Act fast! Don't miss your chance to secure your spot and transform your team.
The future is here, and we need our teams to be ready! This dynamic session is designed for today's learning and development leaders who want to move beyond trendy terms and get to the core of what truly prepares teams for what's next.
Together, we’ll explore how high-performing teams aren’t just desirable—they’re essential to any future-ready workforce. Expect sparks to fly as you engage in hands-on challenges, dynamic debriefs, and transformative techniques that you can immediately apply to your own learning strategy. Ready to spark the shift?
You'll discover how experiential learning creates powerful "lightbulb moments" that lead to deeper understanding and lasting change. This approach puts learners at the center of their own journey. We'll show you how this method helps build high-performing teams, which are essential for any future-ready organization.
See it in action! You'll be walked through an actual experiential session, giving you a chance to actively participate in hands-on challenges and dynamic discussions. We'll explore various examples and show you what it takes to design these kinds of sessions yourself.
This session will help you understand how experiential learning can address a variety of learning outcomes, including:
- Team development
- Leadership and management
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Project management
Real-World Results: Experiential learning has a proven track record. Organizations using these methods have seen significant improvements in team performance, problem-solving skills, and adaptability, leading to a strong return on investment (ROI). While specific data varies by organization, we'll share insights into how these approaches have successfully prepared talent in diverse settings.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Understand the key traits of future-ready talent and how strong teams lead to lasting success in today's fast-changing world.
- See how hands-on activities can help develop collaboration, flexibility, and critical thinking skills needed for future talent.
- Create practical plans to add experiential learning into their own training programs to prepare talent for the future and boost team performance.
Who this session is for: Learning Experience Designers, Learning Architects/Strategists, Facilitators, Learning Managers, and anyone looking to create engaging and effective learning programs.
About Experiential Learning with MTa Learning Kits: While this session focuses on the broader concepts and applications of experiential learning, we may demonstrate some activities using world-class MTa Learning experiential kits. Please note that this session is not a sales pitch for the kits. They are simply one example of a tool that can be used to facilitate powerful experiential learning, chosen for their effectiveness in creating engaging and impactful learning experiences.
ATD Capability Model - Area of Expertise This Session Supports: Talent Strategy and Management
Parking Information:
- Park inside the parking garage or out front in the surface parking.
- Park in Unmarked Spaces.
- No Parking in spaces marked reserved or with a company logo.
Access to Birkman Offices:
- Take the parking garage elevator to the first floor - *1
- Proceed to the building lobby
- The Birkman offices are access-controlled, call main number and someone will come down to let you up.
Rusty Shields is an International Speaker, Master Facilitator, Author, and CEO of Develefy Consulting—known for turning ordinary sessions into unforgettable, spark-filled experiences that fuel engagement, ignite transformation, and drive real-world results.
With over 19 years in Learning & Development, Rusty empowers facilitators and instructional designers to move beyond passive content delivery and embrace experiential, learner-centered design. As the creator of The Spark Effect, he teaches professionals how to spark curiosity, activate retention, and kindle meaningful connection through inclusive, emotionally intelligent facilitation.
Rusty also works closely with emerging and experienced leaders to help them shift from transactional to human-centered leadership—grounded in empathy, emotional intelligence, and purposeful connection. His leadership programs challenge leaders to stop managing and start igniting: people, purpose, and performance.
As a high-performance team strategist, Rusty helps organizations spark stronger collaboration, trust, and cohesion. His team-building sessions aren’t just icebreakers—they’re accelerants for psychological safety, authentic communication, and results-driven synergy.
A recognized thought leader in neurodiversity and inclusive learning, Rusty’s signature style blends research-backed frameworks with dynamic storytelling and powerful group facilitation. His programs span topics such as adult learning, facilitation mastery, leadership development, team dynamics, emotional intelligence, and transformational connection. Rusty is also one of ATD’s MANY talented facilitators, delivering 11 of their certification programs including Training & Facilitation Certificate, Instructional Design Certificate, Adult Learning Certificate, Coaching Certificate & ATD Master Trainer.
Holding two master’s degrees in music—vocal performance and choral conducting—from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Rusty brings stage presence and soul to every space he enters. When not lighting up learning rooms, he performs in musicals and operas across the U.S., sings the national anthem at major events, and travels internationally to cross off his bucket list.
Whether in the classroom, boardroom, or spotlight, Rusty’s mission is clear:
Ignite passion. Inspire people. And help others set their learning, leadership, and teams on fire.
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