The eLearning Guild
The Learning Guild is a membership-based community serving learning and development professionals, offering Pro Memberships, the DevLearn and Learning Leadership conferences, online events, articles, research, and an L&D job board. It operates as a US subsidiary of UK-based CloserStill Media, Ltd.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The eLearning Guild does
The Learning Guild (formerly The eLearning Guild) is a membership-based professional community serving learning and development (L&D) practitioners, primarily in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2002 and headquartered at 489 5th Avenue, New York City, the organization operates as a US subsidiary of UK-based CloserStill Media, Ltd., a diversified media conglomerate. The community targets L&D professionals — instructional designers, learning leaders, learning experience designers, and learning technology specialists — who need practical guidance, peer connections, and strategic resources to design and deliver learning experiences inside organizations.
The Guild's product surface is organized around three pillars. First, flagship in-person conferences: the DevLearn Conference & Expo (scheduled November 4–6, 2026 at MGM Grand Las Vegas, expanded in 2026 with new Customer Education and Higher Education tracks plus hands-on BYOD learning) and the Learning Leadership Conference (November 2–3, 2026). Second, virtual programming including the AI & Learning Design Online Conference (August 26–27, 2026) plus an archive of webinars. Third, an ongoing content platform — articles, research reports, eBooks, and checklists organized across 28+ topics (AI & Automation, Instructional Design, Learning Platforms, Data & Analytics, Learning Culture, Measurement & Evaluation, and others) — supported by a bi-weekly email newsletter ("Guild Insider") and an active social presence including a 102,144+ member LinkedIn group. Adjacent community services include a Job Board and a Supplier Directory serving the L&D vendor ecosystem.
The business model is anchored on Pro Membership subscriptions providing complimentary access to all online conferences alongside tools and resources. Revenue is supplemented by in-person conference registration and sponsorships, job board postings (employers and candidates), supplier directory placements, and sponsored webinars. The go-to-market motion is explicitly community-led: content marketing, conference programming, and peer networking drive engagement, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization is not described as a technology company; AI is treated as an editorial theme and topic area of programming rather than as a proprietary product surface.
The eLearning Guild firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The eLearning Guild
- Legal name
- The Learning Guild
- Website
- https://elearningguild.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Learning Guild is a membership-based community serving learning and development professionals, offering Pro Memberships, the DevLearn and Learning Leadership conferences, online events, articles, research, and an L&D job board. It operates as a US subsidiary of UK-based CloserStill Media, Ltd.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The eLearning Guild industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Learning & Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE), Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions (CRAFAIAD)
Keywords
Where The eLearning Guild is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The eLearning Guild business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: The Learning Guild generates revenue through membership subscriptions. Pro Membership provides access to tools, resources, expert insights, and complimentary access to all online conferences. The membership model supports the organization's mission of providing tools, connections, and strategy to learning professionals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Pro Membership with access to all online conferences |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
The eLearning Guild product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The eLearning Guild (The Learning Guild) sells a Pro Membership that gives learning and development professionals bi-weekly articles, research, ebooks, checklists, webinars, and complimentary access to all online conferences. It also runs paid flagship events — the in-person DevLearn Conference & Expo and Learning Leadership Conference — plus virtual conferences such as the AI & Learning Design Online Conference, supported by a Job Board and Supplier Directory.
Product overview
The Learning Guild (formerly The eLearning Guild) is a membership-based professional community and content platform for learning and development practitioners. The organization operates on a platform-plus-resources model, offering annual in-person conferences (DevLearn Conference & Expo and Learning Leadership Conference), virtual online conferences (AI & Learning Design Online Conference), and ongoing content resources including articles, research publications, eBooks, webinars, and checklists. Guild Insider membership provides bi-weekly content updates and complimentary access to online conferences. The company also maintains a Job Board and Supplier Directory to serve the L&D professional community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DevLearn Conference & Expo In-person annual conference and expo for learning and development professionals, featuring expanded tracks, hands-on BYOD sessions, and networking opportunities. Targeted at L&D practitioners, customer education professionals, and higher education practitioners.
- Learning Leadership Conference In-person conference for learning executives and leaders, featuring fireside chats and strategic insights for advancing and repositioning enterprise learning functions. Targeted at CLOs, VPs of Learning, and senior L&D leaders.
- AI & Learning Design Online Conference Virtual online conference focused on AI applications in learning design. Targeted at L&D professionals seeking practical guidance on integrating AI into learning experience design and instructional design workflows.
- Pro Membership (Guild Insider) Annual membership subscription providing L&D professionals with bi-weekly articles and insights, tools, resources, expert content, and complimentary access to all online conferences. Available in a Pro Membership tier. Targeted at individual learning professionals seeking professional development and networking.
Companies that use The eLearning Guild
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The eLearning Guild technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The eLearning Guild partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- CloserStill Media, Ltd.coreThe Learning Guild is a subsidiary of UK-based CloserStill Media, Ltd. This parent company relationship provides organizational backing and strategic alignment for The Learning Guild's operations as a professional learning community.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The eLearning Guild competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brandon Hall Group: Brandon Hall Group is an HCM research and analyst firm that publishes research, hosts events, and runs awards programs for L&D and HR leaders — overlapping with the Guild's research, conferences, and advisory content.
- Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Media: CLO Media publishes content, research, and runs events targeting senior L&D executives — directly comparable to The Learning Guild's Learning Leadership conference and executive-strategy content.
- HR.com: HR.com is a large online community, content publisher, and event organizer for HR professionals, with a growing focus on L&D. It competes for the same audience and sponsorship dollars with a similar community-led model.
- eLearning Industry: eLearning Industry is a community-driven online platform for eLearning professionals with articles, courses, jobs, and a supplier directory. It serves the same eLearning/L&D audience with overlapping content and community offerings.
- Training Industry Inc. Training Industry operates a media and community platform serving corporate training and L&D professionals, with research, articles, events, and a supplier directory — a near-overlapping community and content model.
- Association for Talent Development (ATD): ATD is the largest professional membership association for talent development and L&D practitioners, offering conferences (ATD International Conference & Exposition), publications, certifications, and research. It directly competes with The Learning Guild for the same core L&D persona.
Broad incumbents
- Skillsoft: Skillsoft is a broad incumbent in enterprise learning with a content library, learning platform, and executive programs. While it overlaps on L&D content delivery, its core model is a learning platform rather than a community or conference organizer.
- LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning is a broad incumbent offering video courses and learning paths to professionals. It does not run a community or conferences, but competes for the same L&D budget on the content side and hosts the Guild's primary LinkedIn community surface.
Others
- Learning Technologies (CloserStill Media portfolio brand): Learning Technologies is the UK-based sister event from the same CloserStill Media parent that owns The Learning Guild. While not a direct US competitor, it represents the parent company's broader L&D events portfolio and the most immediate ecosystem peer.
Emerging players
- The Masie Center: The Masie Center is a learning and performance-focused organization that runs conferences, labs, and a network for learning executives — overlapping with the Guild's executive L&D audience and conference format.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The eLearning Guild social profiles
Digital presenceThe eLearning Guild financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The eLearning Guild leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The eLearning Guild funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The eLearning Guild M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The eLearning Guild
What does The eLearning Guild do?
The eLearning Guild (The Learning Guild) sells a Pro Membership that gives learning and development professionals bi-weekly articles, research, ebooks, checklists, webinars, and complimentary access to all online conferences. It also runs paid flagship events — the in-person DevLearn Conference & Expo and Learning Leadership Conference — plus virtual conferences such as the AI & Learning Design Online Conference, supported by a Job Board and Supplier Directory.
Is The eLearning Guild a public or private company?
The eLearning Guild is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The eLearning Guild founded?
The eLearning Guild was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The eLearning Guild based?
The eLearning Guild is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The eLearning Guild make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Subscriptions.
Who are The eLearning Guild's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brandon Hall Group, Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Media, HR.com, eLearning Industry, Training Industry Inc. and Association for Talent Development (ATD). Broad incumbents are Skillsoft and LinkedIn Learning. Learning Technologies (CloserStill Media portfolio brand) is listed as an others. The Masie Center is listed as an emerging player.
Does The eLearning Guild have an API?
No public API is recorded for The eLearning Guild.
What industry is The eLearning Guild in?
The eLearning Guild's product category is Professional Learning & Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAIAI, Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces, with a secondary code of THAHACAE, Academic & Education Conference Organizers. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8600.