I have a strange, probably-geeky love of trade shows. I love putting a whole bunch of people with a common love, whatever that love may be, in the same building and letting them feed off of each other. And when that love is for employee performance and training, one of my loves too, all the better.
At the ASTD Conference, the Expo floor was a microcosm look at the training industry. I was fascinated by the ways that different booth presented themselves - and, assumedly, therefore present their training. Since this was a learning show, each booth's approach to its customers also said something to me about how it must approach its learners. Some booths were all about cool technology and cutting-edge methods. Some were academic and focused on their scientific effectiveness studies. Some (like MindLeaders) were professional-focused, talking about our experience and full-service corporate solutions.
The ones that puzzled me were the booths that were all about the gimmicks and the games, anything crazy that would make people look at them. But did anyone actually learn anything about those companies?
If your company was a booth on a trade show floor, what would be its focus? How would it teach visitors about itself?
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