There’s a reason L&D conferences keep showing up on calendars year after year. You can pack months of learning into a few days, get new perspectives from other teams, and walk away with fresh ideas you can implement immediately.

But the real value is the community. Conferences are one of the best places to build relationships with people who understand your world, trade lessons learned, and expand your network of L&D leaders you can count on long after the event ends.

Below are five high-impact conferences to consider this year.

Learning Technologies (London)

Website: https://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/united-kingdom/
Dates: April 29–30, 2026
Location: ExCeL London, London, UK

Learning Technologies is one of the biggest and most established workplace learning events in Europe—and it’s a must if your L&D strategy includes digital learning, platforms, and content at scale. The expo floor gives you a fast, efficient way to compare solutions across LMS/LXP, authoring tools, coaching platforms, AI learning workflows, and analytics.

Why it’s worth attending: you get a clear view of what’s trending across the learning tech market in Europe, and you’ll hear practical case studies that go beyond theory. If your organization supports global or distributed teams, this event can help you spot what’s coming next and bring home ideas you can implement quickly. 

ATD 2026 International Conference & Exposition

Website: https://www.td.org/attend-events/atd-international-conference-exposition
Dates: May 17–20, 2026
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

ATD ICE is the category leader in the U.S. for talent development. If you want a conference where learning leaders, instructional designers, facilitators, and vendors all converge, this is it. ATD offers wide coverage: leadership, sales enablement, DEI, coaching, instructional design, and learning measurement, plus a massive expo hall.

Why it’s worth attending: breadth and scale. ATD is a smart, annual reset for your program strategy and your professional network. It’s also one of the best places to find new partners and technologies, because most major players show up, and the market energy is real. 

Training Industry Conference & Expo (TICE)

Website: https://trainingindustry.com/tice/
Dates: June 16–18, 2026
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

TICE is built for L&D leaders who want to sharpen strategy without losing the practical thread. The conference leans into what’s next while still keeping sessions anchored in what works. Expect strong coverage of learning measurement, leadership development, talent strategy, and learning tech trends.

Why it’s worth attending: it’s a high-signal event that consistently attracts learning leaders and decision-makers. If your role involves choosing platforms, proving business impact, and building learning strategy across functions, TICE is designed for you. 

UNLEASH World (Paris)

Website: https://www.unleash.ai/unleashworld/
Dates: October 20–22, 2026
Location: Paris, France

UNLEASH World is more HR-tech than pure L&D, but it belongs on this list because learning increasingly sits at the center of workforce transformation. UNLEASH spotlights the intersection of people strategy, technology, skills, analytics, and organizational change, especially for enterprises navigating AI, new work models, and rapid reskilling.

Why it’s worth attending: you’ll leave with a sharper understanding of where HR, talent, and workforce tech are moving and how learning leaders can shape that future. It’s also a powerful place to evaluate how skills frameworks, talent marketplaces, and HR tech ecosystems connect to learning platforms and content strategy.

DevLearn Conference & Expo (Las Vegas)

Website: https://devlearn.com/
Dates: November 4–6, 2026
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (MGM Grand) 

DevLearn is where learning design meets learning technology—and it’s one of the most valuable events of the year if you build digital learning experiences. Expect deep dives into authoring tools, learning experience design, video, simulations, AI use cases, and performance support.

Why it’s worth attending: you get tactical and technical in the best way. DevLearn is especially strong for instructional designers, eLearning developers, learning technologists, and anyone who wants to modernize content production, design practices, or learning delivery models. You’ll leave with ideas you can implement immediately, plus a clearer point of view on what “next-gen learning” actually looks like in practice. 

How to Choose the Right Conferences in 2026

When your calendar (and budget) can’t cover everything, choose based on outcomes:

• Want tech strategy and vendor evaluation? Learning Technologies, TICE, and UNLEASH World are strong bets.
• Want hands-on learning design and development? DevLearn leads the pack.
• Want broad talent development exposure and networking? ATD remains the anchor event.
• Want practical, program-building skills? Training 2026 is a strong choice.

If you’re deciding what to attend this year, start with your biggest priorities and work backward. Look for the events where the conversations are happening about the challenges you’re facing right now. Then commit to getting value: set meeting goals, plan your sessions, and follow up with the people you meet. That’s how a few days on the road turns into a year of better learning.