At the opening session, outgoing SPBT President John Constantine of GlaxoSmithKline received recognition for his contributions to SPBT.

“From 2004 to 2006, John led our board with integrity and contributed a number of innovative ideas to our conferences and other programs,” said incoming SPBT President Jennifer Zinn of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a division of Johnson & Johnson.

During Zinn’s welcome speech to the membership, she discussed the shrinking global landscape that has become the new business reality for pharma, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics companies.

“Our corporations have become more global in their outlook, focusing on emerging markets,” Zinn said. “So not only are we facing increased complexity in the U.S. marketplace, with our ever-changing reimbursement and regulatory changes, but we now have to cater our strategies to each individual market across the globe. It’s a trend that means our companies need to reshape their entire outlook.”

Following her presentation, Zinn welcomed keynote speaker Chip Heath to the podium. Heath, author of the bestselling book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, discussed how trainers can apply “stickiness” principles to their own work in L&D.

“Many of us struggle with how to communicate ideas effectively, how to get our ideas to make a difference,” said Heath, a professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Most of the ideas that we encounter are interesting but not sensational, truthful but not mind-blowing, important but not ‘life-or-death.’ The challenge, then, is designing ideas that ‘stick’ that are understood and remembered, and have a lasting impact.” Such ideas have the power to change opinions and behavior.

According to Heath, the stickiest ideas have several principles in common: They are simple, unexpected, clear, and credible. They also appeal to our emotions and convey a good story.

After Heath’s engaging presentation, GlaxoSmithKline’s Mike Pucci addressed why trainers must continue to emphasize the value of medicine to their audiences—both inside and outside the corporate world. Pucci, Vice President of External Advocacy at GSK, offered some hard-hitting insights about the state of America’s health. Among the facts he presented: Forty-five percent of Americans have at least one chronic disease. In addition, the obesity trend continues to worsen, with 64 percent of the U.S. population considered overweight or obese. This makes it increasingly difficult for policymakers to promote disease prevention efforts, Pucci said.

To help tackle rising healthcare costs in the United States, Pucci advocated for more “prevention, intervention, and innovation.” This includes a place for medicines. “Pharmaceuticals account for about 10 cents of every healthcare dollar,” Pucci said. He also presented results of the Asheville Project, which showed that clinical outcomes improve and costs decrease when medicines are used appropriately to manage diseases, such as diabetes.

Following these two keynotes, attendees participated in workshops, many led by thought leaders, such as:

• Dr. Roy Pollock, Chief Learning Officer of the Fort Hill Company and co-author of The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning: How to Turn Training and Development into Business Results
• Doug Lynch, Vice Dean at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania
• Bill Hawkins, an expert in leadership development, performance management, and executive coaching
• Harvey Singh, a pioneer in the field of e-learning, human performance technology, and knowledge management

In total, SPBT’s schedule included more than 70 workshops for directors and new and experienced trainers. Topics included management development, coaching, instructional design, facilitation, compliance, technology, strategy, and other relevant subjects for L&D professionals at every level. Some of the most popular workshops included:

• “Utilizing Career Ladders to Increase Employee Engagement and Effectiveness,” a panel discussion moderated by Michelle O’Connor, CMR Institute
• “Making Learning Stick: How to Turn Training and Development into Business Results” by Roy Pollock, DVM, PhD, The Fort Hill Company
• “From Trainer to District Manager and Beyond,” a panel discussion led by Dave Purdy, Psychological Consultants, Inc.
• “Advanced Presentation Skills: Take Your Presentations from Good to Great” by Diane West, 2Connect, and Carol Wells, Genentech
• Marjorie Brody’s “Market Your Magic”
• “State-Mandated Licensure for Sales Representatives: How Does This Impact Training?” A panel moderated by Michael Tague, HealthAnswers Education
• “Mobile Learning and Performance Support: How Mobile and Wireless Technologies Are Transforming Training” by Harvey Singh, Instancy
• “Tips for Implementing Instructional Design to Ensure Effective Learning,” a three-hour session led by Andy Gunning and Frank Penta, ETSI, and Jeremy Boss, Novo Nordisk

The 2008 SPBT conference also featured an expansive exhibit hall that showcased the latest products and services from 118 vendors. The hall included many new exhibitors, as well as longtime vendors who return to SPBT each year.

A new networking feature at SPBT proved to be well-liked by attendees. Breakfast and lunchtime roundtables—facilitated by experienced SPBT members—allowed trainers to share best practices and discuss challenges around a particular topic or theme. Some of the best-attended roundtables covered instructional design, emerging technologies, and marketing training. In addition, a roundtable for directors at small- to mid-sized companies was also popular.

The next SPBT conference will be held May 11-14, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

SPBT would like to thank the following companies for their generous support this year.

Campbell Alliance
Censeo Corporation
CMR Institute
Drury Design Dynamics
ETSI
Frogkick
Illuminate
Informa Training Partners
Klick Communications
Kramer Consulting Solutions
MD Mindset
Pinsonault Associates
Psychological Consultants
Quantum Learning
Red Nucleus
Romar Learning Solutions, LLC
Tricore Interactive
Warner Development
Wilson Learning Corporation

Photography by Andrew Campbell