“Face to face learning is growing again,” says Richard Smith, chief commercial officer of Wyboston Venue Management, “as organisations find that it delivers better engagement and complements online training.”

“Learning & Development (L&D) managers are recognising that human connection and interaction, in-person collaboration and the learner’s personal experience play a vital and irreplaceable role in maximising the benefits and value that training will deliver,” Smith continued. “That’s what face to face learning adds, enhancing and complementing online learning in a hybrid combination, not competing with it.”

Nearly all learning went online during the pandemic. Now face-to-face learning which, prior to the pandemic, was the number one delivery method, has returned, especially in areas such as professional services, and for leadership and behavioural change training. According to Richard Smith, many organisations found that ‘trying to put the accent on virtual didn’t achieve the aims they wanted.’

Nahdia Khan, director at Tasir Consulting and a corporate learning thought leader, firmly believes that face-to-face has a very important role to play. She says that while technology can enhance access and personalisation, it cannot replicate the relational and trust-building functions that face-to-face learning fulfils.

Face-to-face learning has changed. Dr Nigel Paine, a leadership expert and author, observes that it has had to move on from traditional classroom formats, arguing that ‘orthodox training’ involving passive slide decks and minimal interaction is obsolete. Instead, “face-to-face learning needs to take a very human-centric approach, with highly interactive elements.”

Richard Smith adds, ‘Training providers are now very focused on the delegate experience. They want what happens outside the classroom to be just as important as what goes on in the classroom. Completing the training is important but so is the engagement delegates have had whilst doing the training, reflecting a shift to making the overall in-person experience more impactful, memorable and valued.”

Giving a training provider’s perspective, Kevin Mansell, managing director of Control F, which provide digital forensic training, summarises this saying “We get a lot more engagement from delegates in a face-to-face environment.”

This growing and regular demand has prompted many training providers to consider cost-efficient delivery. Control F and IT training provider Firebrand, for instance, have contracted space at Wyboston Lakes Resort, renting rooms on a long-term basis so that their classrooms are permanently ready.

This report finds that face-to-face learning continues to offer irreplaceable value in a world dominated by digital efficiency. Integrating digital tools while maintaining the human element creates powerful, personalised and purpose-driven learning experiences that meet the demands of the modern workforce.

‘The Role of Face-to- Face Training in a GenAI World’ a research report published by Wyboston Venue Management