We’re one week away from Learning Solutions in Orlando. Not only am I presenting on visual design, assisting Patty Shank with her rapid e-learning workshop, participating in a panel event and working the booth, but it’s also the week we learn the results of the Lingos Global Giveback competition.

Tom and I donated our time and submitted an e-learning course for the event. Looking back it was a crazy two weeks but I learned a lot working with Tom on the project and I’m excited to see what other designers came up with.

The Guild’s spring event also holds some other memories for me. Two years ago I had a session for what was then called Annual Gathering. Like most events, I agreed to do the session months in advance. I was working in the financial services industry at the time. Things were rocky but stable. By the time the event arrived, the company I was working for was being acquired and my team was steeped in transition projects. Not an ideal time to take a holiday.

Never one to say “no” or  cancel, I flew to Orlando arriving three hours before my session. Gave the session. Met Tom Kuhlmann for the first time and headed back to the airport to fly home. The next day I learned my wife and I were having a baby girl.

I can’t wait to find out what happens this year!

Update:

• Mood board template
• Screencast for mood board
• Here’s what happened this year

Spent the weekend putting the final touches on my Elearning Guild sim for my Espresso Learning session this week on Second Life and virtual worlds.

Espresso sessions are meant to be informal and conversational without slides or handouts, however, I always prefer to have some sort of live demonstration running when talking about Second Life.

This will be an “espresso” session in every sense of the word. I fly into Orlando two hours before my session. Immediately after my session, I race back to the airport to fly home to Phoenix where I’ll spend my “vacation” packing and preparing for our (official) move to Dallas.