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Elizabeth Palafox

The 6th Annual HRD Conference was held at the COEX Convention Center in Seoul, Korea, this year, welcoming nealry 3,000 attendees.This two-day conference held from September 24-25th invited speakers from both Korea and other parts of the world. The focus of this year’s conference: HRD for Future Value Creation.What Is the HRD Conference?A well-qualified workforce is the key to provide domestic firms with a competitive edge, and workers require higher level of skills to adapt to accelerating technical and market changes. Also, it is well-known that development of competent human resources is critical to the economic growth of a country in this rapidly changing global community.Hence, the Ministry of Employment and Labor in Korea and HRD Korea provide various programs and services to support human resources development for the public. Moreover, as a part of these institutions, HRD Korea has been hosting the HRD Conference—the biggest human resource development conference in Asia—annually for HRD officials from the government, non-governmental enterprises, organizations, and public institutions since 2007.More about HRD KoreaHRD Korea is a specialized public organization that performs core roles in a comprehensive manner to develop our national human resources in the areas of lifelong competency development, national qualification management, global employment system, and international cooperation. ASTD International and HRD Korea maintain close ties as conference supporters.If you want more information about HRD Korea, visit their English-language website: http://www.hrdkorea.or.kr/ENG**ASTD International’s Presence at the HRD Conference**ASTD had more than 1,000 attendees, and ASTD fans dropped by the ASTD International booth to pick up the latest catalogs on ASTD education programs and books, as well as to hear about the details of upcoming ASTD events.Elizabeth Palafox, ASTD International Relations Specialist, manned the ASTD International booth again this year. She was able to meet hundreds of attendees from all over Korea, as well as different parts of the world. She provided information about ASTD and its core business deliverables, as well as its upcoming international conferences in Singapore (ASTD-STADA Asia-Pacific Conference), San Jose, California (TechKnowledge), and Dallas, Texas (ASTD International Conference & Exposition).Most of those who dropped by were also given a free ASTD luggage tag –a token of appreciation for their continued interest and support for ASTD.  ASTD International would like to thank all ASTD members who took the time out of their busy schedules to stop by the ASTD booth at the HRD Conference, and once again show how much our global community supports our mission to “empower professionals to develop knowledge and skills successfully.”

ASTD International at the HRD Conference 2012 in Seoul, Korea

Each year, international attendees from over 70 countries flock to the ASTD International Conference & Exposition. This year, our international delegations and attendees are getting ready to gather in Dallas, Texas  for another unforgettable learning experience. It isn’t easy preparing for such a trip, as some have to make sure their visa applications are submitted and approved on time, flight reservations confirmed, accommodations secured, and their special events and meetings scheduled…all before April. It goes without saying that international attendees are ASTD superstars. What has attracted the international attendees to the ASTD International Conference & Exposition year after year? Well, let’s take a look at what our international attendees experienced last year.Robin and Juanita Probart travel from South Africa annually to attend the ASTD International Conference & Exposition. This year will be their 26th conference! Here’s why they attend every year:“\[We\] recommend ASTD International Conference & Exhibition to \[our\] colleagues because...this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our delegates, travelling so far, to be updated on the latest best practices, research, and to meet the current authors and gurus in the field of HRD.”ASTD does our best to welcome our guests from afar. We offer an international orientation, international reception, and many other unique opportunities to provide international attendees with amazing experiences and valuable takeaways. About 50 international delegations have signed up for this year’s ASTD International Conference & Exposition so far, and they are excited and ready to learn.If you do join us in Dallas, please drop by the Global Village, a special haven for international attendees and ASTD International staff members.We look forward to seeing you in Dallas, where learning is happening across borders!