Today at Apple Gains 50 New Sessions on Everything from Photography to Health

One of the things that makes the Apple Store unique among brick-and-mortar retailers is the level of customer engagement that the company promotes within its stores, from allowing customers to play with and experience Apple’s technology without any kind of sales pressure to a huge range of workshops and other interactive experiences. Apple’s Senior VP of Retail, Angela Ahrendts, touted this strategy in an interview this week as part of Apple’s “experiential retail” approach that builds long-term customer relationships.

Perhaps not coincidentally, on the heels of that interview Apple has announced over 50 new Today at Apple sessions, along with new and expanded formats for delivering its sessions and workshops. As before, all of the sessions are offered free at Apple Stores around the world and cover a range of topics such as photography, video, music, coding, app development, art and design, and more.

First launched in 2017, Apple has held over 18,000 free weekly Today at Apple sessions around the globe, and this newest refresh of the program is expanding on Apple’s “Walks” and “Labs” sessions to give users even more opportunities to get creative with their Apple devices.

Apple will be offering new Skills sessions that focus on creative techniques such as creating drum patterns with GarageBand, sketching ideas in Notes, photo editing techniques, and getting started with the Health app, while new Labs sessions have been created with the help of world-renowned artists to help customers experiment with more advanced creative techniques in design, photography, video and cinematography, music, and even app development.

Most notably, new Walks sessions will actually take customers outside of their local Apple Store into the community, accompanied by a Creative Pro who will help them learn new ways to use their Apple devices not only in areas like photography and music, but also in health. New Walks include Capturing Cinematic Shots, Creating Soundscape with GarageBand, and a Health and Fitness Walk on Staying Motivated.

Apple has also geared its Today at Apple program with sessions aimed toward younger audiences, such as a new photo lab for kids on creating fun family portraits, along with coding and art sessions that range from coding for a Sphero robot to making their own emojis. Sessions for educators are also available to help teachers bring Apple technology into their classrooms, based on the Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create curriculums.

Further, Apple has also begun upgrading its stores to improve the Today at Apple experience in every store, adding new design elements to increase capacity, including the addition of a new area that has already begun appearing in some stores called The Forum, which includes a large video wall and seating area that will serve as a community meeting place and the hub for Today at Apple. Some stores will also be gaining Avenues and even groves of trees with integrated seating.

Users can find a list of all of the sessions available at nearby stores, and register for a session by visiting Apple’s Today at Apple page.