Special Events
Approximately 1,000 futurists from around the world will converge on WorldFuture 2011: Moving from Vision to Action. Don't miss the opportunity to attend these Special Events.
Grok, Talk, Walk, Rock: Choreography for Four Generations
Special Event
Saturday, July 9, 2011
In today’s Human Hive, how do generational cohorts align (or not) as they clash, coordinate, collaborate, and constellate? What differentiates those born before World War II from the baby boomers, Gen X, and the millennials? How are these four generations archetypal in their thinking, behaviors, relationships, and systems? Join our quartet as we voice the worldviews, capacities, and complexities of four generational patterns and how we open and/or block effective practices and strategies in today’s city. As we Grok, Talk, Walk, and Rock, presenters will reveal the four generational cohorts we represent. Research from Integral City will underline the dynamics of generational values in decision making and resource allocation. This session will finish with a performance that choreographs cosmic cycles with the resilience cycles of the Human Hive.
Who should attend: Anyone who needs a new paradigm for succession planning. Anyone interested in how generational lifecycles affect city dynamics. Anyone who would like to explore theory, research, and non-linear methodologies for shifting relationships in human systems.
What you’ll learn: The theory of generational change and it contributes to resilient human systems. Patterns of human development within generational cohorts. What you'll learn: Participants will learn how to work with different cohorts to make a difference.
How this new knowledge can be applied: Within organizations (including all levels of government) to create new generationally sensitive approaches to leadership.
Marilyn Hamilton, founder, Integral City Meshworks Inc.; founder of the Center for Human Emergence; author, Integral City: Evolutionary Intelligences for the Human Hive, Abbotsford, Canada
Barbara Marx Hubbard, author, speaker, and evolutionary educator, and one of the original Advisory Board Members of the WFS, Santa Barbara, California
Cherie Beck, practitioner and trainer, Spiral Dynamics; emissary, for Strauss and Howe's seminal work on Generations and Cyclical Change; a certified executive coach; partner, American City Girls
Vanessa Fisher, author, poet, Vancouver, Canada
key words: generations, integral, human development, evolution, non-linear, constellation, change, city
issue areas: Society and Culture, Learning and Education, Business and Careers
Reinvigorating Technology Assessment for the U.S. Congress
Special Event
Saturday, July 9, 2011
This talk will provide a background and overview of the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s technology assessment (TA) activities for the United States Congress. It will describe GAO's methodology in conducting TA work, particularly concerning the incorporation of foresight approaches for more strategic TA topics such as the most recent report on climate engineering technologies. Lastly, it will discuss GAO's status on developing metrics and outcomes for TA reports.
Who should attend: Anyone interested in the study and evaluation of new technologies and how they are regulated.
What you’ll learn: Attendees will learn how new products and processes affect the operations of businesses and society.
How this knowledge can be applied: Audience members will be made aware of how new technologies are developed and classified.
Timothy M. Persons, chief scientist, United States Government Accountability Office; co-director, GAO’s Center for Science, Technology, and Engineering (CSTE), Washington, D.C .
keywords: technology assessment, foresight, climate engineering
issue area: Technology and Science
The Future of Business: The Open and Free Business Model
Special Event
Saturday, July 9, 2011
This session will reveal some interesting observations on the paradigm shift taking place in the world of commerce and a business model where “attention” is the new currency will be presented. Thus reshaping the landscape of business as we know it.
The speaker will discuss the need to be more mobile, social, networked and real-time. How a connected world cannot be controlled; because they regroup on the fly without notice.
The business model of the future will be more open and free by today's standards, where reducing control means a bigger share of the market.
Who should attend: Business owners and anyone who consult business owners on multiple fronts, business models etc. Anyone looking for insight on the future of business.
What they will learn: Attendees will learn that it's not business as usual, it's business as unusual, learn to trust the people formerly known as consumers. They will learn that the shift from closed to open is not a simple set of actions or a skill set, but a new way of thinking.
How this new knowledge can be applied: Companies and business owners will have a bigger world view of business, to think, and develop ways to adopt an open and free business model. Most will have a new way of looking at their business, some will be able to build deliverable's to implement or develop with their teams.
Owen Greaves, Owen Greaves Consulting; Futurist, Thought-Leader, Keynote Speaker, Think-Tank Leader, Author, Blogger, Strategist, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
keywords: future, open and free business model, business, technology
issue areas: Business and Careers, Technology and Science
The Six Hottest Technologies Shaping the Future, and What They Will Do for You and Your Organization
Special Event
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Since the invention of the wheel, technology has been a major force in shaping our world and our future. At no time was this more evident than the twentieth century, when technology—for good or for evil—broke nearly all the boundaries of the past to create what was to become an almost unimaginable new world.
The twenty-first century is sure to surpass that record of change. What are the six greatest technological developments—the ones that will lead the way to an even newer world? How will they affect your life, both professionally and personally? What do you need to know now to understand the implications of these disruptive and transforming technologies and to control how they shape your future?
This presentation features two of the foremost pioneers in futures research, with more than 80 combined years of advising global corporations, governments, nonprofits, educational institutions, and the military. Decision makers at all levels of such organizations will benefit significantly from participating in this interactive session.
Who should attend: Anyone interested in understanding the latest and most significant technologies affecting the global community.
What you’ll learn: Attendees will understand the technologies that will have the greatest impact on their lives, workplaces, and communities.
How this knowledge can be applied: Business and organizations can use this information to identify opportunities and transform their organization to meet future needs.
Arnold Brown, chairman, Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc. New York, New York
Edie Weiner, president, Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc. New York, New York
keywords: technology, futures research
issue areas: Technology and Science
Unlimited Resources? Saving the Planet while Growing Prosperity
Special Event
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Ramez Naam, paints a picture of human civilization on a planet with incredibly vast resources, stunted by the low efficiency with which we utilize them. With innovation in key fields, he argues, it is possible for humanity to continue growing in wealth and prosperity for centuries without depleting the Earth’s resources. In this provocative talk, Naam sketches a roadmap towards a future of incredible wealth on a healthy and thriving planet.
Who should attend: Futurists, educators, students, consultants, energy professionals.
What they’ll learn: The audience will learn about world energy trends in the next 40 years, methodologies for the analysis of issues, scenario analysis, and strategies to achieve a desired energy future.
How this new knowledge can be applied: The audience will be able to apply this methodology to any scenario analysis.
Ramez Naam
professional technologist, author, senior associate
Foresight Institute Seattle, Washington
key words: civilization, resources, climate change