Dear Fellow Trainer:
Once upon a time, trainers like us could hold our audiences at rapt attention with nothing more than a smooth delivery and a flip chart. To really impress ‘em, we brought out the big guns — the colored markers!
But the days of the “talking head” are long dead, friends. Our learners today are increasingly sophisticated — they’ve been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. Which means that the same-old, same-old training methods that used to work wonders now leave you stranded up the proverbial training creek without a paddle.
To keep your training in-demand, you need every bright idea, every fresh approach, every innovative training technique you can get your hands on. Providing you with a brand-new bag of training tricks is what The Trainers’ Creativity Day Camp is all about.
Expect explosive creative energy. Expect new learning games and off-the-wall activities you can adapt and use immediately. Expect rollicking exercises sure to get your training ideas and solutions flowing fast. Expect even more fun than trainers should be allowed to have on a workday. Above all, expect an incredibly effective approach to expanding your training skills.
Because beyond the fun and games and inspired lunacy, this camp is squarely focused on helping professional trainers like you become more effective and improve your results. That’s why our sessions are packed with solid solutions to your real-world training challenges, like how to motivate your learners, gain more eager participation, boost retention, and create impressive visuals to reach audiences that have seen it all.
What’s more, this unconventional training event offers you the all too rare chance to step away from business as usual for a day and shake off the mental cobwebs that block your creative thinking. Nothing will reignite your passion for training faster than a daylong infusion of new ideas you can’t wait to try!
Wanna get the tools you need to make your toughest training challenges look like child’s play? Then sign up right now for an amazing learning adventure with your fellow happy campers — and let your imagination out to play!
Sincerely,
John Carey,
Manager of Curriculum
P.S. What’s better than an inspiring day of learning? The answer: two inspiring days! Stay with us for our in-depth post-conference workshops.
Set your own agenda! Our unique tracked format allows you to attend only those sessions that interest you and meet your needs. Following the opening session, you'll choose 5 of these information-packed one-hour sessions.
Opening Session:
Blazing New Trails: Problem Solving for Highly Creative Trainers
We tell our learners that if they continue to do what they’ve always done, they’ll continue to get what they’ve always gotten. Right? Same concept works for us as trainers, which is why we’ll open the day by focusing on developing training solutions from uncharted territories. Discover how analyzing your training challenges from fresh perspectives can help you problem solve on a whole new level! Learn to keep your awareness keen so that you can be inspired from unexpected sources. Break through brain blockages and put a jump-start on your idea generator.
Track 1: Winning Presentation Skills
Session 1A: First-Class Presentation Skills
See the latest and greatest facilitation techniques in action during this “how-to overview” for newbies — or anyone else eager to fine-tune their presentation skills. Discover innovative ways to get your learners turned on and tuned in, as well as how to create a learner-friendly atmosphere. Get dozens of tips for making your sessions more stimulating and exciting, plus new ideas for creative resources sure to keep your training fresh and on-target.
Session 1B: Are You Talking to Bumps on a Log? Get ’Em Rolling!
If trying to get your learners involved in training often makes you feel like you’re playing tug-of-war, this insightful session is for you! You’ll learn savvy facilitation skills guaranteed to get people involved in the process and to accelerate learning. Get strategies for thinking on your feet and matching your presentation style with your learners. Gain effective probing question techniques that encourage enlightened discussion — even from the most reluctant learners in your group.
Session 1C: Openers and Closers That Get More Attention Than Ghost Stories Round the Campfire
Want to give your learners a heads-up so that your sessions aren’t the same-old, same-old? Attend this high-energy session for creative ideas for new ice- breakers and closing activities that you’ll be eager to start using right away. Find out how to set up a motivated learning environment — and send them out on a high note, too. These inspired openers and closers are so much fun that you’ll never again worry about your participants wandering in late or sneaking out early!
Session 1D: Let's Get Animated! Adding Multimedia to Your Message
Your audience sees astounding special effects with a click of the TV remote, so how can your flip chart compete? Discover how to get through to learners who’ve seen-it-all and heard-it-all by putting multimedia into your message. Find out how easy it can be to dazzle your learners with color that grabs their attention. We’ll show you how to ignite their senses — and significantly improve retention — with animation, sounds and 3-D images with ideas from the latest software.
Session 1E: How to Get Pumped Up When You're Tapped Out
No nap time for you, camper! Get yourself back up and running with warm-up exercises for voice and breathing that are sure to put the smile back in your style. We’ll show you high-energy methods that will bounce you back from even the toughest session for those days when you’ve gotta keep on keeping on. Learn tricks for bringing yourself back from the edge by tapping into your inner mental resources for an extra boost of energy that’s downright infectious to audiences.
Track 2: Outside-the-Lines Training Solutions
Session 2A: Motivating Adult Learners to Follow the Leader
Motivating adult learners is one tough challenge. That’s why this session focuses on the how-to’s of targeting different types of learners so you can match your training style to their needs. We’ll also cover guerilla motivation techniques for training problem participants like know-it-alls, snipers and hostages. Learn expert tricks for “reading” the room to know in a glance who’s tuned in and who’s daydreaming. Find out how to generate the electricity to turn on those light bulbs!
Session 2B: Orientation Programs That Inspire Loyal Campers
Orientation sessions can either enthuse new hires and inspire company loyalty, or overwhelm them with deadly, dull information. Discover how to help new employees hit the ground running with dynamic orientation programs that ignite immediate productivity, foster good work attitudes and promote positive results that really last. Develop and conduct orientations that’ll inform and motivate new employees — and save your organization time and money in the process.
Session 2C: Game Time: Come Out and Play!
Happy campers who’re having fun are more involved in their training – they absorb more information and retain more of what they've learned. That’s why this session is a Lecture-Free Zone, packed with new learning games and activities that you can easily adapt to match a wide variety of training objectives. Find out the secret to staying in control during group activities, as well as how to avoid the most common mistakes trainers make in the game-playing process.
Session 2D: Creative Course Designs That Hit the Target Every Time
When a new training request comes across you desk, you've got your work cut out for you. This idea-packed workshop shows you how to design a course that delivers creative solutions and meets your training objectives — when you need it done yesterday. Learn planning shortcuts that will slash your work time without sacrificing training quality. Discover innovative resources in unexpected places that will help you create top-notch training courses in record time — every time.
Session 2E: The Arts and Crafts of Needs Analysis
Needs analysis is an exceptional problem-solving tool that most trainers use too seldom. This session demonstrates needs analysis in action and will give you an eagle eye for spotting the causes of poor performance. Develop questionnaires that pinpoint problems and give you clues to solutions. Learn to use data-collection techniques that shorten your research time and provide effective-training solutions. Coaching or class time? Quick fix or long-term issue? You'll figure it out fast!
