Author: Theresa Beenken, CEO National Speakers Bureau
Published: May 22, 2026
Reading Time: 5 minutes

Learning Velocity: A Newsletter for Conference and Business Event Learning

In an age where AI can surface almost any human knowledge in seconds, knowledge alone no longer creates advantage. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis recently called “learning to learn” the defining skill for the next generation — and most of us haven’t solved it yet.

The real edge lies in how quickly we can make sense of what we’re exposed to and turn it into better decisions. For executives, event professionals, and speakers, this raises a direct question: are we actually getting better at learning, or just consuming more content?

That question led me to create Learning Velocity, a newsletter on optimizing live learning in the age of AI, written for the professionals who design and attend conferences and business events. Five editions are now live. Here’s what we’ve covered:

Edition 1: The AI Learning Paradox — Learning to Learn in the Age of AI

With AI dramatically expanding what’s available to learn, adaptability depends less on access to information and more on having a system for learning itself. This edition introduces the central thesis: how adults retain and apply what they learn, how AI can enhance rather than replace human learning, and how to turn information overload into competitive advantage.
Read Edition 1

Edition 2: The $7.65 Billion Question — Why We Still Need Appointment Experiences

Conference keynotes deliver something AI cannot replicate: communal meaning-making at scale. Shared understanding across hundreds of people simultaneously would take months of one-on-ones to achieve less effectively. I call this the Turn-To Principle. When everyone has experienced the same journey at the same time, you can turn to anyone in the room and say “this is exactly what we’re dealing with.” No backstory needed.
Read Edition 2

Edition 3: Content Is the Catalyst — Why Connection Needs Shared Experience

Content and connection aren’t competing priorities at events — they’re multipliers. Shared content creates shared mental models, so conversations can start at “what does this mean for us?” instead of establishing context first. That’s learning velocity in action, and it’s one of the most under-designed aspects of live events. The conferences thriving in 2026 aren’t choosing between content and connection — they’re designing for both.
Read Edition 3

Edition 4: The Keynote Isn’t Broken. Our Attention Is.

When we assume audiences can’t sustain 45 minutes of focused attention, we may be describing a real challenge — but breaking every keynote into five-minute chunks isn’t the answer. Sustained attention is a skill, and like any skill, it atrophies without practice. What conferences uniquely offer is structured attention — Attention Architecture. That’s a scarce asset worth protecting, not designing around.
Read Edition 4

Edition 5: The Two-Minute Habit That Changes Conference Learning

The first step of the CATALYST learning framework is Connection: making an emotional link to the content before a session begins. Most of us arrive physically present but mentally elsewhere. This simple two-minute practice changes that: based on the session title, ask yourself “think of a time when this topic was a challenge or opportunity for me.” You’re opening a loop your brain will spend the entire session trying to resolve. You stop being a passive receiver and become an active seeker.
Read Edition 5

Read All Five Editions

All five editions are available to read now. If you work in events, L&D, or organizational learning, I hope you’ll find them useful.

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About the Author

Theresa Beenken is CEO of National Speakers Bureau and creator of Learning Velocity, a newsletter about optimizing learning in the age of AI. She explores the science, strategy, and practice of getting more from adult live learning experiences at conferences and business events.