The five members of SweetRush’s DevLearn team share their most-anticipated events and conversations, from AI to the “unpromptable” human heart of L&D.
Q: What happens in Vegas each November?
A: Authentic conversations, events, and face-to-face connections!
We’re talking, of course, about DevLearn, which brings L&D innovators together for three full days to share what’s new in the world of leading-edge learning technologies. The SweetRush DevLearn crew can’t wait to bring its trademark rainbow heart energy to the Strip…but they need your help to make this the best DevLearn ever.
Read on for a sneak peek at their most-anticipated events and topics of conversation…and the questions they’re not-so-secretly hoping you’ll ask.
What I would love if people asked me: What’s unpromptable?
What kinds of conversations I’m hoping to have with fellow L&D leaders and innovators: I love hearing about the learning strategies and programs people are dreaming about and want to bring to life. Last year, I spoke with someone who was exploring AR as a way to reach people all over the world to help them learn coaching techniques. We started brainstorming at the expo, which led to some great discussions with our team this year!
Something I hear a lot is, “I’d love to do this or that, but I just don’t have the people I need.” L&D teams are so stretched with the uncertainty in the economy and the cautiousness many organizations have about hiring long-term or permanent staff. There’s often a look of surprise and relief when they find out that we can help with an extra set of hands to help them close out their goals for the year.
I also love talking with leaders who have changed or added to their learning tech stacks and what they’re thinking about for 2026. We’re tool-agnostic and have exposure to so many platforms through working across clients and industries. It’s great to hear what folks are trying and what’s working, so we can help clients navigate the vast array of new LMS, AI, authoring, and measurement tools and get the best outcomes.
Of course AI will be a hot topic—and so will AI fatigue. So let’s also talk about how essential human intelligence, insight, creativity, and deep empathy are to what we do as learning professionals.
What I’m most looking forward to: Meeting Joe and Jennifer for the first time in-person! Catching up with friends and meeting new ones. Discovering ways to partner, talking about big, bold ideas to bring better and more impactful learning to the world.
What I would love if people asked me: I’ve heard SweetRush is special, different...why is that?
What kinds of conversations I’m hoping to have with fellow L&D leaders and innovators: We are all in this together—and I always look forward to getting real, sharing insights, and learning from each other. Commiserating a bit about the challenges life and the market seem to dish up, but also celebrating all the opportunities we have and how fortunate we are to be in this amazing industry. And, importantly, there are so many possible synergies to explore, and those conversations are ripe with possibility and always energizing.
Which events I’m most looking forward to: Moments of bonding with my fellow SweetRushians, existing clients, potential partners, and our fellow vendor-travelers!
What questions you hope people will ask you: How can we modernize our delivery and scale our learning solutions to reach large, highly mobile audiences across work functions and with varying access to technology? How are other learning leaders successfully using AI within their L&D teams and organizations? What are the key use cases for AI that are adding value to L&D functions right now?
What kinds of conversations you're hoping to have with other L&D leaders and innovators: I’m interested in hearing from folks who are currently using AI: I recently spoke with someone who’s releasing an internal chatbot accessible to learners from within their training.
I also love talking about big curriculum initiatives—for example, a year-long growth path that grows managers into senior managers, senior directors into VPs, etc. It’s interesting to talk about that type of large development, especially around deployment, measuring impact, and maintaining learners’ interest over time.
Which events you're most looking forward to: Like Danielle, I’m super excited by the opportunity to be around a bunch of other people who are enthusiastic and curious about what’s out there. On Thursday, November 13th, I’m looking forward to Carla Torgerson’s session and Jennifer Yaros and Carla’s presentation of our work with Hilton at DemoFest.
What questions you hope people will ask you: What are the most interesting learning solutions you've seen lately? How do we maximize the value of L&D using AI while still adding human value? What are some great places to grab dinner in Vegas?
What kinds of conversations you're hoping to have with other L&D leaders and innovators: Conversations about the risk/reward of using GenAI to do analysis, curriculum design, or develop learning materials. I’m also excited to discuss audio and text AI feedback to create true learning personalization, which we’ve successfully implemented in partnership with the learning innovators at Hilton. I’m also eager to talk to people about AI-generated video which is evolving so rapidly.
Which events you’re most looking forward to: The Morning Buzz Discussions: these are great informal conversations with other practitioners. And of course, my own events:
What questions you hope people will ask you: I prefer to lead with a question myself: What learning needs or challenges are you currently facing? Sometimes it’s people on a manufacturing floor and safety regulations; sometimes it’s soft skills for managers; sometimes it’s AI. I love to discuss the mutual question: How do we do it? (Of course, I’m very open to any conversation that opens with: How many Star Wars books do you have?)
What kinds of conversations you're hoping to have with other L&D leaders and innovators: I want to extend and amplify the conversation this year about L&D leaders as strategic thought partners—not just in the AI space but overall. We’re uniquely positioned to be a middleperson between leadership and employees.
Let’s talk strategy and how we can help our organizations drive business results, instead of being the order takers!
Which events you're most looking forward to: DevLearn has always been one of my favorite conferences: It’s a place where I know I’ll see a lot of folks I’ve met over the years.
I love the high energy and fast pace at DemoFest—and most of all, I’m looking forward to presenting with Carla and showcasing our work with Hilton. It reminds me of old-school carnivals and fairs, with the barker talking up the show inside the tent!
Feeling inspired by the topics on the team’s wish lists? Follow the rainbow heart to Booth 358 in the Expo Hall or connect with our L&D innovators via the DevLearn app.
We can’t wait to see you there!
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Connect with our industry experts on the subjects that matter most to you.
.webp)
