5 Inspiring Innovation Conferences you can Still Attend in 2017
We all know that innovation doesn’t just happen. It requires leadership from people who thrive on hard work, adaptability and a knack for finding inspiration to foster that next great idea.
Offering thought-provoking insights, deep dives on trends and unique networking opportunities, conferences can be one of the best sources of inspiration for anyone looking to hatch that next big innovation. And the good news is that even though we are now officially into the back half of 2017, there are still plenty of opportunities to catch some of the most inspiring innovation conferences of the year.
Here’s a look at 5 innovation conferences worth checking out before the curtain falls on 2017.
1. Business Innovation Factory (Sept 13-14) Providence, Rhode Island
This two-day conference takes place in a historic theatre and features 32 storytellers from many different industries telling 15-minute transformational stories about their creative processes, hurdles and where they’re heading next. This conference is sure to leave you feeling inspired and ready to transform your thinking and your business.
2. Future Festival (Sept 27-29) Toronto, Canada
Billed as a place for the world’s top innovators to prototype their future, this three-day conference hosted by Trend Hunter (a top trend firm) features engaging presentations, personalized innovation assessments and one-on-one consultations—plus the opportunity to engage in the same workshops that NASA used to prototype its mission to Mars. This conference will inspire you with next-level trends and consumer insights that will help you accelerate your future innovations.
3. Harvest Summit (Oct 20) Sonoma County, California
Break out of industry silos and collaborate with a diverse group of leaders in technology, media, entertainment, food, wine and agriculture—all at one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Joining innovators and influencers together with chefs, winemakers and artisans to discuss everything from raising capital, igniting transformational change and making a social impact, this inspirational one-day conference is sure to leave both your stomach and your mind full and happy.
4. Back End of Innovation (Oct 22-25) Orlando, Florida
The Back End of Innovation (BEI) conference is 100% focused on the execution of innovation. Roll up your sleeves and work together with leaders in innovation and marketing (including best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell) to solve the most daunting challenges innovators confront on their journey to successful execution. The BEI conference will inspire you to overcome resistance and find creative ways to mobilize teams, optimize idea portfolios, align the right stakeholders and more.
5. Fast Company Innovation Festival (Oct 23-27) New York City
The Fast Company Innovation Festival features a full slate of talks by big name speakers, immersive hands-on workshops and Fast Tracks field trips—intimate, behind-the-scenes tours of some of the most dynamic companies in NYC. The flexible format of this weeklong conference allows attendees to craft their own inspiring agendas, mixing creativity, design, leadership, social good, tech and more for a uniquely customized experience.
So, which of these innovation conferences sounds the most inspirational to you? Will you be attending any of them? Are there any others you think we should add to the list? I’d love to hear from you—comment below or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Jeff Johns is SVP, Creative at Seed Strategy where he consistently delivers breakthrough creative at lightning speed across a wide range of best-in-class design practices: packaging, branding, shelf aisle optimization and advertising.
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