London – On 17 October, 100 delegates attended the 2019 edition of our Global Futures Forum, The Future Laboratory’s annual festival of ideas, at our Elder Street home.
At this year’s event, we looked at how four key human needs – attainment, purpose, identity and security – are reshaping the coming decade of contrarian consumption.
The forum was split into two sessions, with guests invited to customise their experience by selecting their preferred track. In the first session, guests chose between the Future of Purpose – uncovering how macro-shifts in the food and drink sector, as well as concerns over sustainability, are changing consumer expectations of brands – and the Future of Attainment, which explored the next-generation technologies set to shape brand marketing and how retail is being reframed.
Guest speakers for the first session included Rory Paterson, co-founder of Wow Drinks, consumer and business psychologist Dr Dimitrios Tsivrikos, and Natsai Audrey Chieza, founder and director of Faber Futures, alongside Geoffrey Lillemon, co-founder of Wieden + Kennedy’s Department of New Realities.
In two further sessions, attendees were guided through the Future of Identity, which unpacked our Uncoupled Living macrotrend and unveiled our latest youth macrotrend, Paradox Personas. In our simultaneous Security presentation, we explored how Resilience Culture is becoming a core part of consumers’ wellbeing agenda. During this part of the day, we were joined by guest speakers Seray Ozdemir, a designer and researcher, Nick Bennett, co-founder and CEO of emotional fitness app FIKA, and Calum Morrison, founder of Extraordinary Adventure Club.
For those that were unable to attend, you can explore our Global Futures Forum microsite.