Landmark’s 25th Anniversary of the Conference for Global Transformation was held in May this year, as it has been every May for the past 24 years, and it may have been the best one yet. This was the first time in almost a decade that attendees at Landmark’s only professional conference were asked to give feedback in a survey, and the responses were quite remarkable.
One attendee said, “This is the first time I participated, and I totally enjoyed it. Words and descriptions don’t do justice to the learning and value I’ve received through listening to contributors and participants sharing this weekend. I know I’m the recipient of 25 years of developing the Conference for Global Transformation, so I am grateful for that legacy and what exists today. Mind blown!”
SIXTY-PLUS PARTICIPANT-LED WORKSHOPS
The annual Conference for Global Transformation is unlike any other Landmark event in that all of the content for the three-day event is created by participants. The theme of the conference each year provides the context for the workshops that are presented, of which there were 63 this year. The theme this year was, “At Play in the World: Risking Failure.”
Many attendees remarked that the workshops were over the top this year, elevating the quality of what is typically delivered each year. Different views of failure from dozens of presenters deepened the inquiry of the conference theme for participants. One attendee said, “Every workshop I went to was transformational and worth the whole conference in value.” Another said, “I took away new ways of being and [acting] from all the workshops.”
As an example, one workshop led by Kathryn Lusby and David Lanfear received rave reviews. It was titled, “Was it a Fatal Error?” and addressed moments of freezing up, not taking a planned action, or not initiating a plan. Attendees inquired into whether these were “fatal errors” or points of investigation.
Another workshop, “Leadership: Futuring, Faltering, Forgiving, Repeat,” led by the Rev. Eileen Epperson and Daniel Kamanga, also received many compliments. Participants practiced and experienced forgiving another, which the presenters asserted releases missteps and provides access to velocity.
FORTY-PLUS VIDEO CREATIONS
Others said that they appreciated the format of the video sessions this year, which allowed plenty of time to discuss various presenters’ commitments for the world with other attendees. Others remarked that each year the videos have been elevated, from the production value to the content, to the creativity.
“I appreciated watching the videos with others; their points of view expanded my field of vision,” said one attendee.
The videos, produced by conference participants, showcase a microcosm of the resources available in the conference community and, fortunately, you can view these videos all year long.
Winner of the People’s Choice Best Video this year was Rose Grant, “Reading the Tea Leaves: Divining Passionate Futures,” with a runner-up award going to Susan Kralj and Doris Schneider, “African Women at Play With Their World – Forgiveness and Resilience.”
SEVEN KEYNOTE TALKS
People also raved about this year’s keynote speakers and several expressed that they literally fell in love with the closing session speakers – Oliver McCrohan, Rochelle Frank, and Jerrod Kerr – remarking that they were sharing up to the present day, and not strictly from their past, about how they have transformed failure into something very useful. Their authentic sharing, and allowing themselves to be moved by what they were saying was quite touching.
Mike Hamra’s talk was full of examples of how one can transform a business culture. Scores of participants met with Hamra after his address to ask him specific questions. Mike Hamra is the CEO of Hamra Enterprises. He holds a law degree and an MBA, which isn’t unique among company CEOs. What is unusual about Mike is he is dedicated to fostering a people-forward culture at his company that empowers his employees to take on what matters most to them.
Barbara Annis, a former seminar leader for Landmark, is CEO of Gender Intelligence. Her insights and achievements have pioneered a transformational shift in mindsets for men and women across the globe on the importance of gender unity to organizational success. A group of conference participants are now working with Barbara Annis to be trained in her technology of embracing the differences between men and women.
“The keynoters kept taking me further and further out of my comfort zone,” said one attendee. “The authentic sharing of their own humanity and how they moved from experiencing failure, growing and changing with huge courage, has been freeing and healing for me.”
NETWORKING AND BEING SOCIAL
Logistically, the conference was conducted on a new web platform this year, produced by Zoom Events, and many attendees said was extremely easy to access and use, compared to previous platforms. The majority of comments said it was the best platform that was created since the conference went virtual in 2020.
The new after-hours social events on Zoom Events, and opportunities to socialize during the longer breaks, were really well received. And the two Gatherings of the Social Commons, one segmented by region and one by area of interest, were also well attended this year, with people sharing getting tremendous value from them.
“The contribution of these graduates to the world has developed in leaps and bounds over the past five years,” said one long-time attendee. And from another, “I now know that I am enough, and can be the transformed, unique, beautiful being I have come here to be newly in my 79th year, and it’s so inspiring.”
AN ACADEMIC-QUALITY JOURNAL OF MORE THAN 200 PAGES
The 2026 Journal of the Conference for Global Transformation was dedicated to Helen Gilhooly, a former Landmark staff member who shepherded the conference for its first 20 years. It showcases 15 well-researched, curated articles and 40 reports from the field, and can be read on the homepage of the conference website.
The winner of the Editor’s Choice Best Paper Award was Mary Wells, “Pain Transformed Through Being Transformed: Current Research Open New Possibilities.” Joining Wells as the three top authors were Rose Grant, with “What Life Looks Like When It’s Working,” and Katherine H. Wilcox, with “The Being of Being a Caregiver.”
ANNOUNCING NEXT YEAR’S CONFERENCE
Next year’s conference promises to empower your already-existing commitments for the world or have you consider formulating new commitments in alignment with the theme of Sharing: Access to Engaging the World. It will be held May 15 through 17, 2026, with a tuition of $795. You can register with a $150 deposit.
We invite you to register now and begin an inquiry into sharing and how it can impact what’s most important to you. And we invite you to speculate on the possibility of contributing your investigations to the conference next year. Click here for an overview of all of the ways you can contribute to the 2026 Conference for Global Transformation.
If you have Landmark graduate friends, business associates or family members who would are up to making a difference on a global scale, please invite them to attend the conference next year. They can contact Julia Johnson, conference manager, to assist them in registering.