In just three days, 9,000 training and development professionals from more than 80 countries will convene in Dallas, Texas, for the profession’s biggest event of the year: the ASTD 2013 International Conference & Exposition. For four days we will gather as a community to network and build relationships; share best practices and challenges; learn from thought leaders and peers; and explore the emerging topics and breaking trends in the field. With top content filling 300 education sessions; an EXPO Hall bursting with 380 exhibitors; world-renowned keynote speakers Sir Ken Robinson, John Seely Brown, and Liz Wiseman; and a conference bookstore boasting the latest training and development titles, the ASTD International Conference & EXPO truly is the premier learning event.

Will you be there?

I am excited for ASTD 2013, and eager for the opportunity to meet as many members of the Human Capital Community of Practice as possible. I encourage you to visit ASTD Central, where an 80-foot Communities of Practice Wall will be on display. I, along with the other Community of Practice managers, will be stationed at the wall throughout the conference. We look forward to talking about our communities and answering any questions you may have.

Also new this year, a Community Theater in ASTD Central will showcase select education sessions in a unique multimedia environment. Check out Mentoring Partnerships: An Intergenerational Strategy on Monday morning from 9:45 to 10:30.

Additional human capital sessions  to note include Employee Development on a Shoestring: Developing Talent Outside the Classroom, Rapidly Retooling: Five Steps to Staying in Lockstep With a Rapidly Changing World, and The Good Company Index: What Your CEO Needs to Know. Browse all conference sessions by event type, track, learning approach, or speaker, and create your daily schedule using the Schedule Planner tool.

Whether or not you can make it to Dallas next week, I encourage you to follow @astdhumancap on Twitter, and join the conference conversation using the #astd2013 hash tag. I anticipate fruitful community discussion and connection for both attendees and those participating from afar.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or ideas for how we can work together to grow the Human Capital Community of Practice. See you in Dallas!