1,100 Trainers, Vendors at SPBT

In June, more than 650 trainers and 450 vendors attended SPBT's 36th Annual Conference, held at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, FL. Following the meeting's theme, "Take the Lead," trainers spent four days focusing on their own development needs.

Keynotes, Workshop Content Are Highlights

The meeting featured engaging keynote presentations by:

• Steven Levitt, author of Freakonomics, who urged trainers to find their niche
• Leadership guru Marshall Goldsmith, who addressed the critical need for coaching
• Charlotte Roberts, author and consultant, who encouraged trainers to take their organization's business needs to heart.

In addition, the schedule included more than 90 roundtables, panels, and workshops on topics such as leadership, management development, curriculum design, and technology.

Greg Sapnar Wins Member of the Year Award

Greg Sapnar of Bristol-Myers Squibb (pictured right, next to SPBT President John Constantine) was named Outstanding SPBT Member, 2007. This award is for SPBT members who go above and beyond, who give amazing amounts of time and energy, and who inspire others with their selfless commitment to helping SPBT to thrive.

Sapnar, Associate Director of Metrics and Adaptation in the Learning and Development Group at Bristol-Myers Squibb, is widely considered the go-to guy on many key training issues from online methodologies to measurement and metrics.

"Both members and vendors consider him a real pro," says SPBT President John Constantine. "But his willingness to share this expertise is what makes him an award winner." Sapnar presented four workshops at this year’s conference.

"This kind of dedication and service makes him an extremely valuable member of the training community and the SPBT family, and we’d like to recognize and honor him for his extensive service to our industry," Constantine added.