The Learning Technologies 2009 Conference will open with a keynote address by Tony Buzan, the creator of Mind Mapping, on why in difficult economic times businesses should be increasing not decreasing L&D budgets, explaining how investments in intellectual capital are amongst the most important businesses will ever make.
"In a marketplace where competition is fierce and it is increasingly difficult to maintain corporate flair and individuality, it is more important than ever to acquire learning skills that can affect turnover in a positive way, yet past experience has shown that it is often the L&D budget which is the first to be cut in times of adversity," says Tony Buzan, who will argue that the current economic crises were caused, to a large extent, by inadequate learning and bankruptcy of thought.
In his opening address 'Learning & development: intellectual capital you can bank on!', Tony Buzan, creator of Mind Mapping, founder of The Brain Trust, author of 84 books on the brain and learning, and advisor to numerous Fortune 500 businesses, will present a convincing argument to the L&D profession on why business should and must continue investments in learning in order to survive and emerge stronger from the current economic downturn.
"Tony Buzan is one of the world's leading thinkers and communicators on creativity, the power of the mind, change and learning and this will be a session not to be missed," commented Donald H Taylor, the Learning Technologies 2009 Conference Chair.
Tony Buzan is the originator and creator of what has been described as the ultimate creative thinking tool 'the Radiant Thinking Mind Map' and is renowned world-wide for his talks on memory, creativity, learning, self-improvement and the brain.
He has written and co-authored more than 84 books on the brain and learning and is the BBC's number one international selling author. His multi-million seller 'Use Your Head' (BBC) was selected by the Express Newspaper Group/Dillons as one of the 1,000 greatest books of the last millennium and is a standard introductory text for staff training within IBM, General Motors, EDS, Fluor Daniel, Digital Equipment Corporation and for students of the Open University.
Tony Buzan founded The Brain Trust, started the World Memory Championships and has been appointed director of National Educational Initiatives by the Governments and Governing Bodies for Education in Scotland, Singapore, Mexico and Australia.
A member of Mensa, Tony has consulted or spoken for many Fortune 500 major multi-nationals including IBM, HSBC, Oracle, BT Wholesale, Barclays International, EDS, Microsoft, General Motors, Walt Disney, Digital, and British Airways, and regularly lectures to audiences of all nationalities, ages and educational levels.
The Learning Technologies exhibition and conference, returning in its tenth year, is on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 January 2009 at Olympia 2 in London. Registration for both the 2009 exhibition and conference is now open and full details can be found at www.learningtechnologies.co.uk
