Fusion Productions’ Successfully Produces ASTD International Conference and Exposition General Sessions

(August 2002)

For the third year running, Fusion Productions produced the general sessions for the ASTD 2002 International Conference and Exposition held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) is the world’s leading association for workplace learning and performance professionals representing 70,000 people, in 100 countries worldwide. Recognizing that attendees are leaders in the training industry, ASTD staff members and the Fusion team designed the general sessions to have learning value to the attendees—from the welcome speeches and keynotes to the sponsor recognition and awards presentations. “The general sessions set the tone for the entire conference. It’s where we launched our key messages and reinforced them throughout the week,” said Tina Sung, President and CEO of ASTD.

ASTD recently revised their awards program to include the presentation of over 30 awards at the general sessions. Fusion created a combination of video and live presentations with print support to ensure the educational experience was multifaceted. In addition, the awards were spread over the three general sessions, and aligned with workshops given by the awards recipients so they could provide in depth information on the practices that lead to their receiving the recognition. “We were honored to recognize the award recipients at the general sessions, “ Sung noted. “By spotlighting all of these best practices, conference and expo attendees received practical information and insights that they can apply within their own organizations.” This design reinforced the fact that ASTD is the “place to be” for more knowledge through best practices.

Fusion’s on site video production team interviewed attendees and edited the material to play each morning at the general sessions. These interviews were not ASTD commercials, but featured practitioners who addressed industry trends and concerns facing the workplace learning and performance profession. Tina Sung used these interview segments as the foundation for the day’s learnings as she opened each session.

“The ASTD 2002 International Conference and Exposition was a successful reinforcement of key messages and the ASTD brand through the blending of content design, staging, video production, on site rehearsal, and show management, “ said Jamie McDonough, Director, Meeting & Training Services, Fusion Productions. Fusion will use a similar formula as they begin to develop the ASTD 2003 International Conference and Exposition being held in San Diego, California USA, May 16-22.

Fusion Productions is a full-service production company that creates customized member experiences whether on stage or on a desktop through the integration of meetings, learning and technology. Fusion is well known to the association community for their ground-breaking technology research, consulting and seminars.

ASTD is a leading association of workplace learning and performance professionals, forming a world-class community of practice. ASTD's 70,000 members and associates come from more than 100 countries and thousands of organizations--multinational corporations, medium-sized and small businesses, government, academia, consulting firms, and product and service suppliers. To learn more about ASTD, visit their website at www.astd.org.
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