The Introduction of L&D Innovation & Tech Fest
This year’s HR + L&D Innovation & Tech Fest is going to be the best one yet. Perhaps the biggest change will be that, for the first time ever, we’re combining the much-loved HR Innovation & Tech Fest with the brand-new L&D Innovation & Tech Fest. Two communities will come together to learn, connect and develop.
We’ve built significantly on last year’s event, we’ll be going from three to five tracks of content this year. Last year we had 250 people, but with the addition of L&D Innovation & Tech Fest, we’re expecting close to 400 attendees. All in all, you can look forward to 50 sessions across the two days – a mix of case studies, panels, solution showcases and more.
More International Thought-Leaders Than Ever
Our event producers, Andrea Erasmus, Jane Simonsen and Emma Buitendag, have been scouring the globe over the last few months to find the most innovative HR and L&D thought-leaders and change-makers. They’ve put together this impressive agenda for the event on 26 and 27 August 2019.
We have seven internationals from the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand coming to South Africa to share their insights and perspectives with us. One speaker you definitely won’t want to miss is Susie Gleeson-Byrne, Head of HR for Uber Australia and New Zealand, who will be speaking about the future of work and the gig economy, as well as learnings from Uber’s cultural journey.
Cutting-Edge Local Customer Case Studies
We haven’t forgotten about all the amazing innovation happening right here in South Africa. Distell’s People Development & Capability Manager, Bruce Walker, will be discussing how they developed an e-learning platform for a multibillion-rand company and its 470 sales representatives and Absa’s Lead of Transformation & Change, Riaz Patel, will take us on their rip-roaring voyage to digitise HR. We also have 10 other exciting local customer case studies on the agenda.
Giving Start-Ups A Leg-Up
This year, we’re hosting a very exciting competition for start-ups, where the winners will be given free tickets to the event, as well as the incredible opportunity to demo their innovative HR or L&D technology to South Africa’s biggest HR and L&D innovation and tech community. We’ll be announcing the competition guidelines soon, so keep an eye out if you, or someone you know, has created a ground-breaking piece of HR or L&D technology that deserves to be shared!
A Greater Focus on Soft Skills
This year, we’ve put more focus on soft skills such as leadership, change and people management. These topics often get the backseat in favour of topics such as data and analytics and the future of work but understanding the impact of softer topics will allow HR and L&D professionals to harness the best of their teams and enhance team dynamics.
Leigh Bowden from Workspace Synergy will be discussing such topics in her session on “Compassion at Work”, and Gregory Bayne from Total Leader & Coach Solutions Australia will get into the key principles underpinning a culture of accountability in his session “Build a Culture of Accountability: Transforming Organisational Performance and Outperforming Your Competitors”.
Bigger HR and L&D Tech Expo
We often hear from our community that the exhibition area is one of the most useful aspects of the event. This year, the exhibition area has expanded to incorporate HR tech and L&D tech vendors, which is why we’ve moved to a bigger venue, the Hyatt Regency in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The latest in HR and L&D technology will be showcased to help you select the best products for your business.
About the Author
Andrea Erasmus is the Head of Production for HR + L&D Innovation & Tech Fest. She scours the globe for the most innovative HR and L&D teams, out-of-the-box thinkers, and inspiring change-makers and creates two incredible days of inspiring keynotes, interactive sessions and panel discussions.