Keynotes

Maria Ogneva: “Modern Community Is About Leadership, Not Technology”
The future is networked, and this future is already here. Technology has allowed us unprecedented access not only to each other’s skills and time, but also possessions – and even thoughts and feelings. But it’s not just about technology; at the other end of it are people. This networked world is as much about the human condition, as it is about platforms that connect us. The strategic advantage belongs to those who understand how to lead and motivate in a distributed, decentralized, networked world – thrusting the discipline of community management into the spotlight as a key leadership discipline. When neither users nor employees owe us loyalty, and everything’s changing at breakneck speeds, we need to think beyond our tactics, to building movements together. We can continue to think of business communities as tactical solutions for support, marketing or employee communications — or we can think bigger and let them transform us. We can start movements. Which way will you go?
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Tom Hajdu: “The Future of Live Event Experiences and Real Time Marketing”
Digital technologies change our expectations of experiences and challenge us to re-imagine what entertainment looks like. Venues, performances and audience engagements are being disrupted and redefined with new ways of understanding what we mean by ‘participation’. Better experiences strengthen the relationships between hosts and their customers and also the ability for brands’ values to align with customers’ values in new and innovative ways. These strong connections created during exciting live events can be leveraged as part of a larger digital engagement and marketing strategy after the experience and moving towards future ones. The story of Umbilical and how this organisation has re-imagined the world of entertainment brings these ideas to life and challenges our preconceived views of what is possible.
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