The third quarter of the year is always busy for ATD Dallas as we prepare for our signature event, Southwest Learning Summit (SWLS). And this year was no different! But before I get to #SWLS2024, I want to touch on our happenings in July and August thanks to our Programs and Professional Development teams.
In July, we offered two virtual SIGs, an in-person Chapter Meeting on Immersive Technologies, and a workshop on Trust. In August, we hosted eight different events! Our in-person chapter meeting with the Children’s Health team was fantastic as they shared some of their projects that won them several AXIS Awards earlier this year. We also had our Learning and Lattes Book Club and AI User Group in addition to our SIGs.
These were also very busy months for our SWLS Planning Team. They were meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings to discuss all of the actions needed to make #SWLS2024 an awesome event. Because of their dedication and willingness to contribute to our chapter, I have a pretty amazing recap to share for #SWLS2024! Keeping reading!
#SWLS2024 Keynotes
This year’s keynotes were both educational and entertaining! Luke Goetting kicked things off in the morning with a focus on Gen Z and how this generation brings unique values, work styles, and expectations. It was great to see discussion happen amongst the attendees, and we did love his try at a Tik-Tok dance!
After lunch, Rick Lozano took the stage and shared concepts from his new book, Find My Jam. He helped the audience to understand ways to “create momentum, unlock potential, and rock what’s next!” He grabbed his guitar a number of times to sing us a tune and also introduced us to a fun game called “Beer, Band, or Medical Condition.” He really brought the energy!
#SWLS2024 Concurrent Session Speakers
What a lineup of speakers we had this year for our concurrent sessions. They shared their expertise and passion around topics like game-based learning, mentoring, onboarding, AI tools, data, healthy leadership, succession planning, and accessibility. I only heard good feedback and how excited people were to go back and apply what they had learned to their business.
#SWLS2024 Sponsors
We are so thankful for the amazing support of our sponsors that help us to make this signature event a success year over year. They are a critical component to this event, and we rely on their partnership. Please engage with these providers to assist you with your business needs!
There was wonderful activity in the main hallway all day long as the booth teams shared their expertise and detailed the services their businesses offer. We saw ongoing engagement at the booths throughout the day with the “Sponsor Passport” activity. We are also grateful to those sponsors that donated raffle prizes!
#SWLS2024 Leaders & Volunteers
And most importantly, this event would not happen without the extremely dedicated volunteers that work for months to plan and execute this event. Leading the team this year as co-chairs were Chris Myrben and Christen Bavero under the leadership of Stephanie Allison, VP of Signature Events! Many thanks to them and the entire SWLS Planning Team - Alvy Anderson, Beth Bailey, Tierra Barber, Mary Anne Davis, Todd Hanley, Brandon Jordan, Norman Lum Hee, Gloria Ortiz, Tina Pu Button, Frank Ramirez, Kim Romaszewski, Carol Turman, Tracy Underhill, and Amy Winston. We also had 21 additional volunteers that contributed their talents and skills to the success of the day! Thank you all!
And leading us through the day from the Main Stage, we must thank our two seasoned emcees, David Reyes and Pallavi Ridout. We appreciate all they did to keep us entertained, informed, and running according to plan!
I also want to thank the ATD Dallas Board Members that were able to attend and share the benefits of being an ATD Dallas member at our Chapter Table. We enjoyed meeting so many of you!
#SWLS2024 Attendees
I also can’t forget to mention ALL of the attendees we had at SWLS this year. We were so excited to see over 330 learning and talent development professionals invest in themselves by coming to SWLS. We had a number of corporate groups that joined us, many of our ATD Dallas members, and some new folks too! Look at ALL of those SMILES!
Some of our LUCKY attendees also had their name or number called as a PRIZE winner in our raffle drawings. Thanks to Matthew Brown (President Elect) and Christen Bavero (SWLS Co-Chair) for their assistance in handing out the prizes.
#SWLS2024 Happy Hour
It is always fun to wrap up the day with happy hour! I know this is when I finally catch up with some friends that I haven’t chatted with yet during the day. It is enjoyable to end the day networking, sharing experiences from throughout the day, making some new acquaintances, and celebrating a great day of learning!
#SWLS2025
Next year will be the 25th Anniversary of Southwest Learning Summit! What a milestone for the chapter! To make it the most outstanding event yet, would want to make sure you shared your feedback on our survey if you attended! Complete it online here.
Super Early Bird registration is already available. This pricing will be in place through the end of January 2025. Take advantage of the lowest pricing that will be offered! Get registered here.
If you would be interested in joining the SWLS Planning Team, please fill out our volunteer form or send an email to swls@tddallas.org.
What’s Coming Up Next for ATD Dallas?
We have quite the lineup of events in October! We have our usual SIGs, a joint chapter meeting with ATD Fort Worth, and one of the newest offerings, a Lunch Meet Up in North Plano. Review upcoming events, check your calendar, and then get registered!
We will also be updating the branding colors for ATD Dallas to align with the changes that ATD National announced back in May at #ATD24 in New Orleans. The orange, red, and yellow hues will be switching to blue and green! We will begin our transformation process across our social media graphics, website, and other chapter assets.
And before we know a new board of directors will be voted on. If you have any interest in stepping into a leadership role, please contact Matthew Brown (President Elect).
I look forward to seeing you soon at a future ATD Dallas event!
