ATD Detroit upcoming events

Unleash AI in Talent Development SIG (Thursday, November 12, 2026)

Thu, 12 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Date & Time: November 12, 2026 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (EST)

Location: Virtual (Zoom link provided upon registration)

Cost: Free for ATD Members | $10 for Non-Members

Are you curious about how AI is reshaping Talent Development, but not sure where to start?

Artificial Intelligence is moving at lightning speed. Whether you’re already integrating AI tools into your daily L&D workflow or just starting to explore what’s possible, you don't have to navigate it alone.

Welcome to the ATD AI Special Interest Group (SIG) — a low-barrier, recurring space created specifically for TD practitioners to connect, compare notes, and learn from one another in real time.

What to Expect

This isn't another standard webinar where you sit back and watch slides. Our sessions are designed to be informal, interactive, and actionable:

Tangible Tools & Demos: Walk away from every meeting with a practical AI tool, prompt strategy, or methodology you can apply immediately.
️ Guided Peer Discussions: Unpack real-world use cases, challenges, and success stories with fellow talent development professionals.
Community & Connections: Join an open floor where members share recent AI experiments and crowdsource solutions

Who Should Attend?

All ATD Members & L&D Professionals: No prerequisite technical experience or prior AI knowledge required!
Anyone looking for an ongoing, supportive network to stay ahead of industry trends.

Session Facilitators

Ryan Maxwell
Aireal Taylor
Clifton Clarke III

Note: This is a growing community initiative! As our group finds its rhythm, we will invite participants to help shape future topics and leadership.

Ready to join the conversation? Click above to reserve your spot!

Career Boost Coffee Chat (Tuesday, November 17, 2026)

Tue, 17 Nov 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Career Boost Coffee Chat

Looking to refine your resume, build a standout portfolio, or boost your career prospects? Join us for our Career Boost Coffee Chat, a monthly virtual meetup designed for unemployed and underemployed members seeking expert feedback and guidance.

Topic:

When: Third Tuesday of each month at 8:00 AM
Where: Zoom (link provided upon registration)
Cost: Free for ATD members (Detroit, Ann Arbor & West Michigan), $10 for future members

Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and network with fellow professionals! Register now to secure your spot.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Member Appreciation Event (Tuesday, November 17, 2026)

Tue, 17 Nov 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Join us for

MEMBER APPRECIATION NIGHT

A Night That's All About YOU!

Our members are what make ATD Detroit special, and we're bringing everyone together for an evening of appreciation, celebration, and connection!

Tuesday, November 17, 2026

5:30 – 8:00 PM

Crispelli's Bakery & Pizzeria

28939 Woodward Ave
Berkley, MI 48072

What to Expect

Delicious dinner from Crispelli's Bakery & Pizzeria

Meaningful networking with fellow professionals

Brand-new ATD Detroit swag

️ Door prizes

An engaging panel presentation featuring our members

5, 10, and 15+ year membership anniversary recognition

Bring a Guest!

ATD Detroit members can add a guest for the member ticket price of just $35!

Registration

ATD Detroit Members

$35

ATD Ann Arbor / West Michigan Members

$40

Guests / Future Members

$45

Students

$15

We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Reserve your spot and join the celebration!

ATD Detroit

Connecting and celebrating our talent development community.

Behavioral Science SIG Naughty or Nice? The Behavioral Science of Rewards, Punishment, and Performance with Jay Johnson (Thursday, December 03, 2026)

Thu, 03 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

December Topic: Naughty or Nice? The Behavioral Science of Rewards, Punishment, and Performance

Location: Zoom Online Virtual Platform (link provided after registration)

Cost: Free for ATD Detroit and other local Chapter Members &

$10.00 for Guest

Description: Join us for Naughty or Nice? The Behavioral Science of Rewards, Punishment, and Performance. Santa has been running one of the world's most recognizable behavior management systems for centuries. Be good, get rewarded. Be bad, face the consequences. But would the naughty-or-nice list survive the scrutiny of modern behavioral science?

In this festive and thought-provoking Behavioral Science SIG session, we'll unwrap the psychology behind rewards, punishment, reinforcement, and motivation. Why do incentives sometimes inspire extraordinary performance while other times undermine the very behaviors we're trying to encourage? What happens when people focus more on earning the reward than embracing the behavior? And how do fairness, expectations, and social consequences influence the way people learn, perform, and grow?

Through engaging discussion, practical examples, and a little holiday humor, we'll explore the science of what really reinforces behavior, why punishment doesn't always produce the change we expect, and how even well-intentioned recognition programs can create unintended consequences.

Whether you're designing training programs, coaching leaders, managing performance, or developing talent, you'll discover how to build reinforcement strategies that encourage meaningful, sustainable behavior change without turning everyone into reward-seeking elves.

Participant Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Understand the science of reinforcement: Explore how rewards, consequences, and expectations influence learning and behavioral repetition.

Recognize unintended consequences: Identify when incentives, punishment, and recognition undermine intrinsic motivation, trust, or performance.

Examine fairness and motivation: Understand how perceptions of fairness, autonomy, and social comparison shape behavioral responses.

Design better reinforcement strategies: Apply practical behavioral science tactics to encourage lasting learning, accountability, and performance.

Rethink the naughty-or-nice approach: Evaluate how current training and performance systems may reward the wrong behaviors or discourage the right ones.

Come ready to challenge what you think you know about motivation, question a few holiday traditions, and discover why getting people off the naughty list might require more than a lump of coal.

Jay Johnson works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and elevate leadership. He is a Co-Founder of Behavioral Elements®, a two-time TEDx speaker, and a designated Master Trainer by the Association for Talent Development. With a focus on behavioral intelligence, Jay has delivered transformational workshops to accelerate high-performance teams and cultures in more than 30 countries across four continents.

For more information about the ID SIG or the upcoming Meet-up, contact SIG Organizer Jay Johnson at jay@behavioralelements.com

Note: SIGs are an exclusive member benefit for ATD Detroit and other local ATD chapter members.

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What's a SIG?

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are small groups of members who share an affinity for a particular aspect of Talent Development. Whether it's a specific approach, a certain skill, or a common role in the industry, a SIG helps bring chapter members together to share in an interest.

Anyone can start a SIG - all it takes is a shared interest and a meeting place! To learn more, contact the Chapter President, president@detroitatd.org.

December Instructional Design SIG: Workflow Optimization (Thursday, December 10, 2026)

Thu, 10 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Hello ATD Detroit Members,

We’re excited to invite you to the Instructional Design Special Interest Group (SIG) session!

Date: Thursday, December 10th, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual (Zoom – link provided after registration)
Cost: Free for ATD Detroit and local ATD chapter members

This month's Topic: Workflow Optimization: Architecture for Faster Content Turnaround

Managing subject matter experts (SMEs) is often the slowest part of any instructional design project. Sifting through dense technical data and endless review cycles drains your time and delays critical training deployments. Explore an operational blueprint to fix that bottleneck. You will learn to:

Build a structured learning architecture framework that defines clear boundaries for SME input and eliminates scope creep.
Implement an optimized intake workflow to extract high-yield performance data from technical experts in half the time.
Transform messy, raw SME information into lean, targeted decision scenarios without losing technical accuracy.
Establish a streamlined review protocol that shortens approval cycles and keeps project timelines moving forward.

Speaker: Sarah Maier

What’s a SIG?
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are small, member-driven communities focused on particular aspects of Talent Development. SIGs provide a space for members to dive deeper into shared interests, skills, and roles while building valuable connections.

For more information about the Instructional Design SIG, please contact:

Laurie Zeller – lauriezeller365@gmail.com
Misty Minna – Misty.minna@gmail.com
Julie Pochik - julieapochik@gmail.com

We hope to see you there!