L&D Free Spirits invites L&D Freelancers to Discover Their Inner Power at March’s Virtual Conference
Following feedback from October’s inaugural online event, L&D Free Spirits Founder Kim Ellis has responded to demand by organising two further virtual conferences in 2026 for L&D Free Spirits members and the wider people development community.
Spring’s ‘L&D Free Spirits LIVE!: Discover Your Inner Power’ takes place on Wednesday, 4th March 2026, with a theme that explores “the power of freelancing and how to build a thriving, impactful business”.
Sponsored by Evolve L&D, IDTX and Your Best Next Move, the event will include conference talks, practical skills labs, discussion panels and rapid-fire speed sessions, with subject areas that reflect the realities of freelance life.
The event will feature a live podcast recording where participants can share their thoughts, document their learning and engage in the conversation, just as they did in October 2025.
Kim Ellis said:
“There are a bejillion events people can attend, both online and in person, so I wanted L&D Free Spirits LIVE! to be genuinely worth the time. For me, a great online conference is one where you walk away with practical ideas, a fresh perspective and your thinking stretched! I ran October’s event with this in mind and the response from last year’s delegates demonstrated there’s a real appetite for this kind of experience.”
Liggy Webb, award-winning author, presenter and international consultant, opens the conference with a keynote address exploring the core qualities that help freelancers thrive.
Closing Keynote Jasmine Gartner, a training and advisory consultant specialising in diversity, equity and inclusion, shares five stories about human-level power to provide a thought-provoking session to end the event.
The day’s agenda includes 30-minute sessions led by CLO100’s Cathy Hoy, LAS’s Rob Hubbard and Tess Robinson, Llarn Learning’s Andrew Jacobs, The Training Designers Club’s Sheridan Webb, Houra Amin at Blue Jay Learning, Emma Klosson from Rooftop Recognition, Dave Plunkett at Collaboration Junkie, and Independent Learning Designer Linnéa Sjögren.
Covering topics from creativity, resilience and commercial confidence to sustainability, winning work and the impact of AI, the sessions are created to echo the real challenges and opportunities facing freelance professionals across training, coaching, consulting and people development.
In addition to these sessions, the day offers Q&A surgeries from the event’s sponsors, discussion panels, and Skills Labs for practical, hands-on capability building: hosted by practitioners including Oyindamola Ojo-Eriamiatoe, Jill Sainsbury, Judy Parsons, Tom McDowall, Thea Newcomb and Natalie Savery, topics range from building interactive portfolios, video and visual design, and the benefits of utilising a LinkedIn Company Page, to pricing with confidence and holding curiosity-led client conversations.
Themed breakout rooms also provide spaces for reflection, networking and problem-solving.
Kim added,
“Our two L&D Free Spirits LIVE! events will empower and inspire. I’m super proud of the speaker lineup for March – fantastic experts sharing their expertise, experiences and insights to energise attendees and affirm the power of being self-employed. I have no doubt that they will deliver huge value.”
A dedicated online Conference Village will open on Wednesday, 18th February 2026. Hosted by Slack, it will provide delegates with access to pre-event content and the opportunity to connect with speakers and other attendees ahead of (and after) the event.
Tickets for the Spring conference are on sale now. Learning News is the official media partner.
L&D Free Spirits’ Autumn virtual event takes place on Thursday, 1st October 2026. The conference theme will turn power outward, exploring how to grow “influence and impact through thought leadership”, from speaking and blogging to podcasting and mastering the art of networking. Tickets go on sale during the Spring conference.