Look for us at the SPBT and DIA 2010 conferences

It's been a busy quarter for us as far as industry conferences go. ShareFEST, the Kaplan EduNeering Knowledge Summit, and ASTD 2010 are in the books, and next on tap are the Society of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Trainers (SPBT) Annual Conference and the Drug Information Association (DIA) Annual Meeting.

SPBT 2010 kicked off today in Orlando, Fla. If you're unfamiliar with the organization, SPBT is a worldwide nonprofit that supports trainers at pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and diagnostic companies. Its annual conference is packed with workshops and sessions covering new strategies and technologies for employee training, leadership development, and team development.

If you're going to be at the show on Wednesday, I highly recommend attending the "Utilizing 3D Virtual Worlds and Informal Learning in Employee Training and Collaboration" session. I'll be presenting (shameless plug!! :P), but that's not the only reason to sit in.

I'll be joined on stage by Cindy Skirvin, our newest board member and Partner of Strategy and Transformation Workforce and Talent Solutions for IBM Global Business Services. We'll be discussing how 3-D virtual worlds are being used by life sciences enterprises to foster collaboration and learning among employees.

We'll talk about how trainers and learners can interact and collaborate with one another in a virtual environment, and how that environment allows for persistence of knowledge beyond an actual scheduled event.

We'll also review a case study of a pharmaceutical company that held a scientific poster session in a virtual world, and the outcomes and feedback from the event. Our workshop is slated for Wednesday, June 9 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., so mark your schedules! :)

Next week is the DIA conference in the nation's capital. I won't be speaking at DIA, but ProtonMedia is co-sponsoring the Microsoft Life Sciences reception on Tuesday, June 15. We have a limited number of slots open if you'd like to join us. Just let Lisa Yablonski know if you'd like a spot.

If you're involved in the discovery, development, and lifecycle management of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and similar products, I'd recommend putting the DIA meeting on your list. It's the premiere event for global drug discovery and development, and attracts about 500 exhibiting companies and 8,000 attendees every year.

Registration for SPBT is closed, but you can still sign up online for DIA. Hope to see you at SPBT or DIA, or both!!