Press releases

2024-03-12
LEARNTEC Convention 2024 focuses on AI, XR and other top trends in digital education

From 4 to 6 June 2024, the LEARNTEC convention will once again showcase the latest trends in digital education. Around 100 speakers from business and science will pass on their expertise to participants in around 70 practical lecture and workshop slots. Artificial intelligence will once again be the dominant topic at the convention in 2024, along with virtual and augmented realities (XR). Other key topics include data literacy, trust culture, ESG and performance management.

The convention is aimed at professionals from the education sector, companies, academics and interested parties who want to help shape digital education and offers them the opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded people, make new contacts and learn from high-calibre international experts.

"From the submissions to the Call for Papers, we have once again put together a high-quality convention on the very latest topics in digital education. We are particularly pleased that we are increasingly receiving submissions from European countries and can share their important insights and best practice," say Sünne Eichler and Prof Dr Peter A. Henning from the LEARNTEC Convention Committee. "We cordially invite all convention participants to expand their knowledge, gather new ideas and be inspired."

Exclusive keynotes provide forward-looking impetus

The centrepiece of this year's LEARNTEC convention will once again be the high-calibre keynotes with speakers from science and industry. LEARNTEC starts with a public keynote by Prof Dr Ulrike Lucke, University of Potsdam. She will present the national education platform. The German government expects this central institution to provide a significant boost to the digitalisation of education; as a hub, it is intended to integrate educational platforms and services nationwide, establish common standards and facilitate access to education. In the afternoon of the first day of the congress, Lori Niles-Hofmann, Senior Learning Transformation Strategist from Canada, will speak to the participants. "I will be talking about the future of learning, including the ways in which artificial intelligence can be used to enhance digital learning. This will be far more than using ChatGPT to write courses. Instead, we will look at how AI can be connected to the EdTech ecosystem of organisations to fully understand how people learn and where learning impacts business. Finally, I will be speaking on skills-based organisations and the role that learning and development and AI will have in this new paradigm," she says ahead of LEARNTEC.

The second day of the event will begin with a keynote speech on learning support by Prof. Dr Anja Schmitz and Jan Foelsing: "In times when technological developments are coming thick and fast and learning has become a critical competitive factor, the question of how we can optimally support employees in this context of human-machine collaboration so that they can develop their potential and contribute to the success of the organisation is becoming increasingly urgent. Learning support plays a central role in this. We will shed light on how learning support can be designed to promote self-directed and effective learning using human and digital intelligent learning guides in the interplay of artificial and human intelligence."

This year, the popular panel discussion on Wednesday afternoon will focus on the individual wishes and visions of how the young generation would like to see digital education in the future. The panellists will include Jon Buchmüller, a student at the University of Hohenheim, and young professional Tamara Frankenhäuser from the LEARNTEC team as well as trainees from trade and industry.

Creativity meets the future: next-generation e-learning approaches

With a holistic approach, the team led by Charlotte Axelsson, Head of the Teaching Development Unit at Zurich University of the Arts, is designing "digital learning spaces that can be experienced in a sensual and tender way". Using the examples of a continuing education programme and other continuing education formats in the Encounter series, Charlotte Axelsson will explain the associated pedagogical concepts, methods and strategies on Thursday morning. "Digital skills are essential for shaping future education in a world with artificial intelligence."

Prof Dr Eric Eller, Professor of Business and Media Psychology at Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences, will focus on the culture of trust in his keynote speech. He argues that trust is "a confident decision for vulnerability and thus also a central prerequisite for learning": "Whether people can trust each other within an organisation is no coincidence. Rather, the prerequisites for the development of trust are known and can be systematically established. Together, we will delve into the psychology of trust and clarify how a culture of trust can develop in organisations."

2023-12-13
Online format LEARNTEC xChange 2024 enters the next round

From 4 to 6 June 2024, the education industry will come together at Messe Karlsruhe to once again get to know the latest innovations at LEARNTEC - Europe's most important event for digital learning - and to experience live how technology can offer concrete solutions to current issues in our society and individual everyday learning.

Four months before the event, the online format LEARNTEC xChange from 30 January to 1 February 2024 offers a foretaste of the trade fair and congress. Ten specialist presentations by top-class experts will address current topics from corporate learning, digitalisation at universities and schools and, for the first time, digital education in daycare centres. This gives the education sector the opportunity to continue their education from home or the office free of charge and thus expand their knowledge and network.

Free registration and further information can be found on the LEARNTEC website at

2023-10-27
Applications now open: delina 2024!

At the next LEARNTEC trade fair - Europe's largest event for digital education - from 04 to 06 June 2024, it will once again be a case of awarding prizes to new creative minds in the four categories "Early Childhood Education and Schools", "Higher Education", "Training and Further Education" and "Society and Lifelong Learning". Projects are sought that combine innovative future technologies and media with everyday learning.

"The future of learning is in a constant state of change. Especially the latest digital developments and trends are becoming more and more relevant. For this reason, we want to honour the most creative minds with the delina Award again next year and thus draw attention to the projects and ideas of the future," says René Naumann, Team Lead Technology at Messe Karlsruhe.

Creative minds as trendsetters are to be honoured by delina

Companies, start-ups, pupils, students, teachers and universities are all eligible to apply. The projects to be submitted can be as diverse as the applicants: Virtual classrooms, augmented reality or social media technologies - any topic is welcome. All application documents are available online at www.learntec.de/delina. The deadline for applications is 10.12.2023.

In 2023, the delina was awarded to "Cornelsen: Diagnose und Fördern" (category: early childhood education and school), "Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA: OMC.PRO" (category: training and further education), "gdw nord: didab - the digital learning world for people with impairments" (category: society and lifelong learning) and "Technische Hochschule Wildau: learning factories as a transdisciplinary learning format" (university).

2023-09-11
LEARNTEC 2024: Help shape digital education!

The call for papers for LEARNTEC - Europe's most important trade fair and convention for digital education in schools, universities and the workplace - has started. From 4 to 6 June 2024, the convention will be dedicated to the trends and topics of digital education in practice-oriented lectures, workshops and discussion rounds. It enables participants to experience the concentrated spectrum of digital education as part of the community and to exchange ideas with top-class experts from business and science. Interested parties have until 8 October to submit topics online in German or English or to suggest speakers and thus actively participate in the congress.

"The LEARNTEC Convention is an important platform for innovations in the education sector and, with its latest topics, is always a step ahead of the trends. It shows where visions become reality. We invite you to use this unique platform to share expert knowledge, network and actively shape the future of education," say Sünne Eichler, Prof. Dr. Peter A. Henning and Micha Pallesche from the LEARNTEC Convention Committee.

The Call for Papers for the LEARNTEC Convention focuses on the topics of digital learning in the professional environment. Submissions are welcome, for example, on learning content and its production, hardware and equipment, learning software and intelligent learning systems. However, education management and education culture as well as topics from personnel and coaching such as New Work and Modern Workplace Learning are also in demand. The LEARNTEC Convention Committee compiles essential parts of the congress programme from all submissions according to strict criteria.

In addition, topics on digital education in schools and universities as well as on augmented and virtual reality can be submitted, which will be integrated into the trade fair's specialist forums, for example the AR/VR Area, the specialist programme university@LEARNTEC or the forum school@LEARNTEC. The search is on, for example, for best-practice examples from digital teaching in higher education or on the future of education systems as well as on teaching with digital media .

All information on the topics and criteria of the Call for Papers as well as the submission documents are available on the LEARNTEC website.

2023-05-25
LEARNTEC: the place to be for digital education

LEARNTEC, the international trade fair and convention for digital education in schools, universities and the workplace, continued its success, recording an increase in visitor numbers of more than 20 per cent. Around 13,500 participants came together at Messe Karlsruhe from 23 to 25 May 2023 to network with each other and discover the latest trends in digital learning from 437 exhibitors across 21 nations. The use of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning was a common thread running through LEARNTEC, and the offerings were highly appreciated by all those in attendance. LEARNTEC thus continues to consolidate its position as the leading event for digital education in Europe.

"For three decades, LEARNTEC has been the central meeting point for everyone involved with the latest technologies and forward-looking trends in learning. LEARNTEC and the TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe as an important digital centre in Germany thus create the ideal framework for innovation in the education landscape," says Britta Wirtz, CEO of Messe Karlsruhe.

Exhibitors enjoy high proportion of decision-makers

More exhibitors than ever before, a total of 437 companies, including many long-time friends of the fair, showcased the latest trends in digital learning. "At LEARNTEC there is the perfect mix of learning offers and technologies. We have been at LEARNTEC for over 15 years and offer exactly what the visitor target group is looking for. We meet customers who are interested in buying and have good questions about our online communication platform, and are specifically looking for individual solutions," says Marlene Aßfalg, Head of Marketing at vitero. For Thorsten Unger, Managing Director of Wegesrand, LEARNTEC is an important opportunity for industry to get together, and strengthen the education sector network. "It is also a successful marketplace for acquiring new customers," says Unger. Hannah Dannereder, Marketing Manager at Haufe Akademie, adds: "We were able to make exciting contacts because visitors to LEARNTEC are exactly our target group. This year we used the trade fair as an opportunity to launch a new product family."

School technologies continue to advance

Around 120 exhibitors presented the latest technologies for schools in the dm-arena. They were particularly impressed by the high number of decision-makers among the visitors. Matthias Geenen, founder of M&A Lernsoftware, was part of the new StartUp Valley and notes: "We wanted to meet new customers here and mainly met decision-makers on an administrative and municipal level, such as school boards, who supply schools with our learning software." The school@LEARNTEC forum scored points with participants for its diverse programme on different key topics. "Discussions focused primarily on the teaching of future competences, including a great panel with Sandra Boser, State Secretary for Education and Cultural Affairs in Baden-Württemberg," says Micha Pallesche, member of the convention committee. The Karlsruhe City Media Centre again used LEARNTEC as the setting for its Media Competence Day, which was very well received by approximately 300 participants.

LEARNTEC is a valued platform for networking and trend-setting

Visitors to LEARNTEC travelled from all over Germany and Europe to the Karlsruhe trade fair centre with the aim of networking, learning about the latest market trends, obtaining answers to their questions and also doing business. The desire for professional exchange is greater than ever. The many interactive offers at the exhibition stands were therefore particularly appreciated. "For time4you, LEARNTEC is our most important trade fair. Here we generate a great deal of interest from the trade audience. That's why this year, in addition to the classic trade fair stand, we also focused on interactive formats. Our workshops at the stand were particularly well received and offered interesting exchanges," says Dr. Hartwig Holzapfel, Managing Director at the Karlsruhe exhibitor time4you. "We are always a few years ahead of the users in terms of development, so we use direct feedback from the fair to see what is already in practice and what is on the horizon." Daniel Stöckel works for a service provider for education and training topics, and has been visiting LEARNTEC for many years: "It's always worth coming because the fair represents the entire industry. You have a perfect cross-section of all areas and get to see new developments. That's why it’s vital to be here."

LEARNTEC Future Lab is a visitor magnet

The LEARNTEC Future Lab, in particular, again attracted numerous visitors to Hall 2 to experience future technologies such as Metaverse or AI. Christian Steiner let visitors create works of art with artificial intelligence and organised ChatGPT workshops. His conclusion: "Overwhelming. The visitors formed a cluster all the way down the aisle to listen to me. They had an enormous need to exchange ideas with experts and look at the topic on a neutral level. That's exactly what the Future Lab did to perfection." Lisa Klein, Learning Consultant at Hays AG, was highly satisfied with her visit too: "Curiosity about new trends and current events drove me to LEARNTEC. I was able to take away a few things for my own company and for my own learning culture."

LEARNTEC Convention unites participants and speakers

The top-class specialist congress at LEARNTEC presented groundbreaking developments in digital education over three days. Around 110 speakers from business and science shared their expertise with the participants in more than 60 practical lecture and workshop slots. "We are delighted that the new workshop area was so well received by the participants," emphasised Sünne Eichler and Prof. Dr. Peter A. Henning from the LEARNTEC Convention Committee. Located in Hall 2, the special area offered participants an ideal setting for an even more intensive exchange of ideas. The participants gave top marks for this additional offer. Irene Scherer took part in the workshop on education and training for AI, and says: "There were profound discussions, many questions and networking among the participants afterwards. It couldn't have gone any better."

The next LEARNTEC will take place from 4 to 6 June 2023 at Messe Karlsruhe. René Naumann, Team Lead Technology at Messe Karlsruhe, sums up the event: "Together with the community, we celebrated three days of digital education and would like to thank our exhibitors in particular for their long-standing partnership. We are already looking to the future with them and are pleased that more than 73 per cent of the available space has already been booked for LEARNTEC 2024.“

2023-05-15
Megatrend ChatGPT & Co.: Europe's largest event for digital education shows the future of learning

For three decades now, LEARNTEC has served as a central meeting point for everyone involved with the latest technologies and forward-looking trends in learning. From floppy disks to web-based offerings to mobile learning, virtual reality and ChatGPT - LEARNTEC has been involved in developments in the education industry since 1992. From 23 to 25 May 2023, Europe's largest event for digital education will now celebrate its 30th edition, once again taking a look at the education trends of tomorrow. Around 400 exhibitors will present the latest technologies on the education market in three exhibition halls, and almost all relevant providers of digital education will be represented at LEARNTEC. This year, much will revolve around the megatrend ChatGPT and the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence for teachers and learners in schools, universities and everyday working life.

LEARNTEC Future Lab: Experience Metaverse and AI with all senses

In the LEARNTEC Future Lab, digital education becomes an experience. Visitors can immerse themselves in a jungle metaverse via AR and return with their own little avatar. They can create their own works of art with an artificial intelligence and learn about the possibilities of ChatGPT in workshops. In addition, the New Work idea will be taken up by visitors who can design their personal dream office with Lego building blocks.

AR/VR Area: Immerse yourself in virtual worlds

LEARNTEC is once again dedicated to virtual realities in 2023. In the AR/VR Area, around 20 exhibitors will present their latest technologies. Here, too, the focus is on the visitors' own experience: they can try out the new learning methods in the area for themselves. Parallel to this, there will be a varied programme on all three days with practical presentations and best-practice examples, which will show visitors the possibilities of immersive learning. Among the topics will be the new training occupation "immersive media designer" in the dual system, the use of VR in technical vocational training or in nursing and the importance of new technologies in the war of talents.

New: Two start-up areas with newcomers to the education industry

Innovative ideas are important growth drivers, also in the education industry. That's why LEARNTEC 2023 will once again provide special support for the next generation of the industry. This year, in cooperation with EDUvation, there will be two start-up areas at LEARNTEC with around 50 founders: the LEARNTEC StartUp Valley @Corporate in Hall 2 with young companies from the corporate learning sector and the new LEARNTEC StartUp Valley @School in the dm-arena all about the digital school of the future.

LEARNTEC Convention: ChatGPT, Metaverse & Co.

The LEARNTEC convention presents the current trends in digital education over three days. Around 100 speakers from business and science will pass on their expertise to participants in more than 60 practical lecture and workshop slots. This year's main topics include Metaverse, Learning Ecosystems, New and Agile Learning, Learning with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Adaptive Learning. The mega topic ChatGPT plays a role in several events. But resilient learning settings and learner activation as well as the change in learning culture also find their place in the congress programme. The heart of the LEARNTEC convention this year will again be the top-class keynotes with speakers from science and business. Among the speakers will be Prof. Dr. Jörg Desel (member of the presidium of the German Informatics Society), the Dutch hi-tech fashion designer and innovator Anouk Wipprecht, the US education expert Elliot Masie and Prof. Dr. Rafaela Kraus, (Vice President for Entrepreneurship at the University of the Federal Armed Forces). In the new Workshop Area in Hall 2, convention participants can exchange practical experience on various trend topics.

Digital University: Accompanying the Digital Transformation

How are universities positioning themselves in the digital transformation? How does the digital transformation affect research and teaching? And how important is a digitisation strategy in this context? With university@LEARNTEC, LEARNTEC is offering a platform for the sixth time on current issues relating to the digitalisation of university teaching. On the second day of the trade fair, the conference "Digital University" will take place in this context. University management and IT managers can find out how other institutions are mastering the digital transformation and network with each other. Scientifically sound expert presentations will provide exciting impulses for the strategic orientation of different universities.

School@LEARNTEC and Media Competence Day: Developing Tomorrow's School Today

In a separate exhibition hall, the dm-arena, everything revolves around new learning worlds and technologies for teaching. Around 100 exhibitors will present their innovative solutions and advise visitors on their individual questions. The school@LEARNTEC forum offers school administrators, school district administrators and interested teachers the opportunity to actively participate in workshops. They can try out the latest technologies live and exchange ideas with colleagues about their personal vision of the school of the future. The topics in the forum are varied: top-class speakers discuss, among other things, learning platforms and cloud solutions, teaching with digital media or the Digitalpakt Schule.

2023-04-24

In this interview, he reveals how much potential he sees in AI chatbots, how our way of learning has changed over the course of the past 30 years, and why Mark Zuckerberg constitutes a problem for the metaverse.

Everyone is talking about ChatGPT. What do you find most interesting about the hype around AI chatbots?

What I find interesting is that the technology behind AI is actually not new. Our public focus on it is new. Whether we are talking about Google or China's Baidu, all search engines are working with AI. However, ChatGPT revealed the enormous possibilities of AI to the public offering people a tempting and intriguing technology. And remember, this technology is only five years old. This makes the potential that is unfolding already all the more exciting.

I also find it very exciting that we have moved from single question – single answer to a much more personalized dialogue with search engines. I could go to Google and say, "Tell me about this topic." Google would then provide a short paragraph. I could then continue searching with that information. But now I can say, "Tell me more. Translate that into German. Show me a picture." Consequently, our interaction with search engines transforms into a personal and sizable conversation.

LEARNTEC has been around since 1992, just celebrating its 30th anniversary. You have also been an expert in e-learning since the 1990s. What development has surprised you the most since then?

For a long time, learning spaces resembled houses of worship with very structured curricula and controlled from the top. That has changed a lot. I remember working with a large software company for a training program in the 1990s. The textbook had hundreds of pages and they went through it page by page for 14 days. Today, the company trains its employees by giving them projects that include collaboration. Documentation is more interactive. Learners have become more diverse. Now learning is no longer about curriculum design or the choice of the learning management system but more about how we can use all these different technologies and learning strategies in ways that are shorter, more targeted, and personalized.

Another topic at LEARNTEC is the metaverse. Recent studies have shown that the metaverse is not yet a priority for German companies. What is your view on the metaverse?

It is wise of the Germans not to rely too much on the metaverse (laughs). I have three issues with the metaverse. First, most people do not want to wear VR goggles for more than a few minutes at work. So the next version of what we call the metaverse will not have to be goggle based in order for it to be successful. I could well imagine holographic projections or something similar replacing the goggles at some point. My second issue is Mark Zuckerberg. He is shaping the metaverse more than anyone else. In my opinion, this is a problem because many corporations do not wish to tie themselves into his brand and his ego. The third issue: The metaverse has not captured the imagination of the youngest. They are more interested in TikTok or Instagram right now. But without the younger generations technology has no chance of success. I think that at some point there will be a different kind of metaverse with a different name in which we use our screens and smartphones in a more three-dimensional way.

How would you assess the current state of e-learning in Germany?

German companies are applying e-learning in a very structured way. At a conference, the HR manager of a German car manufacturer told me that they train the workforce on site with a combination of e-learning, VR and analogue materials. I was impressed by that. E-learning in Germany is mainly used in vocational training and less in schools which is different in the US. I would also say that universities in Germany have done a good job in introducing and expanding e-learning. Now it will be interesting to see if they also venture a step further and integrate augmented simulations and the like.

Do you think people learn differently today than they used to?

Most definitely. New technologies, the pandemic, economic and vocational uncertainty: all these things combined make people want to learn what they really need to know quicker. They do not want to learn anything they do not currently need. Instead, they would rather know where to look things up when they need it. They prefer more conversation and collaboration and they aspire to shape their own teaching.

People used to learn something new at the beginning of their careers – or once a year at best. Recently someone from a German manufacturing company wrote to me: "We want to make sure our employees can learn something every day." That is a much more contemporary approach. We will see interesting changes in the use of AI. Right now, there are still companies and schools that strictly reject AI. This reminds me of the times when schools wanted to ban calculators. It did not work because too many people used them. It will be the same for AI.

What does the future of learning look like? What would we talk about in an interview 30 years from now?

I think we would know before the interview what the other person is good at and what our counterpart's interests are. The way I envision it is that at the click of a button, we will be able to get a comprehensive picture of people we are interacting with. We will have new opportunities to find out what special skills someone has and who can support us and how to develop our skills.

In addition – and this is a bit more controversial – I do not think that we will still have to memorize so many things. Just like today, I simply type in the address of my destination and my GPS will show me the way. I think we will become better at navigating our way to knowledge rather than having to memorize that knowledge.

And finally, we might not even call it “learning” anymore. New skills will evolve from the interplay of knowledge, illustrations, exercises, and collaboration, but it will not necessarily feel like learning – just like today, when I watch something interesting on TV I do not think of it as learning. Nevertheless, learning will always be there even though we may understand it differently in 30 years.

2023-03-28
LEARNTEC 2023 reflects trends in corporate learning: Adaptive learning meets microlearning and user-generated content

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in more and more areas of life, and learning is no exception: According to the current trend study "mmb Learning Delphi" 2022/2023, adaptive learning is gaining traction in the German education landscape. And confidence in the possibilities of such AI applications is also increasing. The fact that AI is no longer just a future trend is also reflected in the exhibitor portfolio at LEARNTEC: numerous companies will be presenting their adaptive learning systems at Messe Karlsruhe from 23 to 25 May 2023.

AI-based mentoring for executives

After 18 months of development, KI Mentor is presenting "KI.m", AI-based mentoring for managers, to the general public for the first time at LEARNTEC. Based on artificial intelligence, KI.m conducts a natural dialogue with executives via a smartphone app and uses various state-of-the-art algorithms, as well as a scientifically based leadership model for mentoring. KI.m supports managers in overcoming daily leadership challenges, acting as a coach, "suggestion box" and advisor, and is available in the workplace 24/7. At the trade fair stand, the company will combine analogue and digital worlds, allowing visitors to better understand KI.m and enjoy short "mentoring sessions".

Motivating quizzes instead of time-consuming learning units

With Micromate, gamified microlearning takes place directly in Microsoft Teams. Micromate is an innovative learning companion that can be used to convey knowledge in short units in the style of conversational learning. Consequently, as in a messenger conversation, questions are asked by Micromate and answered by the learner. Micromate checks the answer and reacts with feedback. At LEARNTEC, the company will present, among other things, a demo integration of ChatGPT. "No other trade fair is better suited to present our innovative, digital learning assistant Micromate, and to exchange ideas with other manufacturers about the future of e-learning," says Christoph Süess, Managing Director at Micromate.

Authoring tool that thinks for itself

youknow presents "knowtion" at LEARNTEC 2023. As rapid technological changes increasingly require new skills and abilities to be built up more quickly, this can no longer be controlled centrally. In corporate learning, user-generated content, i.e. content created by learners for learners, will therefore play an even more decisive role in the future. For this, youknow relies on the possibilities of generative AI. In the authoring tool "knowtion", AI enables all users - even laypeople with no prior knowledge - to create didactically high-quality content quickly and easily. This is made possible by the integrated, AI-supported didactic assistance that helps the user every step of the way in the content creation process. As a particularly innovative project, the development of knowtion was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Learning videos made simple

The learning video experts at SlidePresenter are showcasing their latest AI feature at LEARNTEC: With the help of artificial intelligence, users can not only have a content structure but also a complete script created for their learning videos. All they have to do is enter a topic into the script generator. AI then generates prepared speaker notes and content that serve as the basis for recording the knowledge content. SlidePresenter thus massively reduces the effort required for planning and producing learning videos. The AI script generator also reduces the inhibitions of experts to record their knowledge, and provides a simple solution to the creation of user-generated content in corporate learning.

Business intelligence tool for personalised learning experience

At LEARNTEC, exhibitor Lemon Systems will explore how AI-based functions will be integrated in the future, for example, in the form of automatic language adaptations. However, the future for the company is not only about AI, as personalised, tailored learning experiences are also becoming more and more relevant for customers. This year, visitors to LEARNTEC can therefore expect to see, among other things, the powerful business intelligence tool Lemon Learning Analytics at the exhibition stand. This allows for learning data to be measured, collected, analysed and evaluated. The tool enables detailed data and processes of learners to be linked, analysed and transferred into dashboards.

Microlearning meets artificial intelligence

Visitors to LEARNTEC can also look forward to insights into the Microlearning Solution from chunkx. This will illustrate how one-off learning moments can be transformed into sustainable and personalised experiences for employees. Chunkx will demonstrate AI-based content creation and adaptive algorithms for devising continuous follow-ups in the form of microlearning units, article recommendations or author postings. All this can be tried out in the chunkx learning app. "LEARNTEC is one of the most important events of the year for us as an EdTech start-up. It gives us the opportunity to exchange ideas with companies and partners, and be inspired by industry experts. It's great to see everyone working together on the future of learning," says Theresa Voß, Co-Founder chunkx.

2023-03-07
LEARNTEC Convention 2023: Education in Change - Current Trends and Visions for the Future
Learntec convention

Education is ever-evolving, with innovative technologies and digital tools continually giving rise to new worlds of learning. Since 1992, LEARNTEC has been the annual meeting place for the digital education industry, keeping visitors and exhibitors abreast of developments. From 23 to 25 May 2023, the LEARNTEC convention will once again present the latest trends in digital education. Around 100 speakers from business and science will pass on their expertise to participants in more than 60 practical lecture and workshop slots. This year's main topics include Metaverse, Learning Ecosystems, New and Agile Learning, Learning with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Adaptive Learning. The mega topic ChatGPT also plays a role in several events, with resilient learning settings, learner activation and the change in learning culture all featuring in the convention programme too.

"Modern learning involves much more than just technologies, as it is also about the learners themselves. That's why we always take a holistic view of education at the LEARNTEC Congress," say Sünne Eichler and Prof. Dr. Peter A. Henning from the LEARNTEC Convention Committee. "We are looking forward to the anniversary of Europe's largest event for digital education and invite all congress participants to exchange visions of education with highly qualified, international experts."

Learntec convention

Exclusive keynotes round off high-quality convention programme

The heart of the LEARNTEC Convention this year will once again be the top-class keynotes with speakers from science and industry. Prof. Dr. Jörg Desel (member of the presidium of the German Informatics Society) will kick things off on the first day of the trade fair with his public keynote on the topic of "From e-learning to the digitalisation of education in 30 years". This will be followed in the afternoon by the Dutch hi-tech fashion designer and innovator Anouk Wipprecht. True to the motto "Learning gets under your skin", she will ask how the development of electronic clothing can help with learning and living.

The second day of the event will begin with a keynote speech by US education expert Elliot Masie. In an interactive exchange with him, the future topics of Open AI will be discussed and critically scrutinised. He will also act as patron for the English language strand in the LEARNTEC Convention. In the afternoon, the panel will discuss the topic of "AI in education". Among them: Dr. Lutz Hasse (Thuringian State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information), Prof. Dr. Jürgen Seitz (Institute for Applied AI, HdM Stuttgart), Dr. Dirk Werth (August-Wilhelm-Scheer Institute Saarbrücken) and Prof. Dr. Peter A. Henning (LEARNTEC Convention Committee and Competence Centre AI for Working and Learning KARL).

LEARNTEC convention

Even more space for workshops and personal exchange

LEARNTEC participants' desire for personal exchange of experience and networking is always welcome. The new Workshop Area in the exhibition hall will provide additional space for this. Daily workshops will be dedicated to different trend topics, including voice and speech training for (online) teaching, education and training for AI, learning ecosystems, resilience, making knowledge transparent, and immersive learning and teaching with virtual reality. Registration for the workshops is not required, but the number of participants on site is limited.

2022-06-02
E-learning community celebrates reunion at LEARNTEC 2022

From 31 May to 2 June 2022, around 11,000 education experts came together at the Messe Karlsruhe to gather information and exchange ideas on future-oriented products and services for everyday learning from more than 370 exhibitors from 19 countries. The visitors gave top marks for the diverse range of products and services at LEARNTEC. This underlines the position of LEARNTEC as the most important event for the digital education industry.

"Digitalisation is the motor for a modern learning and working world. The digital education industry meets at LEARNTEC to take a joint look at the future of education and to network with each other. As the organiser of LEARNTEC, Messe Karlsruhe is making a sustainable contribution to Karlsruhe as a digital location. It thus creates a basis for promoting the UN sustainability strategy for high-quality education," says Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of Messe Karlsruhe.

LEARNTEC enables trade visitors to network for a long time to come

The desire for personal professional exchange and networking after two years of pandemic was very great. Two thirds of the trade visitors travelled more than 300 kilometres from all over Germany and Europe to be at LEARNTEC. The focus for them was in particular the desire for inspiration for their everyday digital learning and working life, to get to know the innovations and industry trends as well as to cultivate contacts.

The need for live encounters and exchange is also confirmed by the exhibitors. "It's a wonderful feeling to finally experience LEARNTEC on site again," says Leo Marose, Managing Director at Stackfuel. "We have heard in the numerous conversations that more and more companies are thinking about promoting data skills. Many have realised in the last two years that more employees need digital technology skills." Andreas Kambach, Managing Director Area9 Lyceum added: "Our expectations were very reserved as to how LEARNTEC would turn out after the pandemic. The expectations have not only been met, but exceeded. We experience qualified visitors here and a strong interest in the topic of digital continuing education."

Oliver Plick, Head of the Competence Center Digital Learning Solutions at Haufe Akademie, also appreciates the high proportion of trade visitors: "The proportion of trade visitors was high and we also had a lot of visitors from our customers. It was very pleasing to see each other in person again. It was a real come together that was a lot of fun.

LEARNTEC in three exhibition halls for the first time

During LEARNTEC, the dm-arena advanced to become the largest digital classroom in Germany. Here alone 140 exhibitors presented their products and services for digital learning in schools. The three-day specialist forum school@LEARNTEC also found its place there and offered the opportunity for knowledge exchange, dialogue and best practice examples from everyday teaching. The participants were very satisfied with the quality of the school@LEARNTEC forum, 96 percent gave it top marks.

Exhibitors also benefit from the bundling of offerings. Regina Meyer-Arlt, Head of Corporate Communications at the Westermann Group says: "The new additional hall has provided us with an exciting presentation forum. Together with our partner publishers, we were able to present our new joint project in this attractive setting and are pleased that it met with broad acceptance among visitors. It was nice to finally experience again what a trade fair is all about: personal conversations, surprising encounters, inspiring events." And Christoph Pienkoß, Managing Director of Verband Bildungsmedien e. V., adds: "LEARNTEC 2022 has brought the digital education industry together and thus promoted the all-important dialogue about the future of education in Germany. We are highly satisfied with the three days of the fair. LEARNTEC was a great success for us."

With the bundling of the offers for digital schools, more space was also created for the Corporate Learning area in the two previous exhibition halls. The conclusion there was also positive. Jonathan Schröttle, Sales Manager at GoodHabitz: "In my opinion, LEARNTEC 2022 was even better than the years before. This has mainly to do with the new concept, as this year the focus on schools has been moved to the third hall. The target groups can thus be better divided up. Here in Hall 1, on all three days we met the visitors who are interested in the online trainings of GoodHabitz and who correspond to our target group. This definitely had a positive impact on the quality of the conversations as well as the quality of new contacts."

International top-class experts show digital learning trends

The accompanying specialist convention, which took place this year under the motto "New Work - New Learning", was very well received. "We are pleased that the programme was so well received by the congress visitors and that the quality of the speakers was particularly appreciated," summed up Sünne Eichler, Jane Hart and Prof. Dr. Peter A. Henning from the LEARNTEC convention committee. The congress participants particularly praised the linking of the topics in the congress with the offerings at the trade fair. The satisfaction of the participants is also reflected in the increased recommendation rate: more than 92 percent of the participants would like to come back next year and recommend the LEARNTEC Convention to their colleagues.

Focus on innovative ideas, new work and the future of learning

The numerous forums and special shows at the trade fair, which depicted the various aspects of a modern learning and working world, were particularly popular with visitors to LEARNTEC again this year. The Future Lab, which took place at LEARNTEC for the second time this year, was particularly well attended: Using livecloning, visitors could, for example, have an avatar created here, which could be projected onto a holodeck using augmented reality, shared on social media or sent to friends and colleagues. There was also a lot on offer at the new special New Work area. Among other things, visitors were able to use Lego bricks to create their own idea of "New Work - New Learning". Jan Foelsing, New Learning expert, sums up: "I found it very nice to physically meet old acquaintances and new faces here again. Despite the pandemic, a positive signal: people want to go to trade fairs, they want to inform themselves and exchange ideas."

The topic of New Work will be further explored at the 30th LEARNTEC. René Naumann, Project Manager of LEARNTEC sums up at the conclusion of the 2022 trade fair: "Already today, more than 80 percent of the available space for the anniversary edition in 2023 has been booked bindingly. Welcome to LEARNTEC 2023 - from 23 to 25 May 2023."