ATD26: Where Disruption Became Direction
ATD26 brought the talent development community together in Los Angeles to embrace disruption, explore what’s next, and direct the future of work, learning, and performance.
Across Mainstage moments, new learning formats, EXPO floor experiences, community impact, and peer-to-peer conversations, attendees found fresh ideas, practical strategies, and meaningful connections to carry forward.
Relive the Energy of ATD26
From unforgettable Mainstage moments to the connections happening across the EXPO floor, ATD26 was full of ideas worth revisiting.
What You Missed at ATD26
A look back at the shared knowledge, networking, relationship building, and career development in Los Angeles.
What Leadership Development is NOT
Liz Wiseman challenges a common misconception about leadership development: that a leader’s job is to extend “the hand of greatness” to their team. Instead, she invites leaders to rethink how they help others grow, contribute, and thrive
Freestyle+ on the ATD Mainstage
Freestyle+ opened ATD26 with a new kind of Mainstage experience, blending improvisation, play, neuroscience, and connection.
Zack Kass Balances Humanity and Technology at ATD26
Zack Kass challenged learning leaders to make AI understandable, actionable, and centered on expanding human potential.
Your Only Competitive Advantage Is This: Will Guidara Keynote
Will Guidara brought “unreasonable hospitality” to ATD26, showing how intentional human connection can turn everyday experiences into unforgettable ones.
Embrace Disruption. Direct the Future.
ATD26 was designed for a field moving through rapid change. Across the program, attendees explored how talent development can help organizations adapt, lead, and grow in a world shaped by AI, shifting workforce needs, and new expectations for learning.
The theme came to life through bold Mainstage ideas, hands-on learning, future-focused sessions, and conversations that challenged attendees to think differently about what talent development can make possible.
Embrace Disruption. Direct the Future.
ATD26 was designed for a field moving through rapid change. Across the program, attendees explored how talent development can help organizations adapt, lead, and grow in a world shaped by AI, shifting workforce needs, and new expectations for learning.
The theme came to life through bold Mainstage ideas, hands-on learning, future-focused sessions, and conversations that challenged attendees to think differently about what talent development can make possible.
Mainstage Moments
Freestyle+ Got Everyone Into the Flow
Zack Kass Made the Future Feel Human
Will Guidara Put Hospitality at the Center
Liz Wiseman Made Uncertainty a Team Sport
Tony Bingham Challenged Us to Lead Through Disruption
BEST Awards Celebrated Strategic Talent Development
20 Years of Certification
New Ways to Learn, Connect, and Apply
ATD26 gave attendees more ways to shape the experience around how they learn best. The program featured new and tried-and-true session types to meet every learner where they are. Using best-in-class conference practices.
Talent Talks
Knowledge in Action
Crash and Learn
Community Conversations
New Ways to Learn, Connect, and Apply
ATD26 gave attendees more ways to shape the experience around how they learn best. The program featured new and tried-and-true session types to meet every learner where they are. Using best-in-class conference practices
Talent Talks
Fast, focused 20-minute sessions connected to the ATD26 theme, designed to spark fresh thinking and send attendees home with ideas they could keep exploring.
Knowledge in Action
Hands-on, workshop-style sessions gave attendees space to apply, experiment, and refine skills in real time.
Crash and Learn
These candid conversations explored what did not work, what people learned, and how failure can fuel resilience, growth, and better decisions.
Community Conversations
Facilitated discussions gave attendees room to connect around shared challenges, including a post-conference recap on burnout, balance, and healthier ways of working.
Moments to Connect
A Taste of LA on the EXPO Floor
ATD26 kicked off with a Sunday night opening reception that brought Los Angeles to life, from Hollywood celebrity impersonators to Santa Monica Pier games and Chinatown dancers. Attendees explored the EXPO, met vendors, and connected with peers in a setting designed for discovery.
A Paws-itively Favorite EXPO Stop
A favorite EXPO Hall tradition returned with Puppy Park, giving attendees a chance to pause, recharge, and connect over some very good dogs between sessions, meetings, and floor conversations.
Beginner Mindset Series
Through off-site experiences, attendees had the chance to step back into the mindset of a new learner, reconnecting with curiosity, humility, and the courage it takes to try something unfamiliar.
Couldn’t Catch It All? You Still Can.
ATD26 may have wrapped in Los Angeles, but the learning is still available. Purchase access to virtual recordings to revisit standout sessions, catch conversations you missed, and bring ATD26 insights back to your team.