Every trainer, workshop leader and consultant knows that when companies are looking to reduce spending, the first thing they cut is learning and development. So, I wasn’t surprised to see the results from a online survey conducted by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) stating that companies are indeed cutting back.

Here are just a sample of the results:

• 49.7% of respondents said their company reduced travel of learners for training.
• 42.5% of respondents said their company reduced travel of instructors for training.

What’s even more interesting are the number of companies who are transitioning in-person training to the Internet. According to the same report:

• 27.5% of respondents said their company moved instructor-led courses to e-learning or web-based courses.

If companies are moving more of their training online, the same can be said of companies that host conferences and trade shows. As I pointed out in an earlier post, just over 80% of meeting planners see a need to add virtual events to their schedules due to a drop in travel.  This won’t change even as the economy picks up.

Hit tip to Virtual World News and Virtual Speak for blogging about this report.