-based training and competency growth for the people-side of change
The learning organisation of the future
How social learning changed organisational culture
Drive critical skills transformations with Skillsoft career journeys
Disrupting an industry with immersive technology
How to use data to learn more about your people
Unlocking The Expertise Of Any Employee Through Collaborative Content Creation
The future of instructor led training
Leading in the hybrid world: creating a paradigm shift
Learning in the flow of work: How to incorporate training into the work day and improve employee performance
Transforming Learning Across Your Organization with Degreed
Reskilling and upskilling your employees with a non-linear approach to career progression
Writing for accessibility: What I’ve learned from my colleagues with a learning disability
Fringe Seminar: Lifelong Learning – Live, learn and grow
Learning programmes for behaviour change
A Masterclass in Decentralised L&D
5 Top Tips for Building High Performing Teams
L&D trends from the apps your staff already use in their personal lives
Getting it right first time – the importance of implementation planning
The role of online training in creating an inclusive workplace
How managing performance is one of the kindest things you can do
Special events:
Learning Design Live (sponsored by the Learning Network)
(CANCELLED)
29th WoL Summit 2021, TBD 2021, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Note: The conference will switch to a summit format again. The conference and exhibition was originally scheduled for 5-6 October 2021
28th WoL Summit 2020, December 9-10, 2020, Birmingham, United Kingdom Virtual venue
Note: The conference will switch to a summit format. The conference and exhibition was originally scheduled for October 13-14, 2020
Exhibition Workshops: (Experiential Learning Zone)
I’m (not) okay, you ok?; Eat, Sleep, Move – Fuel for wellbeing; Remote doesn’t have to mean disconnected; Controlling COVID; The Compassionate Leader; Play is not a four-letter word; I am as diverse as the next person
Exhibition Seminars:
How to create great eLearning; Brave new world: How are companies using immersive learning experiences to create empathy; New skills for L&D: How to curate brilliant user-generated video from SMEs and employees; Using coaching approaches to drive learning; The renaissance of learning in a remote workforce; The intangibles – How learning technology can find hidden talents; Evidence-informed learning: Reboot your thinking; Virtual learning with video: 7 proven ways; Making virtual teams work – 10 key principles; Make it matter – creating learning experiences that promote behaviour change; The benefits of mentoring
On-demand sessions: How to adapt your learning to the new; Embedding Learning in a post-COVID world; How a group coaching tool is changing workplace behaviours; How to address the disconnect between learning strategy and practice; Role of Coaching in a Modern Workplace; How to Max Out the Online Environment; Successful Smart Working
Exhibition Topic-led Chat Rooms:
Resilience in the workforce; A culture of inclusivity; Beyond boxes and wires – robust OD in a disrupted world; Learning engagement in a dispersed workforce; Resilience in the workforce; Managing rapid change
Conference Keynotes:
Interview with John Amaechi OBE, founder and chief executive, APS; Dancing on ice: The art and science of the pandemic pirouette; 5 shifts – the game changers for L&D; Informal Learning in Organisations
Conference Presentations:
Embracing mistakes as a powerful means of learning; Onboarding in times of social distancing; Principles for professional virtual classrooms; Developing staff resilience during long-term and sustained disruption; Developing a culture of inclusivity – a 21st century imperative; Reduce the costs, increase the results; Lessons from COVID – some things to keep, some things to leave; Learning labs: simulate not teach; Learning levers: people, technology and when you don’t need it; Behaviour change needs a workflow solution, not a learning solution; The paradigm shift of L&D in this new world; Managing rapid and constant change
27th WoL 2019, October 15-16, 2019, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Fringe seminars (free):
How to create a learning environment where individuals can perform their best; Business as unusual: redesigning learning to deliver higher value; The art of demonstrating return on investment with L&D
Exhibition seminars (free):
Shedding the light on the black box of networking communication; How emotion impacts performance and business results; Let them learn and show your staff they are valued; Select the right LMS: 10 factors for your business to consider; Using quizzes and gameshows to engage and educate; 4 examples using games and immersive technologies to set people up for success; Supercharge your leadership and management using money you have already spent!; The 3 pillars of human resilience; The changing role of L&D: what do modern practitioners need to be?; How to change a learning culture; Leading remote workers in the digital era; How elearning has improved our culture and revolutionised the way we train; The Learning Imperative; Better by design: transforming culture through learning; Gender balance: but not as we know it!; Empowering inclusive leaders for a diverse world; Negotiating in the digital age; How to give everyone in your organisation the capability to coach; The fourth sneaky elephant; Avoid death by data – how to make people analytics work for you; Creating magical content for human beings; Why personal development is the power behind creating sustainable and diverse talent pipelines; Shift happens – accelerating organisational change through people; Demystifying and designing digital learning transformation; Implementing an inclusive mobile learning strategy at Vanquis Bank; Murder in the boardroom: why the positive impact of team building shouldn’t be underestimated
Special events:
Learning Design Live Conference (sponsored by the eLearning Network)
Live Demo Zone (New!)
26th WoL 2018, October 16-17, 2018, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning)
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Pre-conference Video Sessions (premium):
Delivering learning at the speed of business: Enabling a more responsive L&D team; What L&D can learn from the way brands understand and connect with consumers; Creating a great customer experience for learning; Measures to show business impact and that L&D is adding value
Seminars:
Fringe seminars (free); Apprenticeship seminars (free)
Special events:
Learning Design Live Conference (sponsored by the eLearning Network)
25th WoL 2017, October 17-18, 2017, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Institute for Learning and Development)
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Pre-conference Video Sessions (premium):
Developing an organisational strategy led by people capability; How to get the best out of your people; Becoming a purpose driven organisation; Conference round-up exploring themes, insights and highlights from the event; How to build learning transfer into your interventions
Seminars:
Fringe seminars (free); Apprenticeship seminars (free)
Special events:
Learning Design Live Conference (sponsored by the eLearning Network)
24th WoL 2016, 19-20 October 2016, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Special events:
Learning Design Live Conference (sponsored by the eLearning Network)
23rd WoL 2015, 29-30 September 2015, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Special events:
Learning Design Live Conference (sponsored by the eLearning Network)
22nd WoL 2014, 30 September – 1 October 2014, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Fringe seminars
21st WoL 2013, 1-2 October 2013, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Institute for Learning and Development and the Institute of Leadership and Management)
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Fringe seminars (NEW)
20th WoL 2012, 2-3 October 2012, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Institute for Learning and Development and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service)
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Conference Executive Sessions: (Platinum delegates only)
Strategic leadership development
Sustaining a learner-centric environment
How to maximise your effectiveness as an L&D professional
Inspiring innovation through learning solutions
Conference Seminars:
Utilising coaching as a management technique to deliver business objectives
Brain focused?
Harnessing open source resource
How people really learn at work – the 70:20:10 model in action
How to provide a compelling business case to secure your L&D budget
Learning and talent in the Cloud
A different approach to developing leaders of the future
Building engaging elearning content for people who don’t like training
Mobile learning or mobile performance?
Utilising learning in delivering effective business change
Delivering blended learning results
Technology not just to cut costs, but to add value
Integrating apprenticeship schemes effectively into your organisation’s learning strategy
Collaborate and innovate to succeed in L&D
Conference Presentations:
How will L&D have to adapt to the changing workforce? (opening address)
Learning innovation with tomorrow’s technology tools (keynote)
How Hilton Worldwide developed into a ‘Learning Organisation’ to drive performance and profitability (keynote)
PechaKucha – on your marks, get set, go!
Conference Panels:
Reduce cost, increase performance, support growth. How can L&D deliver? Hear first-hand from leading practitioners in different industries. (Lunchtime Panel Session)
Exhibition Workshops:
NEW! Technology Test Drive
The Leaders in Learning Zone
Assima elearning Workshops
Professional Skills Workshops
Experiential Learning Zone
Internatonal Zone
Modern Life Skills Zone
The Trainer Base
Business and Networking Lounge
Exhibition Seminars: (free)
I just don’t get it: using virtual worlds in a learning context
10 tips for better e-learning
Technology beyond the LMS
Learning through comedy and improvisation
Exciting and engaging your employees in order to delight your customers – an O2 case study
Getting the best from online coaching
Using an experiential learning simulation to model and rehearse change
A new approach to distance learning
Cross Cultural Collaboration
Recession? Make the ROI case and take control!
Discover the key to delivering successful e-learning
How to become a hero in the quest for organisational change
How the public sector is bringing the training into the 21st century
14:15-14:45
Accrediting and quality assuring employer training programmes to deliver improved business performance
The ‘Hollywood’ approach to compliance training
Exhibition: LSIS Learning & Skills Theatre (New for 2012)
Program n.a.
19th WoL 2011, 27-28 September 2011, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Special events:
World of Learning Awards
Future of Learning Forum
18th WoL 2010, 28-29 September 2010, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Special events:
Future of Learning Forum
17th WoL 2009, 30 September – 1 October 2009, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Special events:
World of Learning Awards
Future of Learning Forum
16th WoL 2008, 19-20 November 2008, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with Daily Mail)
Special events:
World of Learning Awards
Future of Learning Forum
15th WoL 2007, 14-15 November 2007, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with Daily Mail)
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Free Seminars and Workshops Programme
Special events:
World of Learning Awards
Future of Learning Forum
14th WoL 2006, 14 & 15 November 2006, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with Daily Mail)
Special events:
World of Learning Awards
Future of Learning Forum
Live Software Simulation Challenge – Learning in Action (NEW FOR 2006)
Finding the Balance Forum
13th WoL 2005, 15-16 November 2005, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with Daily Mail)
Special events:
World of Learning Awards
Future of Learning Forum
12th WoL 2004, 17-18 November 2004, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Association for Open Learning)
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Conference Tracks:
Promoting Learning
Implementing Learning
Innovation in Learning *NEW to 2004*
Management Development
Exhibition:
FREE workshops & product demonstrations
Special events:
World of Learning Awards
Training Solutions!
Associated Conferences:
Learning Solutions 2004, 25-26 May 2004, London, UK
(announced as: e-earning exhibition & conference, 4-5 June 2003)
11th WOLCE 2003, 18-19 November 2003, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Association for Open Learning)
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Conference Tracks:
Blended Learning
Open and Distance Learning
e-Learning
Face-to-face Learning
Free seminars:
Towards a unified e-learning strategy: the government vision; Training for Health & Safety; Choosing the right training provider; The US Navy’s revolution in training: blowing up the system to get on with the future; How is the role of the trainer developing?
Chargeable seminars:
Creating a learning culture; Identifying training and development needs in your organisation; Effective management and leadership development; Evaluating effectiveness to prove the business case; Instilling motivation in the learner; The role of entertainment and interactivity in learning; Gaining board commitment and budget; Prioritising learning in your organisation; Getting your new starters up to speed; Creating an effective blend to address learner & company needs
World of Learning Awards
Training Solutions! (New)
Associated Conferences:
e-learning exhibition & conference 2003, 18-19 March 2003, Manchester, UK
e-learning exhibition & conference 2003, 4-5 June 2003, London, UK
10th WOLCE 2002, 2-3 Oct 2002, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Note: Full name changes from “World Open Learning Conference and Exhibition” to “World of Learning Conference & Exhibition”
Conference Tracks:
Blended Learning – New for 2002
Open and distance learning
E-learning
Face to face learning – New for 2002
Special events:
WOLCE Learining Awards
Associated Conferences:
e-learning Manchester 2002, 23-24 April 2002, Manchester, UK
e-learning London 2002, 28-29 May 2002, London, UK
9th WOLCE 2001, 10-11 October 2001, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Association for Open Learning and the Forum for Technology in Training)
Special events:
8th WOLCE Open Learning Awards
Associated Conferences:
e-learning Manchester 2001, 24-25 April 2001, Manchester, UK
e-learning London 2001, 6-7 June 2001, London, UK
8th WOLCE 2000, 4-5 October 2000, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Association for Open Learning and the Forum for Technology in Training)
Note: Full name changes from “World Open Learning for Business Conference and Exhibition” to “World Open Learning Conference and Exhibition”
Conference Tracks:
Online learning
Effective implementation of open learning
Challenges for training and development
Exhibition:
Interest Group Meetings
Industry debates
Special events:
WOLCE Open Learning Awards
Associated Conferences:
1st e-learning conference & exhibition 2000, 7-8 June 2000, London, UK
7th WOLCE 1999, 6-7 October 1999, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Conference Tracks:
Learning On Line
Key Challenges and Trends in Organisational Learning
Effective Implementation and Utilisation
Exhibition:
Interest Group Meetings
Industry debates
6th WOLCE 1998, 29-30 September 1998, Birmingham, United Kingdom
(in association with the British Association for Open Learning)
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Conference program n.a.
5th WOLCE 1997, 23-24 September 1997, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Conference program n.a.
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