According to Collins Dictionary, the word ‘Permacrisis’ best describes 2022. I doubt this is shocking; it has been a year that has brought massive upheaval, from economic instability, war, political turmoil and visible effects of climate change – without even mentioning the ongoing effects that the pandemic has had on businesses.
As the year draws to a close, there are a range of conference speakers who can reflect on the occurrences of the past 12 months – and delve into the ones that will reverberate into 2023.
Rahaf Harfoush
Digital Anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush is able to weave together seemingly disparate threads – ranging from social media, employee wellbeing, mental health, and the psychology behind platforms like Twitter and TikTok (as well as the psychological impact on their users), to name a few – and show how they are all interconnected. Through this, she speaks on why people are experiencing burnout and fatigue and what companies ought to be aware of (and often ignore) when it comes to employee happiness.
View Rahaf Harfoush‘s speaker profile here.
Sir Richard Shirreff
As the former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Sir Richard Shirreff has a unique perspective on the ongoing geopolitical situation, speaking on subjects ranging from the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, to Britain’s place on the world’s stage. Recently, I was lucky enough to see him speak, and was impressed by the way his talk managed to remain engaging and entertaining, despite the sobering subject matter.
View Sir Richard Shirreff‘s speaker profile here.
Nina Schick
Nina Schick’s book Deepfakes and the Infopocalypse: What You Urgently Need to Know provides a compelling (and often chilling) look at the rise in synthetic media – a term that encompasses deepfakes and AI technology. As a speaker, she brings the latest developments in this field to audiences – which she colours with real-life examples of the detrimental impacts this technology can have on businesses. With fraud and misinformation on the rise from this largely unregulated area, Nina’s speeches provide a timely overview on what individuals and businesses need to be aware of in tech.
View Nina Schick‘s speaker profile here.
Laura Bates
One of the news stories that flew under the radar this year is that academic researchers have recorded a sharp increase in the number of violent, extremist language stemming from the insidious rise of incel communities. Researcher and author Laura Bates has been looking at this for some time now: as the founder of Everyday Sexism, she was behind the largest database of misogynistic incidents women and non-binary people face in their day-to-day lives. Since then, she has authored several books based on her research into misogyny, which she expands on as a speaker – where she discusses the benefits of D&I initiatives for businesses as well as employees.
View Laura Bates‘s speaker profile here.
Danae Kyriakopoulou
As a turbulent economic situation dominates headlines, the ongoing climate crisis has been sidelined to an extent. As a speaker, economist Danae Kyriakopoulou talks about how the two can co-exist. Danae is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, bringing her expertise in sustainable economic development to speeches. She argues that ignoring the risks of climate change can cause damage to infrastructure and the economy – which in turn has an impact on both citizens and businesses.
View Danae Kyriakopoulou‘s speaker profile here.
For further information or to book any of the above speakers please contact us.