Stage and topic highlights: 2nd Half of 2017 … Tokyo, Detroit, Dallas…. Disruption, Transformation and More!

What does a global futurist do? Assist clients in understanding the key trends which are impacting their industry, and sharing insight on a pathway forward!

Companies that book speakers know that there are a lot of them out there that will deliver canned talks that, while they might be inspiring, don’t really offer much in the way of substance. I’ve developed a global reputation for being spectacularly different, with highly customized talks based on original research that go into the key issues of today and trends of tomorrow. You don’t get to have clients such as NASA, Disney, Johnson & Johnson, Nikon and over a thousand more without offering depth of insight. Watch my video, “Why Jim Carroll“, to understand why these and hundreds of other clients have booked me.

I do much of my work on big fascinating stages at big events such as seen below – but I also share my insight at small meetings with Board of Directors meetings or in senior CEO led sessions, with as few as 20, 50 or 100 people in the room. Whatever the case may be, my job is to take people into the future, and guide them on how to best get there!

With that in mind, here are some of the highlights of my 2nd half of the year of 2017.

Nikon 100th Anniversary Celebration, Tokyo, Japan

This was certainly a treat – they invited me in to headline a dinner with my observations on the future! I opened with a story on when NASA invited me in (twice!) for a talk on the disruption of the space industry, transformative leadership and fast paced trends. My audience consisted of people from 37 countries, with simultaneous translation into Japanese and Chinese. You don’t get to be a company with a 100 year history without constant, relentless innovation and reinvention, and so it was an honour to be invited in to headline this prestigious event.

Disruption: Self-Driving Cars and the Sharing Economy, Mercedes Benz, Detroit, Michigan

Obviously, this is a HOT topic, and being invited in by one of the pre-eminent automative companies in the world to share my thoughts on these trends is certainly a career highlight! 2017 was characterized by an increased number of organizations looking for in depth insight to the massive disruption occurring in the industry – I spoke at automotive, trucking, hi-tech, finance and insurance conferences about the impact of self-driving, autonomous vehicles. Simply check out some of the posts in the automotive trends section of my blog – it’s over there on the right — for some insight into why companies like this are choosing to bring me in.

The Acceleration of Risk in the Era of Disruption, Baker McKenzie client conferences, Dallas and Chicago

It’s pretty cool when the top-ranked global legal firm — operating in 38 countries with 13,000+ legal staff — picks you to come in and speak to their most important clients about the future — and the unique legal issues that the future brings. That’s what Baker McKenzie did! The audience was pretty spectacular – key corporate legal counsel for a vast number of global Fortune 500 companies, individuals responsible for managing the accelerating complex legal issues of our time. My keynote took a look at fast new risks involving intellectual property, the Internet of Things, new careers, accelerated product innovation and so much more. I’m busy working on a blog post on my thoughts – stay tuned!

Manufacturing Trends and Disruption, Legrand, Connecticut

It was a busy year for keynotes in the manufacturing space! This talk was for Legrands North American leadership meeting, where the CEO and his team fine tune strategies and plans for the coming year. They’re big in the global tech industry, manufacturing a wide variety of component parts and cabling. My talk took a look at key trends providing opportunity in the manufacturing process, including the factory of the future, the Internet of Things, digitization, 3D printing, accelerated supply chains and much more.

Future of food, agriculture, retail and consumer behaviour, Simplot, Phoenix, Arizona

This agricultural company is the largest global supplier of French fries to McDonalds and other food companies, as well as being very active in other aspects of the industry. This was a team leadership meeting as well, with individuals from throughout the organization – marketing, product development, legal, finance and accounting, supply chain and more. They invited me in to speak to over 400 executives about key trends that will impact them in the future, including the accelerated pace of agricultural science, changing consumer behaviour, faster marketing and brand challenges, and other similar topics.

Future of energy – renewables, batteries and more, SAP Utilities conference, California

You have to love it when a client invites you back – and in this case, SAP was bringing me back in for about the 20th time since they first booked me in 2003! This conference had about 500 executives from the energy utility industry in the room, with a focus on future energy, water and wastewater trends. I delivered a barnburner of a speech in the morning for a small group of senior executives, and a repeat performance later in the afternoon for the entire group, with a focus on the massive, disruptive change occurring in the energy space, including issues around grid party, micro-grids and intelligent grids, the acceleration of renewable generation methodologies, battery storage technologies and more.

Future of customer interaction, SOMOS, Chicago, Illinois

This is a new group — 3 years old — that represents the 1-800 toll free service industry, and the invited me in for a keynote on trends and issues impacting consumer behaviour. I spoke to issues around mobile, increased and accelerated expectations for customer support, and how the Amazon effect is coming to affect the latter, to name just a few issues!

Retail and consumer behaviour, XCelerate 2017, Las Vegas

This event draws the CIO’s and strategy executives for a vast number of the largest grocery and consumer product retailers from across North America. There was one big word in the room – Amazon! My keynote examined the types of retail trends that the national media (such as Time Magazine) turns to me for, including faster supply chains, collapsing product lifecycles, the new consumer and brand influencers, intelligent and active packaging and more. This was one of many retail events this year — the highlight being when Godiva Chocolates brought me in (twice!) earlier this year for a similar talk.

Disruption and innovation, McKay CEO Forum, Vancouver, Canada

Imagine a room full of 300 CEO’s and senior executives, and you get the McKay CEO Forum, one of the pre-eminent senior level events in Western Canada. I did a wide ranging talk on the theme of disruption and industry transformation, putting into perspective the stark trends that are impacting and reshaping every industry at a furious pace.

Quintiq World Tour 2017, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a company that builds a software platform that helps companies to manage complex supply chains and workforces, and my keynote focused on why the need for ‘managing complexity’ is becoming critical in the context of faster trends. If the world gets faster, it gets more complex. The winners will be those who can manage that complexity!

CPAmerica, Washington, DC

An accounting and professional services firm! My keynote took a look at the disruptive trends which are and will continue to change their client base, and the unique financial, legal, risk and partnership issues that this might present them going forward. It was a talk that took a look at the future of professional services in the era of fast paced change!

Fin-tech and disruption, Finastra annual user group meeting, Orlando, Florida

This company is a software vendor to the community bank and credit union industry – and naturally, that’s what I zoned in on. With a little bit of the Jetsons to boot! (While all of my talks are highly customize to the audience and issues at hand, I also have 25 years of stage craft experience, and know how to have fun with a crowd!. In these days of mobile device obsessions, you need to know how to work an audience and engage them.)

Manufacturing Trends and Disruption, AssaBloy, Connecticut

Another CEO led leadership meeting, in this case for this company which is one of the world’s leading manufactures and suppliers of door and window locks — everything from simple deadbolt assembly to complex chip based hotel door locking devices. Globally, a wide variety of manufacturing organizations are finding that I’m THE guy to inspire them to think about Manufacturing 2.0, the Factory of the Future, and how to get there.

Future of food and consumer behaviour, Dallas, Texas

The National Automatic Merchandising Association CEO saw me at an event, and told me she immediately determined that I should come in and headline one of their events — in this case, their annual Coffee, Tea & Water conference. Fast changing consumer behaviour, the rapid evolution of taste trends and brands, the impact of social media, intelligent packaging, the Internet of Things and more!

Future of the global economy, Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Oklahoma, OK

Over 700 local executives from throughout the city attended the event that I headlined, with a keynote that took a look at over 20 trends which are providing opportunity in the global economy. While much of the US is on the ropes with the never-ending political soap opera, senior executives are also eager to understand where the global economy is really head. OKC picked me to do this job, and the reports coming in are that they are thrilled with the job that I did!

Economic development trends and the future of manufacturing, International Asset Management Council, Richmond, Virginia

The International Asset Management Council is an organization relentlessly focused on economic trends, and represent two distinct groups – economic development representatives from government organizations, including states, provinces and cities, as well as individuals in many Fortune 1000 organizations responsible for future site locations for manufacturing plants, R&D facilities or other corporate locations.My talk took a look at the disruptive trends of today, and what that will mean for future economic development opportunities tomorrow.

Canadian Manufacturing and Technology Show, Toronto, Canada

This is the biggest manufacturing conference in Canada, organized by SME (previously, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers). This is the 4th time SME has had me headline an event – two other notable ones were the massive IMX show in Las Vegas, and the Big-M manufacturing conference in Detroit. 

Henry Schein, Long Island, New York

This company is one of the major players in the dental, medical and veterinary products industry, serving well over 100,000 medial professionals around the world. The senior leadership brought me in for a look at the rapid evolution of medical science, consumer and patient trends, healthcare issues — and the potential disruption that might come from Amazon and other organizations. Companies everywhere need to stay apprised of the accelerating rends which will shape and impact their industry, and this is a good example of the many internal leadership events I do for organizations. It doesn’t hurt that I’d previously done keynotes in each of these industry verticals.

Global Economic Growth Trends, Nevada Economic Development Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada

Sadly, one week before the horrific Las Vegas shootings, I spoke at the University of Nevada Las Vegas for economic development officials from across the state, on key economic opportunist beyond the tourism and gaming sector. It covered issues related to renewables and energy, self driving cars and accelerating industries, workforce and skills issues and much more

That’s a few of the events from the fall! Stay tuned for 2018 – it begins with some excitement, when I headline the World Government Summit in Dubai, this February. Previous speakers have included Barack Obama, Prime Minister Abe of Japan, Elon Musk and others. It should be fun! And I am thrilled to have the opportunity to make an impact.