Inside tip: Innovation futurists have become highly sought-after keynote speakers as organizations look to get ahead of technological and societal change. But what exactly do they do in terms of work and consulting?
For those unfamiliar with the practice, innovation futurists combine expertise in emerging technologies, consumer trends, and organizational change management to forecast the innovations that will shape our collective future. Top pros draw on their industry knowledge and research to spot budding trends years before they go mainstream.
Unlike generalized practitioners, innovation futurists focus specifically on predicting the new technologies, product ideas, consumer behaviors, and business models that will gain traction. Experts imagine how innovators of the future will harness developments like AI, blockchain, augmented reality, biotech, and green energy.
During high-energy keynotes, they act as visionaries prepared to radically shake up current thinking. As you may have seen, innovation futurists get audiences excited about the limitless opportunities ahead while grounding predictions in concrete examples and data-driven insights.
Top pros also translate broad futures thinking into strategic advice to start innovating today. An innovation futurist motivates organizations to become more nimble, collaborative, and responsive so they can ride the industry waves of tomorrow rather than being disrupted.
Expert presenters draw inspiration from cutting edge research labs, entrepreneurial hubs like Silicon Valley, and visionary thinkers across disciplines. But they also granularly analyze patent filings, VC funding trends, and promising startups to separate legitimate forecasts from wishful thinking.
Given rapid technological leaps, this specialty helps audiences anticipate where transformative innovation could sprout next. Innovation futurists expand our notions of what’s possible in the decades ahead. But they keep “future shock” at bay by balancing mind-blowing projections with level-headed strategic advice. Companies walk away feeling energized and equipped to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.