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Talent Development: Best and Next Practices
ATD has hosted conferences to educate and inspire talent development professionals around the world. We hold the ATD Japan Summit every year to meet the learning needs of talent development professionals in Japan. The ATD Japan Summit 2023 will be held on December 5–8 with the theme “Talent Development: Best and Next Practices

Following the current efforts to lead change based on the foundational principles of talent development, this summit will cover the following areas: talent development strategies, leadership development, skills-based approach to employee development, instructional design, learning technologies, diversity, equity & inclusion, and change management.
Our sessions cover the hot topics such as:

  • Learner-based ecosystem
  • AI/ChatGPT/VR
  • Virtual learning
  • Future leadership
  • Psychological safety
  • Employee engagement and retention
  • DEI
  • Coaching
  • Change management




Why Should I Attend?

We are bringing together 4 days of live sessions to learn from expert speakers and international thought leaders exploring topics such as future requirements for successful T&D, best practices of cutting-edge organizations, next-generation learning technology, and practical techniques to bridge employees’ human needs with digital technologies. Take an active role in translating training into strategy and techniques applicable to the virtual and in-person business landscape and future-proof talent development.









The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world’s largest nonprofit serving learning and development professionals. With more than 75 years of experience, we are a respected global leader in talent development, servicing 120 countries with education programs, certification, content, and events. ATD understands the pressures you face and is here to support the work you do every day to help you along your journey.

ATD’s Vision

Create a World That Works Better

ATD’s Mission

Empower Professionals to Develop Talent in the Workplace

Japan Member Network

As an international network of American ATD in Japan, it is a non-profit organization that conducts various activities such as information dissemination and enlightenment of ATD on a volunteer basis.






ATD Japan Summit 2023 Schedule

  • Day 1 - December 5 (Tuesday)
  • Platform Orientation & Networking
  • Welcome Remarks
  • Opening Keynote
    Debbie Richards (President, Creative Interactive Ideas)

    How to Prepare Your Company for New Technologies

    In today’s rapidly changing world of talent development, embracing new ways of learning and advanced technologies is more critical than ever. Adapting to evolving industries is challenging, mainly when introducing new technologies to organizations. But doing so allows organizations to thrive during transformations. By understanding the necessity of innovative training, forward-thinking companies gain a distinct advantage. This session will empower you with insights and tools to address this gap effectively. The main focus is creating successful plans for integrating new learning technologies, drawing from real-world examples and practical steps. These resources are valuable guides to unlocking the potential of modern learning technologies. Recognizing the need for structured approaches in exploring and implementing these technologies, the speaker will present a streamlined framework to help make informed decisions aligned with your organization’s unique culture and goals.
  • Education Session
  • Networking Break
  • Sponsor Session
  • Networking Break
  • Study Group Break
  • Daily Recap
  • Welcome Remarks
  • ATD Research Session
    ATD Research Session

    Jennifer Homer (Vice President, ATD)
  • Sponsor Session
  • Networking Break
  • Education Session
    Education Session

    Darren Nerland (Sr. Global Leadership and Learning Manager, Amazon)
  • Networking Break
  • Study Group Session
  • Daily Recap
  • Welcome Remarks
  • Sponsor Session
  • Networking Break
  • Study Group Session
  • Education Session
    Emma Weber (CEO and Founder at Lever-Transfer of Learning)
    Cindy Huggett (Principal at Cindy Huggett Consulting, LCC)
    Jack J. Phillips (Chairman at ROI Institute, Inc.)
    Patti P. Phillips (CEO, ROI Institute, Inc.)

    Designing Virtual Learning for Application, Impact, and ROI: Real Examples

    Looking for ways to better engage your audience, elevate application, and deliver more value to your organization? This panel will share real-world experiences, simple tips, and practical actions to enhance the application, impact, and return on investment (ROI) of your virtual learning programs.From this session, you will be able to (a) Explore a proven design model for virtual learning that leads to results and ROI; (b) discover a variety of real-world examples of effective virtual learning programs; and (c) apply practical tools, tips, and templates for engaging virtual learning that helps deliver business results.
  • Networking Break
  • Education Session
    Katsura Ito (Commissioner at National Personnel Authority (NPA), ex-CLO at Microsoft Japan)

    Getting Started with Change Management in Traditional Organization

    Change management is a systematic approach to transitioning an organization’s goals from the current state to a desired future state. It minimizes the negative impacts of change and helps individuals and organizations adapt to new business practices. In this session, you’ll learn how to adopt change management practices within a traditional organization. When you return to work, you'll understand the importance of communication for effective change management, and you'll be able to tailor a change management plan to fit your organization's needs.
  • Daily Recap
  • Welcome Remarks
  • Closing Keynote
    Closing Keynote

    JD Dillon (Chief Learning Architect, Axonify)
  • Education Session
    Matthew Kutz (Clinical Professor, Florida International University)

    Harnessing the Power of Foresight for Exceptional Change Management

    Harnessing the power of foresight will teach you how to better understand, prepare for, and equip those around you for the future. You will walk away from this session understanding how to develop foresight and use it to embrace change and leverage chaos.
  • Networking Break
  • Study Groups Session
  • Closing Panel
  • Get Started With xAPI for Learning Analytics
    Megan Torrance (CEO, TorranceLearning)

    Successful adopters of Experience API for learning analytics have three things in common: a data-driven mindset, a data tool set, and a strategy for success. In this session, we will explore what xAPI is and share case studies demonstrating how it has been used to drive evaluation, measurement, and decision making. The xAPI tools and platforms are ready; are you?

    From this session, you will be able to:
    • Describe xAPI in a compelling way to get buy-in from organizational leaders.
    • Create a road map for implementation that includes data sources, storage, relationships, and strategies.
    • Follow a process for analyzing data to drive decision making and action.
  • Learner-Focused Ecosystem: How Can We Make That Happen?
    Koko Nakahara (Managing Director, Instructional Design, Inc. Japan)

    Systems have become more and more advanced, but the learner is often forgotten in the process. Learning shouldn’t focus on tools but rather on the learning experience and needs of the learner! In this session, the speakers will outline three global cases to help you improve your ecosystem design for future learning.

    From this session, you will be able to:
    • Apply design tools that put your learner at the center of your learning ecosystem.
    • Apply best practices from three different continents.
    • Align your learning system with learner needs.
  • VR Soft-Skills Training Tactics and Lessons Learned
    Marek Hyla (Learning Principal Director, Accenture)
    Aleksandra Gomula (Learning and Development Manager, Accenture)

    VR authoring tools are finally here, allowing us to create immersive learning experiences at scale. Complete with virtual environments, avatars, libraries of predefined gestures, and more, they are the future of soft skills training. You will learn how to build these immersive solutions for efficiency in the learning process.

    From this session, you will be able to:
    • Understand and respond to challenges related to writing realistic and nuanced scripts for soft-skills VR trainings.
    • Explore challenges and best practices related to the design of interactions with virtual humans that will guarantee immersion.
    • Discover the VR instructional design process for the VR soft-skills training leading to tangible behavioral changes at scale.
  • Improve Learning Transfer Through Smart Nudges Delivered by a Chatbot
    Vincent Han (CEO and Founder, Mobile Coach)

    Whether we like to admit it or not, learners need nudges. This session covers best practices for delivering the ideal nudge to workplace learners. Learn how to write a good nudge and how to program a chatbot to deliver it. Reaching learners through chatbots on Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google, or SMS has proven very effective.
  • CARE: The 4 Essentials of Psychological Safety
    Paul Stabile (VP of Learning Operations, DX Learning Solutions)

    Great leaders develop a sense of belonging and create a psychologically safe workplace. They know that success is far more than the end product that is being delivered. It's developing empowered teams that innovate, connect, and collaborate effectively. CARE assists leaders in removing some of the natural biases that cause people-first blind spots.

    From this session, you will be able to:
    • Identify common leadership biases and explore best practices to mitigate them.
    • Apply the CARE framework to common leadership challenges.
  • Applied AI For the Enterprise: Relevance, Brand Compliance, and Safety
    Gary Lipkowitz (CEO, Vyond)

    You’ve seen generative AI in action, but how do you use AI for work? How do you ensure content relevance, brand compliance, and information security? In this session, Vyond CEO Gary Lipkowitz will discuss these topics and more. You’ll also get a sneak peek of Vyond’s new AI-powered releases, which are designed with solutions to these problems in mind.
  • Leadership and the New Imperative: Improving People’s Psychological Sense
    Susan Fowler (CEO and Founder, Mojo Moments, Inc.)

    High performance suffers when leaders fail to create a culture that supports flourishing. Leaders need the capacity to promote performance without eroding people’s well-being. This new imperative requires a shift in focus and priorities, but you might be astonished by how elegantly it results in thriving and effective workplaces.
ATD 2022 Japan Summit Sponsors & Exhibitors