Official Call For Presenters: Future Trends Conference

Change Your Perspective

Submission deadline: Friday, April 11^th, 2008

The Institute for International Research is excited to announce that production of the Future Trends Conference is underway. We will be reviewing presentation submissions until April 11^th – space is limited so please submit your ideas TODAY!

This 4-day event is all about understanding how trends are shaping the current environment and on being inspired to create new products, services and ideas that people want. The Future Trends Conference is the place to interact with peers and get out of your comfort zone to learn what trends are hot, and how you can apply them in your world.

Your Opportunity

We are currently recruiting corporate practitioners to share unique ideas, perspectives and case studies related to future trends.

Got a good story to tell? Have a provocative perspective that needs to be shared? I’m interested in hearing from you. The sessions at Future Trends can focus on a specific trend, but also should tackle a specific challenge. Takeaways and applications are a must!

Session topics include but are not limited to:

Future Trends

• Global trends and emerging markets
• 2^nd Life, avatars and artificial intelligence
• Social networking- for everyone!
• Individuality and customization
• Happiness
• Experience
• Self-service
• Personal indulgence and luxury vs. paring down
• Health, fitness and obesity
• Food, fashion, art, design trends
• Authentic experiences
• Life stages- Baby Boomers and Gen X and Y
• Mobile technology
• 3D virtual worlds, movies, and TV
• Local vs. Global
• Spirituality, consciousness, community
• Do demographics matter? Woman, singles
• Gaming and gambling
• The next step in going green- good business, cultural sustainability, lack of water
• Eco-cynicism and green washing

Identifying and Creating Trends

• Tracking trends- how and where?
• How to interpret trends and convert them into ideas- what works and what doesn’t?
• How can you infuse trends throughout your organization and get buy-in?
• What is a trend and will last?
• New places for inspiration- getting out of your comfort zone
• What are the latest methods for ideation, innovation, scenario planning, forecasting, and analyzing trend data?
• Success and failure stories when trying trends

Formats include:

1. Standard presentation (45 minutes long including time for question and answer)
2. Interactive ideation and brainstorming sessions to uncover the "so what" of trends and engage the audience in discussion (30 - 45 minutes long)
3. In-depth Workshop (3-4 hours long)

Interactivity is encouraged in all sessions!

The Audience

We expect more than 300 attendees to join us. Who will attend? Leaders from a variety of industries with responsibilities in:

• Marketing
• Brand/Product Management
• Market Research
• Consumer Insights
• Strategic Planning
• Business Development
• Product Development
• Innovation
• Design
• Forecasting
• Futures Strategy
• Trend Tracking

Speaker Benefits

Our speakers join us for countless reasons. Some include:

• To advance the purpose and value of trend forecasting

• To share best practices and lessons learned
• To showcase the critical role of the trends within their organization
• To reinforce their own position as an expert and share results of exciting project or study
• To network with their peers and other industry leaders and participate in high level intellectual exchanges

Added Bonus: Each speaker will receive free admission to the conference (a $3000+ value) including admission to workshops, all sessions, networking breaks, receptions, exhibit halls, etc.

Submission Guidelines & Deadline

For consideration, please e-mail Amy Kritzer at akritzer@iirusa.com with the following information by Friday, April 11^th, 2008

• Proposed speaker name(s), job title(s), and company name(s)
• Contact information including address, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail
• Title of presentation
• Brief overview of the presentation (1 paragraph plus 3 – 5 key audience "takeaways"): Please write this with the knowledge that if your proposal is selected, this description will be printed in the brochure
• Previous conference presentations and/or brief speaker biography

Due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to respond to each submission. All those selected to participate as speakers will be notified shortly after the deadline.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO VENDORS, CONSULTANTS & SOLUTIONS PROVIDERS:
Whether you are looking to build awareness, generate new business or strengthen existing relationships – a presence at Future Trends Conference can help you achieve your goals.

This event provides unique opportunity to showcase your products and services to targeted end users and decision-makers. Establish the right set of contacts and be at the right place at the right time.

A limited number of sessions are reserved on the program for vendors, consultants and solutions providers. Sponsors of the conference are given priority choice among available sessions. We are excited to work with you to customize a package that would meet your marketing needs. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Jon Saxe, Sales Manager. He can be reached via email at jsaxe@iirusa.com or at 646-895-7467.

Thank you for your interest in Future Trends!

All the best,

Amy Kritzer
Conference Producer
Marketing and Business Strategy Division
Institute for International Research
Tel: (646) 895-7328
akritzer@iirusa.com