People professionals attend ‘L&D Free Spirits LIVE!’ to find their voice
‘L&D Free Spirits LIVE’: Find Your Voice’ is a one-day virtual conference exploring how to build visibility, influence and impact as an independent professional.
Taking place on Thursday, 1st October, 'L&D Free Spirits LIVE!' returns for the third time to meet demand from members and previous delegates. With conference talks, practical skills labs, discussion panels, and rapid-fire sessions, the programme has been designed by Free Spirits CEO Kim Ellis to help attendees strengthen their thought leadership, presence, and reach.
Kim Ellis, CEO, said:
“Something that can’t be understated when you’re self-employed is the power of personal brand – because people buy from people they know, trust and remember. But it takes courage, clarity and the confidence to put your voice out there, share your thinking and be seen for the value you bring. This event is for anyone self-employed who is struggling with that and wants to step forward, be more visible and leverage their voice to grow their business.”
The conference opens with a keynote address by Erica Farmer, AI and Skills Professional Speaker, Trainer & Podcast Host. She introduces the concept of the AI Dividend™, exploring AI not only in terms of efficiency and productivity but also in terms of personal value.
Tom McDowall, Founder and Principal Consultant at Evolve L&D, closes the conference with his keynote, sharing how to build a professional profile without becoming a “Thought Leader”.
Further to the keynote sessions, the day’s programme includes 30-minute parallel talks led by Hayley Maisey, Hari Patience-Davies, Joanne Lockwood, Linnéa Sjögren, Sarah Pocklington, Tracey Baum, Kara Stanford, Sapna Pieroux and Heidi Kirby.
The talks cover multiple topics, including turning expertise into thought leadership, becoming more visible without losing your identity, building confidence, finding your voice and communicating your value, as well as navigating video, personal authority and the growing influence of AI.
Alongside the talks, skills labs hosted by Mark Gilroy, Matthew Matheson (The Speaker Coach), Jill Sainsbury, Thea Newcomb, Paul Service and Jo Cook offer practical sessions covering YouTube strategy, presentation preparation, creating showreels, business growth, article writing, and a Canva masterclass.
Two discussion panels will explore where the line sits between thought leadership and self-promotion, and how to engage an audience without making them feel uncomfortable, while a series of speed presentations will bring further short-form ideas and insights to the afternoon’s agenda.
Themed breakout rooms provide spaces for reflection and networking and a virtual Conference Village, hosted on Slack, enables attendees to connect with one another before and after the event.
CPD-accredited by The CPD Group, the event will be moderated by Kim, member Craig Stevenson, and COO Andy Candler.
Andy, said:
“Utilising visibility, credibility, speaking and thought leadership to bring in work is vital when you’re self-employed. The whole day will offer so much value, from the talks and hands-on skills labs to the panel and speed sessions. The line-up and carefully crafted programme are superb, with brilliant opportunities for the people development community to network in the Conference Village, and with resources and speaker insights shared there ahead of the event. I'm very excited!”
The event is sponsored by Evolve L&D, IDTX and L&D Free Spirits’ corporate partner Maisey Marketing. Learning News and Training Journal are official media partners. St Gemma’s Hospice is the event’s nominated charity, with a portion of ticket sales being donated following the conference. Donations from previous ‘LIVE!’ events have totalled £320 for Macmillan Cancer Support and £380 for Target Ovarian Cancer.
Kim added:
“This conference is for anybody in the business of developing people: trainers, coaches, facilitators, designers, consultants. Whatever your role, whatever your industry, whatever your specialism – this conference is designed for you. Nab your ticket and come join us!”
‘L&D Free Spirits LIVE!’ runs 9:30am-4:30pm BST UK. The timetable will be launched on Thursday, 3rd September. The virtual Conference Village, hosted on Slack, will open on Thursday, 17th September. Tickets are on sale now.