AITD Conference, Brisbane: A keynote that puts collective intelligence at work
What if a keynote could do more than inspire? At the 2026 Australian Institute of Training and Development Conference in Brisbane, Gergana David showed how collective intelligence can turn insight into experience.
- Event
- AITD Conference 2026
- Where
- Brisbane, May 2026
- Audience
- Learning and development professionals
- Format
- Keynote with a hands-on Big Bloom challenge
From listening to experiencing
In May 2026, Gergana David, Big Bloom’s APAC Lead, delivered Unlocking Collective Intelligence at the annual AITD Conference in Brisbane.
Her keynote explored a question at the heart of organisational learning: why are we developing increasingly capable individuals, yet teams still struggle to collaborate, engage and solve problems effectively? As AI widens access to knowledge, the ability to think and solve problems together matters even more.
Rather than simply talking about collective intelligence, Gergana invited delegates to experience it first-hand through a condensed, hands-on Big Bloom challenge.
What delegates took away
- Start with the problem, not the solution. Focus on a genuine organisational need rather than a predetermined answer.
- Make collaboration intentional. Create the conditions for people to listen, build on ideas and think beyond their own perspective.
- Turn learning into action. Use real challenges and tangible outputs to develop capabilities while solving problems.
- Rethink how people work together. Apply collective intelligence to workplace challenges, from unproductive meetings to team engagement.
In delegates’ own words
“The methodology that Gergana is sharing is clearly real challenges and useful ways of collective problem solving. Start with a problem not solution. Yes!! Love the approach because it really works when humans think together.”
“…demonstrating how quickly collaboration, creativity and a little time pressure can unlock problem solving and learner engagement.”
A keynote that goes beyond inspiration
The AITD keynote showed that conference speaking and active participation do not have to be separate experiences.
By combining a compelling message with a practical exercise, Gergana gave delegates more than new information: a different way of thinking and working together, and ideas they could take back to their organisations.
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