Studying the Future: Methodologies Sessions at the WorldFuture 2011 Conference

In order to establish a system of continuous forecasting of some medium-term indicators in economy, and social sphere. Such indicators as, for example, oil price, are important for the governments in terms of the annual budgeting process and for the community as a whole. Participants will be involved in forecasting simultaneously and independently.

Companies, organizations, and individuals face many challenges in the world today. Trendwatcher.com Agency has developed this TO DO Brainstorm Model to help survive these times. Richard Lamb explains his TO DO Brainstorm Model for Change and Innovation. TO DO is an acronym for (T)rends, (O)pportunities, (D)eliverables, and (O)bjectives.

The case study of a congressional agency will be used to illustrate unique challenges facing the use and development of scenarios in a legislative branch agency.

Most individuals and most organizations are just a few steps away from genuinely creating the type of future they want for themselves. The challenge is that the one or two steps they miss when planning for their future may cause them to fall well short of both expectations and desires.

Members of TechCast’s panel of 100 experts discuss the project’s ongoing technology forecasts in the fields of e-commerce, energy and environment, information technology, medicine and biogenetics, manufacturing and robotics, space, and transportation.

The current business, social, and financial environments require new ways to search for and exploit emerging business and technology trends. Minitrends is a new concept that allows individuals and organizations of all sizes to identify, evaluate, and employ emerging trends of a scope and importance to provide attractive business and operational opportunities.

Karen Lam will lead a discussion on the greatest untapped, underutilized natural resource in the world: the power of feminine energy. Whether we are male or female, we all have access to this energy within us. It is a power source that can help us create radical new possibilities for our collective future.

A novel and innovative real-time Delphi technique for foresight surveys is presented that addresses known weaknesses of the conventional Delphi method, such as complicated facilitator tasks, lack of real-time presentation of results, and difficulties in tracking progress over time.