Join leaders in the talent development world and help shape the future!
Presented by Advantage Performance Group
The inaugural Talent Development Think Tank was held Jan. 22-23, 2020, at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country in Santa Rosa, CA, and it was amazing!! Thank you to ALL who participated!
Join us Jan. 27-28, 2021 at the same venue!
Our theme for 2021 is Innovation in Learning and Business
#TDThinkTank
First-ever Talent Development Think Tank opens in Sonoma Wine Country
Ground-breaking industry event opens despite flight delays, stomach bugs, an injury, and wildfires.
The THINK TANK story
A powerful friendship, a podcast, and a shared belief in the power of networking.
Mentioned in
5 leadership conferences you can't afford to miss in 2020
and 
Leadership conferences that should be on your radar In 2019
2020 keynote speakers
Liz Wiseman
Creating a Multipliers Culture
Josh Bersin
Learning in the Flow of Work
Christine DiDonato
Engage a New Generation of Talent
Michael Bungay Stanier
The 5 Question Leader
2020 facilitators and guest panelists
- Paul Middleton - Co-Founder of 1st90
- Tim Delroy - Program Manager at Experience It
- Myra LalDin - CEO at VECTRE
- Sanchita Sur - Founder and CEO at Emplay Inc.
- Brent Snow - Founder & Creative Director at Ten Thousand Feet
- Don Jones - Founder and Chief Experience Designer at exper!ence it inc.
- Libby Macomber - Director, Commercial Development at Celemi
- Jim Perry - VP, Learning Design at BTS
- Kelly Dozois - Influence thought leader and founder, Ocean Beach Consulting
- Ed Muzio - CEO, Group Harmonics, Inc.
- Phil Hamburg - VP at Root Inc.
- Bhaskar Krishnamachari - USC Professor
- Caitlin Drago - Inspire Improv and Coaching Inc.
- Kevin M. Yates - Fact-Finder for L&D
Let's keep in touch! Get early access to our pre-sale for our next conference, and find out how you can become a part of our NEW online community now in development.
We keep your data private.
Who is it for?
Executives
- Chief Learning Officers
- Chief Talent Officers
Leaders
- Corporate leaders who are passionate about developing their people
- Business owners and leaders
Professionals
- Talent Development Professionals
- Learning & Development Professionals
- HR Leaders
Others
- Consultants, coaches, authors or solution providers genuinely interested in coming to learn, contribute and grow.
- Please contact us to see if you are a fit.
What's in it for me, you ask?
Here's your chance to participate in the first-ever talent development conference especially for innovators, movers & shakers who want to connect, learn from each other, and help shape the future of talent development. Experience cutting-edge thought leadership from keynoters, facilitators, and attendees, solve real problems, build your network, and accelerate your career.
Let's keep in touch! Get early access to our pre-sale for our next conference, and find out how you can become a part of our NEW online community now in development.
We keep your data private.
We have a limited number of sponsorship packages available to organizations that are aligned with our mission and who will add value to our event. Please contact us via hello@tdtt.us to learn more about opportunities for 2021!
2020 sponsors and content partners
Platinum sponsors
Technology & support
Promotional sponsor
Welcome reception
Learning tech café exhibitors
Speakers and additional thought leaders
2020 Venue
Set in beautiful Sonoma Wine Country, the Hyatt Regency in Santa Rosa, California, offers yoga, a relaxing pool with lounge and fire pit, and is pet friendly. It's also close to Santa Rosa attractions like the Charles M. Schulz Museum, more than 400 wineries, and art galleries. The Prince Memorial Greenway Trail next to the hotel is a mile hike.
Let's keep in touch! Get early access to our pre-sale for our next conference, and find out how you can become a part of our NEW online community now in development.
We keep your data private.
What you get
Everyone attending can enjoy:
A VIP ticket also provides you with:
Your hosts
The Talent Development THINK TANK is being organized by Andy Storch and Bennett Phillips, Partners at Advantage Performance Group.
Andy Storch
Talent development consultant, coach, connector and host of The Talent Development Hot Seat & The Andy Storch Show podcasts
Bennett Phillips
My clients trust me for leadership development, high-potential programs, business acumen, and strategy communication.
2020 Schedule
Agenda as of 01-21-20, subject to change.
January 21, 2020
5-8pm
Welcome reception with hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, live music, and local wine
Educational wine tasting by The Wine Militia
Sponsored by Celemi
January 22, 2020
6:30 – 7:30am
Optional free yoga class
7:30 – 8:30am
Breakfast & Registration
8:30 – 8:45am
Welcome Message - Andy Storch
8:45 – 9:45am
Opening Keynote - Josh Bersin
Learning in the Flow of Work
This research-based presentation explains a new learning model driven by machine intelligence, microlearning, and new video and social platforms that are helping companies radically up-skill and transform their workforce. HR and learning technology expert Josh Bersin will share his findings on where we are in the evolution of corporate learning and how to embrace the future.
9:55am – 10:55am
Concurrent interactive workshops:
New for 2020*
Measuring Impact for Learning: Not Always Easy But Possible - Kevin M. Yates, Fact-Finder for L&D
Learning & Development organizations are increasingly asked to answer the question "What is the impact of learning?" with facts, evidence, and data. Senior leaders want proof for how L&D is driving results for employee performance and business goals. Join Kevin as he explores the challenges and opportunities for measuring the impact of learning.
*How To Be Nimble and Adaptive in Your Learning Strategy - panelists
Originally scheduled for our 2019 Think Tank conference, this will be rescheduled as a virtual session after the conference.
The Work IS the Training:
Managing for Agility Means Managing for Continuous Learning - Ed Muzio, CEO at Group Harmonics
Too often, management is the driver of busywork and ceremony instead of continuous learning and adaptation. To fix this, HR and L&D must play a train-the-trainer role with managers, positioning them as facilitators of constant, immersive learning – and as the decision-makers who coordinate intelligent action based on what’s learned. Bestselling author, speaker, and management culture expert Ed Muzio will show you the keys to a culture of iterative management, and how to make concrete improvements in culture.
Treating Employees Like Customers - Phil Hamburg, VP at Root Inc.
It has been proven time and again that no company’s customer experience can ever outperform that of its employee experience. It is simply not possible… not for long anyway. In this immersive discussion, the brilliant minds from Root Inc. will employ visual metaphors, critical trends, data (communicated visually), and robust dialogue to help each of us unpack how we can take our customer experience to the next level by starting with our employee experience.
Moving Initiatives Forward in a Complex Environment – Celemi
Project challenges are universal. Maximizing business value while balancing diverse stakeholder needs can be problematic with time and budget constraints. We’ve all been there. In this simulated experience you’ll uncover the secret to project success before the stakes are high and you’re in the hot seat. Celemi invites you to take taste of Cayenne, but don’t worry, you’ll leave feeling cool!
10:55 – 11:20am
Networking break (visit the Tech Café!)
11:20am – 12:20pm
Concurrent interactive workshops:
Top Trends in Talent Development - Andy Storch
Based on 125+ episodes of the Talent Development Hot Seat, podcast host and conference emcee Andy Storch will share the lessons he has learned in his career as a talent development consultant, wisdom gained from the talent & learning leaders who have been guests on the podcast, and he will incorporate the ideas and expertise that you, the members of the Talent Development Think Tank, bring to the table. This interactive conversation will culminate in a new Top Trends in Talent Development report exclusively for members of the Talent Development Think Tank.
The Work IS the Training:
Managing for Agility Means Managing for Continuous Learning - Ed Muzio, CEO at Group Harmonics
Too often, management is the driver of busywork and ceremony instead of continuous learning and adaptation. To fix this, HR and L&D must play a train-the-trainer role with managers, positioning them as facilitators of constant, immersive learning – and as the decision-makers who coordinate intelligent action based on what’s learned. Bestselling author, speaker, and management culture expert Ed Muzio will show you the keys to a culture of iterative management, and how to make concrete improvements in culture.
Treating Employees Like Customers - Phil Hamburg, VP at Root Inc.
It has been proven time and again that no company’s customer experience can ever outperform that of its employee experience. It is simply not possible… not for long anyway. In this immersive discussion, the brilliant minds from Root Inc. will employ visual metaphors, critical trends, data (communicated visually), and robust dialogue to help each of us unpack how we can take our customer experience to the next level by starting with our employee experience.
Moving Initiatives Forward in a Complex Environment – Celemi
Project challenges are universal. Maximizing business value while balancing diverse stakeholder needs can be problematic with time and budget constraints. We’ve all been there. In this simulated experience you’ll uncover the secret to project success before the stakes are high and you’re in the hot seat. Celemi invites you to take taste of Cayenne, but don’t worry, you’ll leave feeling cool!
12:20 – 1:15pm
Lunch
1:15 – 3:15pm
Interactive workshop
Intentional Disruption of Talent Development – Jim Perry
VP of Learning Design at BTS, Jim Perry will facilitate this interactive exploration of where the Learning & Development industry is going and how we can all be the creators of that innovation instead of the victims of it. Using a highly dynamic and interactive Design Thinking approach, the ideas for how we can be disruptors instead of disrupted will be cultivated from you, the participants, rather than simply told to you via dozens of boring PowerPoint slides.
3:15 – 3:40pm
Networking break (visit the Tech Café!)
3:40 – 5:10pm
Closing Keynote - Liz Wiseman
Creating a Multipliers Culture to Accelerate Business Results
Bestselling author and leadership guru Liz Wiseman will deliver an interactive keynote during which attendees will identify strategies for unlocking the untapped intelligence that lives in all of our organizations. According to Wiseman’s research, as well as countless real-life Multipliers success stories, Multiplier leaders (those who foster creativity and encourage smart risk taking) get nearly double the intelligence contribution than that of their Diminisher counterparts (those who shut down ideas and dominate the conversation).
5:10 – 5:30pm
Applying learnings from the day - Andy Storch
We'll use digital technology to capture ideas and share them with everyone.
Action planning software graciously provided by BTS.
7:00 – 9:00pm
Think Tank Celebration & Networking Dinner
Celebration Dinner improv ice-breaker - Caitlin Drago
Caitlin Drago, an actor-turned-leadership coach and president of Inspire Improv and Coaching Inc., facilitates an experiential, improv-inspired team exercise to activate our ability to listen and have more collaborative conversations.
January 23, 2020
6:30 – 7:30am
Optional free yoga class
7:30 – 8:30am
Breakfast & Registration
8:30 – 8:45am
Day 2 kickoff - Andy Storch
8:45 – 9:45am
Opening Keynote – Christine DiDonato, Career Revolution (new!) – Alexander Valley I - Today’s emerging professionals expect more career development, feedback, and mentoring. Yet managers struggle to keep up with changing business priorities while at the same time also playing the role of “career coach.” As this gap increases, organizations lose critical leadership bench strength that can be hard to recover. Imagine if employees could meet manager's halfway and own their development. Learn a formula to engage and retain a new generation of talent by increasing your employees' capabilities for developing their career paths.
9:55 – 10:55am
Concurrent interactive workshops:
What We've Learned About Digital Learning – Panel discussion
Paul Middleton, Co-Founder at 1st90
Tim Delroy, Program Manager at Experience It Inc.
Myra LalDin, CEO at VECTRE
Sanchita Sur, Founder and CEO at Emplay Inc.
Digital learning has been around for years, but the jury is still out on how best to use it, how to measure its efficacy, when it adds value, and when it’s simply a Band-Aid for what is really needed – surgery. Have we expected too much from this learning method, or has it just not evolved enough yet? This moderated panel discussion with active audience participation will help us all find the clarity we need for these questions.
Going Human in A Digital World
Don Jones, Experience It Inc.
Fast Company Innovation Award Winner Don Jones, the founder of Experience It Inc., will engage you in a fun, interactive experience that underlines the "prime error" of our time – believing we are going digital, when the research shows that we have to double down on going human first. Additionally we're proud to announce that Don will also provide the first public "sneak peek" of the new digital leadership simulation Infinity Inc. in the Talent Development Think Tank Tech Café before its official launch on Jan. 1, 2020, after 3 years of design, development, and testing. This leadership experience already has won the Fast Company Innovation Award and has garnered great feedback (“The promise of digital learning has finally arrived”). Don’s simulations and games are in use by more than 200,000 leaders at 90 universities and in 80 countries for clients including Microsoft, Boeing, GE, Whirlpool, Mercedes-Benz, ABB, and more.
Influencing Within the Realities of Gender Bias – Kelly Dozois, Ocean Beach Consulting (new!) – Russian River Valley I - Kelly shares her personal story, provides statistics on gender bias, and leads interactive activities to help female professionals learn how to navigate and overcome gender bias, understand the power of first impressions and non-verbal communication, discover how to establish the perception of competence, and explore how bias impacts trust as it relates to the power of influence.
The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Future of Human Capital
Bhaskar Krishnamachari, USC Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (Jt. Appt.)
Director, Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Our lives have become embroiled by the impact of the digital transformation. As talent management professionals, we are challenged with creating strategies to wrestle with the rapidly growing choices of digital technologies. This session will take a futurist’s perspective into how digital sciences and emerging technologies - from autonomous AI-based systems and the Internet of Things to blockchain technologies - will continue to shape how we need to lead and think about human capital. Join us in this session to gain insights on how to prepare for and embrace what’s coming.
10:55am – 11:20am
Networking break (visit the Tech Café!)
11:20am – 12:20pm
Concurrent interactive workshops:
What We've Learned About Digital Learning – Panel discussion
Paul Middleton, Co-Founder at 1st90
Tim Delroy, Program Manager at Experience It Inc.
Myra LalDin, CEO at VECTRE
Sanchita Sur, Founder and CEO at Emplay Inc.
Digital learning has been around for years, but the jury is still out on how best to use it, how to measure its efficacy, when it adds value, and when it’s simply a Band-Aid for what is really needed – surgery. Have we expected too much from this learning method, or has it just not evolved enough yet? This moderated panel discussion with active audience participation will help us all find the clarity we need for these questions.
Going Human in A Digital World
Don Jones, Experience It Inc.
Fast Company Innovation Award Winner Don Jones, the founder of Experience It Inc., will engage you in a fun, interactive experience that underlines the "prime error" of our time – believing we are going digital, when the research shows that we have to double down on going human first. Additionally we're proud to announce that Don will also provide a "sneak peek" of the new digital leadership simulation Infinity Inc. in the Talent Development Think Tank Tech Café - just launched after 3 years of design, development, and testing. This leadership experience already has won the Fast Company Innovation Award and has garnered great feedback (“The promise of digital learning has finally arrived”). Don’s simulations and games are in use by more than 200,000 leaders at 90 universities and in 80 countries for clients including Microsoft, Boeing, GE, Whirlpool, Mercedes-Benz, ABB, and more.
Influencing Within the Realities of Gender Bias – Kelly Dozois, Ocean Beach Consulting (new!) – Russian River Valley I - Kelly shares her personal story, provides statistics on gender bias, and leads interactive activities to help female professionals learn how to navigate and overcome gender bias, understand the power of first impressions and non-verbal communication, discover how to establish the perception of competence, and explore how bias impacts trust as it relates to the power of influence.
The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Future of Human Capital
Bhaskar Krishnamachari, USC Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (Jt. Appt.)
Director, Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Our lives have become embroiled by the impact of the digital transformation. As talent management professionals, we are challenged with creating strategies to wrestle with the rapidly growing choices of digital technologies. This session will take a futurist’s perspective into how digital sciences and emerging technologies - from autonomous AI-based systems and the Internet of Things to blockchain technologies - will continue to shape how we need to lead and think about human capital. Join us in this session to gain insights on how to prepare for and embrace what’s coming.
12:20 – 1:15pm
Lunch
1:15pm – 3:15pm
Interactive workshop
The Business Case for Diversity & Inclusion - Brent Snow
Interactive session and group discussions with corporate D&I leaders serving as table coaches
Led by award-winning simulation designer and facilitator Brent Snow (founder and creative director of Ten Thousand Feet, LLC, and creator of the Inclusive Leader simulation experience), and supported by Diversity & Inclusion leaders from 6 different major corporations, this team-based interactive experience will bring to the surface the benefits of embracing a D&I strategy in your company as well as the risks of letting the topic remain hidden, misunderstood, or ignored.
More info: Why D&I isn't just a popular idea – it's a critical business strategy.
3:15 – 3:45pm
Networking break (visit the Tech Café!)
3:45 - 4:45pm
Closing Keynote - Michael Bungay Stanier
The 5 Question Leader
Despite many initiatives, most coaching training doesn’t stick in today’s busy workplaces. Managers and leaders are frustrated by teams that have become overdependent on them. They’re overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do. And they’re disconnected from their own great work. In this talk, bestselling author and prolific speaker Michael Bungay Stanier will introduce 5 deceptively simple, quick-to-master questions to help your people get next-day-ready skills to embed coaching into their daily routine.
4:45 – 5:00pm
Applying learnings from the day - Andy Storch
We'll use digital technology to capture ideas and share them with everyone.
Action planning software graciously provided by BTS.
5:30 – ???
Join us for an optional networking happy hour!
January 24, 2020
An optional 3rd day add-on: Experience Multipliers, the simulation based on Liz Wiseman's groundbreaking research and book. Learn how to multiply the intelligence of the people around you.
Facilitated by Andy Storch - Partner, Advantage Performance Group
7:30 – 8:30am
Breakfast & Registration
8:30 -10:30am
The Multipliers Simulation
10:30 -10:45am
Break
10:45am -12:00pm
The Multipliers Simulation
12:00-1:00pm
Lunch
1:00-3:00pm
The Multipliers Simulation
3:00 -3:15pm
Break
3:15-5:00pm
The Multipliers Simulation
Let's keep in touch! Get early access to our pre-sale for our next conference, and find out how you can become a part of our NEW online community now in development.
We keep your data private.
Topics
Everything this year's Think Tank will address in some way:
Let's keep in touch! Get early access to our pre-sale for our next conference, and find out how you can become a part of our NEW online community now in development.
We keep your data private.
Tickets for 2021
Let's keep in touch! Get access to our LIMITED pre-sale for our 2021 conference, and find out how you can become a part of our online community.
We keep your data private.
2021 tickets are on sale now through May 31 at our lowest available Early Bird rate!
Contact us for special pricing for Advantage clients or group tickets for 5 or more.
Think Tank Ticket
- Full 2-day conference access
- Multiple keynote speakers (to be announced!)
- Interactive sessions
- Peer-to-peer connections
- Welcome reception
- Celebration dinner
Think Tank +Multipliers
- All conference features
- A full day of the Multipliers simulation on Friday, Jan. 29
- Grow your inspirational leadership skills and learn how to multiply the talent that surrounds you!
Think Tank +Interplay
- All conference features
- A full day of the Interplay simulation on Friday, Jan. 29
- Get a 'mini MBA in a day' with Interplay, rated the No. 1 session at HR Indiana, surpassing even keynote speakers.
Think Tank +AccelerateME
- All conference features
- A full day of the AccelerateME workshop on Friday, Jan. 29
- AccelerateME, from Christina DiDonato of Career Revolution, focuses on career development for a new generation.
Think Tank VIP Ticket
- All conference features
- A meet & greet/Q&A with each keynote speaker
- Preferential reserved seating
- A free room upgrade
- A book from each speaker
- and more!
The Talent Development Think Tank, a first-of-its-kind industry event for talent development and HR professionals, is presented by Advantage Performance Group in association with the Talent Development Hot Seat podcast under the leadership of co-founders Andy Storch and Bennett Phillips.
LET'S CONNECT: hello@tdtt.us | © 2020 Talent Development Think Tank | talentdevelopmentthinktank.com | tdtt.us