In 2025, Training Industry hosted more than 92 virtual events across a wide range of learning and development (L&D) topics, drawing professionals from every corner of the field. From training coordinators to vice presidents of L&D, people showed up to gain new insights to elevate their training programs. This year’s standout webinars had something important in common: They reflected the real work happening inside organizations.
The sessions that resonated most were the ones grounded in honest stories. When speakers walked through what was happening inside their own companies — showing how they handled tight budgets, shifting priorities and global teams — the chat came alive. Attendees recognized familiar challenges, compared approaches and walked away with insights they could use right away. It highlighted how powerful it is when this community learns from experience rather than polished theory.
Now for the fun part. Here are the 10 webinars that rose to the top with the highest registrations, strongest attendance and the sessions your fellow attendees named as their favorites. They’re not ranked, but each one earned its place for a reason.
1. Where L&D Will Survive and Where It Will Die in the Age of AI
Presenter: Russ Hill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Lone Rock Leadership
Sponsor: Lone Rock Leadership
L&D teams are feeling intense pressure to prove their value in an AI-driven workplace, and Russ Hill did not hold back on what needs to change. He brought the kind of energy that pulls you in, then challenged L&D teams to stop operating as support functions and start showing up as true strategic partners. The chat took off when he walked through the leadership prompts that he uses to help teams “deliver results,” and many attendees said it was the wake-up call they needed to rethink how they show their value.
2. Level Up Your L&D With Games and Simulations
Presenters: Luke Smith, Learning Designer; Lisa McGeady, Learning Design Principal; and Rob Taylor, Senior Storyline Developer at Learning Pool
Sponsor: Learning Pool
Many L&D teams struggle to keep learners engaged, and this session showed how games and simulations can break through that barrier. The speakers walked through real examples, including pharma simulations, engineering scenarios and marketing-focused gamification, giving the audience a clear picture of how these tools can elevate traditional content. Attendees in the chat noted how helpful it was to see the design choices behind each demo and said the variety made it easier to picture how games and simulations could fit into their own work.
3. CLOs Aren’t Born, They’re Built: What It Really Takes to Reach the Executive L&D Level
Presenters: Amy DuVernet, Ph.D., CPTM, Vice President of Learning Products, Training Industry; Dr. Kristal Walker, CPTM; and Ann Stott, CPTM
Sponsor: Training Industry Courses
For professionals aiming for senior leadership, the biggest challenge is understanding what truly sets chief learning officers (CLOs) apart from everyone else. Dr. Amy DuVernet opened the session with research that clearly laid out the behaviors and mindsets that distinguish the few who make it to the CLO level. Dr. Kristal Walker and Ann Stott followed with candid reflections on the real work of leadership, sharing the choices, challenges and career moments that shaped their paths. Attendees called the session informative and refreshingly honest, saying that hearing directly from leaders who have walked the path made the content more encouraging and practical.
4. Transforming Compliance Training: From Boring to Engaging
Presenters: Josh Goldman, Vice President of Operations, VEED; and David James, Chief Learning Officer, 360Learning
Sponsor: 360Learning
Compliance training does not have to be a dreaded task. Josh Goldman and David James showed how video-based learning and short-form content examples can bring compliance to life and gave L&D teams practical strategies to modernize their own programs. Participants said the session exceeded expectations and noted that seeing real examples and hearing expert insights made the content practical, relevant and inspiring.
5. The New Playbook: Training Strategies for Winning Sales Teams
Presenters: Spencer Wixom, President and CEO; and Michelle Richardson, Vice President of Sales Performance Research, The Brooks Group
Sponsor: The Brooks Group
Sales teams can’t win with outdated training. Spencer Wixom and Michelle Richardson laid out what L&D must do to close today’s most critical performance gaps, sharing evidence-based techniques that elevate sales training and showcasing best practices in coaching, onboarding and behavior change. Attendees appreciated the engaging dynamic between the presenters, noting that their fluent conversation and clear explanations kept the session informative and easy to follow.
6. Building AI Readiness: Skills for Learners and Learning Leaders
Presenter: Tom Whelan, Ph.D., Director of Corporate Research, Training Industry, Inc.
Sponsor: Udemy
With artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping roles across every industry, L&D faces the urgent challenge of preparing both learners and leaders for what’s next. Dr. Tom Whelan shared strategies for upskilling employees to work effectively with AI and highlighted how L&D teams can leverage AI to scale and personalize learning initiatives. Attendees said the session offered actionable insights, noting that Tom’s personable style and deep knowledge made the content easy to follow and highly applicable.
7. Leading Gen Z: Empowering the Next Generation to Thrive
Presenter: Todd Davis, Senior Consultant and Thought Leader, FranklinCovey
Sponsor: FranklinCovey
Supporting Gen Z in the workplace means rethinking how workplaces communicate, collaborate and develop talent. Todd Davis shared a framework for helping the next generation build these critical human skills, while also providing opportunities for purpose-driven work and recognition. Attendees said the session met and exceeded expectations, noting that the practical applications and supporting data made it easy to see how to lead more effectively across generations.
8. Creating Continuous Learning Journeys With AI
Presenter: Justin Seeley, Learning Evangelist, Adobe
Sponsor: Adobe
Most organizations struggle to move beyond one-and-done training, and this session revealed how AI can make continuous learning a reality. Justin Seeley shared how organizations can upskill teams across all levels, create new roles and build learning journeys that go beyond traditional training methods. Attendees said the session exceeded expectations, noting that it provided actionable insights and a holistic view of how L&D can stay relevant while navigating AI-driven change.
9. AI and Human Performance: The Strategic L&D Blueprint for Enterprise Growth
Presenters: Christina Barss, Chief Transformation Officer, Problem Solutions, and Mike Pino, Managing Director, Problem Solutions
Sponsor: ELB Learning
Is your team struggling to understand how AI can actually help your workforce perform better? This session provided a clear path forward, offering actionable strategies on how to integrate AI into learning programs, measure impact and align initiatives with business goals. Christina Barss and Mike Pino shared frameworks and real examples, showing how AI-driven augmentation is reshaping workforce development. Attendees called the session engaging and insightful, noting that the presenters’ expertise made the content practical and credible.
10. Avoiding the “Bad Training, Faster” Trap in the Age of AI
Presenter: Mike Taylor, Learning Designer, Speaker and Author of “Think Like a Marketer, Learn Like an L&D Pro”
Sponsor: Camtasia
AI can crank out content at lightning speed, but without strategy, it just creates bad training faster. This session showed how L&D leaders can stay in control, using AI to handle the heavy lifting while keeping the human touch that makes learning stick. Mike Taylor demonstrated practical examples and shared actionable strategies, showing how AI and humans can collaborate to create better content. Attendees said the session was engaging, packed with takeaways and an inspiring example of using tools without being salesy.
Looking Ahead
If 2025 showed us anything, it’s that the L&D community thrives when it learns together. The year’s most popular webinars stood out because they felt real — honest stories, relatable challenges and solutions people could put into practice right away. They captured a field that is evolving, testing new ideas and raising the bar for what effective learning looks like. As we head into 2026, Training Industry will continue delivering virtual events that spark new thinking, deepen expertise and help learning leaders move their organizations forward.
