SiyonaTech at the Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Conference: Storytelling, Celebration, and 27 Wins

Some events stay with you long after they are over. This year’s Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Conference was definitely one of those for us at SiyonaTech.

It brought together a brilliant mix of people across learning, talent, and human capital, all sharing ideas, challenges, and real examples of what is working right now. The conversations felt grounded and practical, not just focused on trends but on what actually drives impact.

We came away feeling both inspired and reassured that the direction we are pushing in as a business is the right one.

A genuinely valuable experience

What stood out most was how honest and useful the discussions were. There was a strong focus on learning that delivers real outcomes, not just engagement for the sake of it.

Across multiple sessions, the same message kept coming through. Learning needs to connect to performance, behaviour change, and measurable results. That is something we care deeply about, so it was great to see it reinforced by so many organisations.

It was also a great opportunity to connect with peers and clients, share ideas, and see how others are approaching similar challenges. Those conversations are often just as valuable as the sessions themselves.

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Racing to Victory with Storytelling

One of the biggest highlights for us was seeing our Senior Learning Designer, Emily Craig, present alongside Sandy Dilley from Harman International.

Their session, “Racing to Victory with Storytelling,” explored how storytelling can elevate learning from something people complete to something they actually remember and apply.

They talked about why storytelling works so well. It engages people emotionally, helps simplify complex ideas, and makes learning stick. The session included practical tips on how to move from good storytelling to something more impactful.

The highlight was a case study with Harman International. The learning experience used the story of an underperforming racing car to bring problem solving concepts to life. It was simple, relatable, and surprisingly powerful.

The result was not just positive feedback from learners. It led to real adoption of problem solving techniques across the organisation, with measurable business impact. That is exactly the kind of outcome we aim for in every project.

Find out more about this project in our Case Study.

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27 awards and a very special evening

The awards ceremony was a moment we will not forget anytime soon.

We were incredibly excited and honoured to receive 27 awards at this year’s Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards.

Each award represents a partnership, a challenge, and a shared effort to create something meaningful. They are a reflection of the trust our clients place in us and the dedication of our team.

More than anything, it was a great moment to pause and appreciate the work that has gone into these projects and the results they have delivered.

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Looking ahead

Events like this are a good reminder of why we do what we do.

They give you space to reflect, learn from others, and come back with fresh ideas. We are leaving with plenty of those, along with a lot of motivation to keep pushing boundaries in how learning is designed and delivered.

To everyone we connected with at the event, it was a pleasure. And to our clients and team, thank you. These 27 awards are something we are proud to share with you.

We are already looking forward to what we can achieve together next.

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