Learning professionals from across the world joined industry experts to share their experiences and tips on achieving success.

The free event included a mix of live chats and video discussions on a wide range of topics including gamification, corporate social responsibility in learning, onboarding, video-based eLearning, mobile strategy, next-generation LMS technology, social learning, user-centric design, and marketing.

Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director, Sponge UK said, "The Big Sponge Hangout covered a lot of ground in just four days! I hope the delegates were inspired to use new ideas and techniques in their own organisations. It was fascinating to hear how people are using eLearning in a host of imaginative ways to improve performance and develop their people. I was struck by the global nature of our industry and how digital learning can bring benefit to international audiences."

The launch event of the Big Sponge Hangout saw some of the biggest names in L&D come together to explore the current state of eLearning around the world and future international trends.

The panel included David Kelly, Senior Vice President and Executive Director at the ELearning Guild; Donald H. Taylor, Chairman of the Learning & Performance Institute and the Learning & Skills Group; Nicola Appel, International Community Manager at Articulate; and Con Sotidis, Australian learning expert from LearnKotch Consulting.

The impact of Brexit on the eLearning sector was one of the topics tackled by the panel, along with the value of microlearning, the development of augmented reality, and the changing role of L&D.  

Delegates had access to more than five hours of online content across the three main themes: inspire, integrate, and innovate.