World of Learning

What World of Learning does

World of Learning is a UK-based portfolio of in-person conferences and exhibitions serving the Learning & Development and HR professional markets. The business is operated by Venture Marketing Group Ltd from headquarters at 2-4 St George's Road, London, with Tracy Shah serving as Director for over 20 years. The core product set comprises two flagship annual events — the World of Learning Conference & Exhibition at NEC Birmingham (6-7 October 2026) and the World of Learning Summit at Olympia London (2-3 February 2027) — plus the newly launched Workforce Solutions Conference (October 2026, NEC Birmingham) targeting senior HR decision-makers.

The technology layer is deliberately lightweight and event-centric: live conferences and exhibitions are complemented by digital distribution of Learning Magazine (via the YuDu platform), live and on-demand webinars, password-protected seminar recordings, the LearnMail newsletter (subscribed via JotForm), and the annual 2024 Learning Report. Online registration and forms are run through eventdata.uk and JotForm. There is no proprietary software product, no API, and no native mobile application; the digital estate exists to drive attendance and content reach rather than to function as a standalone SaaS platform.

The business model is event-driven and B2B, monetised across four streams: paid delegate conference passes (£672.30-£1,785+VAT across tiers), exhibitor stand packages and sponsorships, advertising and sponsored content within Learning Magazine, and webinar programming with potential sponsor integration. The GTM motion relies on a conference steering group of senior L&D practitioners, an established partnership network (Personnel Today, HR Magazine, ELN, CPD, LiggyWebb, JigsawDiscovery, The Learning Hack, TZ), and a content-marketing funnel (website, newsletter, magazine, webinars, social). With 8 employees, the operation runs as a lean, asset-light events business wholly owned by Venture Marketing Group Ltd, with no external funding, no M&A activity, and a UK-only operating footprint.

Name

World of Learning

Legal name

Venture Marketing Group Ltd

Website

https://learnevents.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

World of Learning, operated by Venture Marketing Group Ltd, runs UK L&D and HR conferences — the flagship NEC Birmingham and Olympia London events plus the new Workforce Solutions Conference — alongside Learning Magazine, webinars, and on-demand content for senior practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Learning and Development Events

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training, Workshops & Certification Events (MPAGAGAJ), Virtual Training, Workshops & Masterclasses (Interactive Sessions) (MPAGAOAJ), Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)

Keywords

• Learning and development events
• Professional development conferences
• HR technology conferences
• Workforce solutions exhibitions
• L&D summits

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Delegate Conference Passes: Revenue generated from paid delegate registrations for conference access, including various tiers from one-day to international delegate packages with accommodation.
2. Exhibition and Sponsorship: Exhibitors pay for stand packages to showcase their L&D products and solutions to senior decision-making audiences. Sponsorship opportunities for conference sessions and features.
3. Learning Magazine: Publishing revenue from Learning Magazine, the official magazine of World of Learning events, including advertising and sponsored content.
4. Webinars: Webinar programming featuring industry experts, potentially with sponsor integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

World of Learning is a UK-based conference and exhibition platform for the Learning and Development (L&D) industry, operated by Venture Marketing Group Ltd. The company runs two annual in-person events: the World of Learning Conference & Exhibition at NEC Birmingham (October) and the World of Learning Summit at Olympia London (February), plus the new Workforce Solutions Conference launching in 2026 for senior HR decision makers. Events combine paid delegate conferences with exhibition floors, free seminars, interactive learning zones, and networking, supported by content resources including Learning Magazine, webinars, and on-demand recordings.

Product overview

World of Learning is primarily an event and conference platform, not a traditional software product. It operates two main annual in-person events: the World of Learning Conference & Exhibition (October at NEC Birmingham) and the World of Learning Summit (February at Olympia London), plus the new Workforce Solutions Conference launching in 2026. The portfolio includes complementary content resources including Learning Magazine (the official event publication), on-demand Seminar & Webinar Videos, a live Webinars programme, password-protected Conference Recordings from past events, and the LearnMail newsletter. The offering is structured as a unified event platform with multiple branded conference properties supported by content and media resources, rather than a software-as-a-service product with modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• World of Learning Conference & Exhibition The UK's most comprehensive two-day Conference and Exhibition for Learning & Development professionals, held annually at NEC Birmingham. Combines paid conference sessions with an exhibition floor of L&D suppliers, free seminars, interactive learning zones, and networking events targeting senior in-house L&D decision makers.
• World of Learning Summit A two-day Summit held at Olympia London in February, bringing together L&D thought-leaders, suppliers, and the L&D community under one roof for conference sessions, exhibition, exhibition seminars, and networking.
• Workforce Solutions Conference An HR-focused conference dedicated to HR technology and services that enable organisations to adapt, perform, and thrive, held at NEC Birmingham in October. Targets senior HR and People professionals including Chief People Officers, HR Directors, and Heads of HR seeking insights into workforce challenges, HR transformation, AI in HR, employee experience, and talent strategy.
• Learning Magazine The official magazine of World of Learning events, providing comprehensive advice, product information, the latest news on learning, and exclusive interviews. Available in digital edition via the YuDu platform and includes show guides and provider directories. Generates revenue through advertising and sponsored content.
• Webinars Live and recorded webinars featuring industry leaders covering the most pressing challenges impacting L&D professionals. Available globally and accessible on-demand after live broadcast, with potential sponsor integration.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JigsawDiscoveryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed on World of Learning website as part of the Our Partners section, indicating collaborative marketing or content relationship.
• ELN (eLearning Network)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed on World of Learning website as part of the Our Partners section, indicating collaborative marketing or content relationship.
• CPDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed on World of Learning website as part of the Our Partners section. CPD certification may provide professional development credits for attendees.
• Personnel TodayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner logo displayed on World of Learning website, indicating cross-promotional relationship for HR/L&D content.
• LiggyWebbminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed on World of Learning website. Liggy Webb is an author and presenter who speaks at World of Learning events.
• HR MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner logo displayed on World of Learning website, indicating cross-promotional relationship for HR content.
• TZminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed on World of Learning website as part of the Our Partners section.
• The Learning HackminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed on World of Learning website as part of the Our Partners section.
• Venture Marketing GroupcoreOthersVenture Marketing Group Ltd (VMG) is the parent company that owns and operates World of Learning events, Learning Magazine, and related products. Located at 2-4 St George's Road, London SW19 4DP.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Reed Exhibitions (RX Global): One of the world's largest exhibition organisers, operating a broad portfolio of B2B events including several in the learning and HR space; competes indirectly for large enterprise L&D/HR sponsorship budgets.
• CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development): UK's leading professional body for HR and people management, running its own conferences, exhibitions, and content programmes that compete with both World of Learning and Workforce Solutions for senior HR audience attention.
• Informa: Global B2B events, publishing, and intelligence group operating HR Tech, Learning & Development conferences and exhibitions worldwide; a much larger competitor with broader geographic reach and similar event-plus-content model.

Direct peers

• CloserStill Media (Learning Technologies): Operates the Learning Technologies conference and exhibition in London, the most direct competitor in the UK L&D event space, targeting the same senior L&D buyer audience with a similar conference-plus-exhibition format.
• HRD Summit (Kmedia): HR-focused conference and content brand serving senior HR decision-makers, with comparable delegate and sponsorship monetisation models and overlapping speaker and attendee populations with Workforce Solutions.
• Training Zone: Long-standing UK media brand for L&D professionals combining content, webinars, and event offerings, overlapping with World of Learning's content ecosystem and audience.
• The HR Director Summit: Annual invitation-style summit for senior HR leaders, competing directly with the Workforce Solutions Conference for the same high-value HR decision-maker audience.

Regional players

• LPI (Learning and Performance Institute): UK-based professional body for L&D practitioners running conferences, awards, and certification programmes serving the same community that attends World of Learning events.

Emerging players

• HR Magazine (Wilmington Group): UK HR media brand and existing marketing partner of World of Learning; runs awards and events programmes serving the same senior HR audience and a potential ally or competitor in the HR events space.

Others

• Personnel Today (DVV Media): UK HR and L&D media outlet and existing partner of World of Learning; covers HR news, research, and commentary, functioning as both a content ecosystem parallel and a marketing partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-of-learning-conference-exhibition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World of Learning