What we learned from launching our first CPD day

We recently hosted our first Edify Sessions – a CPD event bringing together architects, interior designers and leading product suppliers for a day of live learning and meaningful connection. It gave us a chance to step back and observe not just what specifiers learn, but how they prefer to learn.

It was a brilliant day, and a few things really stood out to us.

Face-to-face learning still matters (a lot)

There’s something that simply can’t be replicated on a screen. The conversations between sessions. The questions asked over coffee.

While digital learning is efficient, it’s often one-directional. In-person, learning becomes collaborative and more of a shared journey. The audience can build on the information presented, relating it to their own projects and experiences.

That’s where the real value lies. Not just delivering your information, but creating space for conversations around it.

Physical products aren’t going anywhere

We’re in an industry built on real materials and that means physical samples still play a critical role. At Edify Sessions, being able to see and touch products added another layer to the learning.

No matter how good digital tools become, they won’t replace that moment of handling a product and understanding its quality, weight or finish.

Energy is contagious

One of the most noticeable things on the day was the response to presenters who clearly care about what they do.

When someone is genuinely passionate about their product or area of expertise, it changes how the content lands. It becomes more engaging, more memorable and more likely to be shared beyond the room.

Specifier audiences are highly attuned to this. They don’t just want information; they want insight, perspective and a sense that the person speaking really understands the subject.

And importantly, that energy is much easier to communicate in person. It builds momentum throughout the day, creating a learning environment that feels less like a presentation and more like a conversation.

If learning is reduced to a one-way flow of information, it’s easy to forget. But when it becomes a shared experience, with conversation, physical products and real energy behind it, it’s far more likely to stick.

Edify Sessions reinforced the kind of learning experience we want to keep creating. We’ll be sharing details of the next one soon.