Conference News: TechCrunch Early Stage(s); Speak at IABC; CES on deck
Future Forward Forum: 22nd Century Today is a new event which the organizers are calling Asia’s first 100% future-focused summit. The 25 February summit will be a half-day online experience that aims to bring together the world’s most brilliant minds for provoking discussions about the future of life, work and society. The February Summit in 2021 will be the first of a series of events that will “connect Singapore’s future-focused transformation with the rest of Asia Pacific and the world.” Approximately 1000 senior executives, global innovators, government officials, mid to late stage startup founders, and academics are expected in attendance.
TC takes the Stage: Last year TechCrunch introduced TC Early Stage, an event that offered early stage founders access to top experts “across all the core competencies involved in entrepreneurialism.” The conference was so successful that TC has decided to bring it back in 2021 – in two parts. This year, they will host two Early Stage events – one on 1 – 2 April and one on 8 – 9 July, with different perspectives and content at each. Both events will be held virtually. Attendees must be a valid founder, co-founder, or c-suite employee of their company.
Speaking Opportunity: The IABC World Conference is a long-standing, global professional development event designed specifically for communication practitioners. In 2021, World Conference will take place on the week of 21 June and be fully virtual. The organizers are seeking speaker proposals that align with the conference’s theme of: It’s About Time! “Focusing on our collective strength and ability to impact the world around us—acknowledging the continuous, evolved state of change we’re wading through each day—we’ll discuss what’s next and how we’ll set about accomplishing “it,” no matter what “it” is to you.” If you have a topic/speaker suggestion make sure you fill out their online form soon! The submission deadline for breakout proposals is 11:59 p.m. CDT on 15 January 2021.
Lunchtime Learning: C2 Montréal is a forward-thinking business event that combines “progressive and inspiring content in a highly creative, festival-like setting.” The conference talks cover everything from sustainability issues to the hottest technologies. To get a better feel for the festival, watch sessions from speakers like oceanographer Sylvia Earle or interviews with thought leaders such as the cannabis columnist Yoshiko Terry. The conference organizers note that these talks are “an open doorway into deeper exploration of the topics raised and an invitation to find inspiration in the stories of those tackling the great business and social challenges of our times”
Coming Up Next Week: 2021’s event calendar begins with a bang, with juggernauts CES and NRF running virtual programming and expos the second week of January. Digital CES will run 11-14 January, offering – as always – marquee consumer tech names in the keynote slots and breakouts spanning issues from 5G to robotics to manufacturing to health and wellness. Another CES mainstay is partner programming across specific verticals like automotive, connected home, entertainment, and VR. At NRF “Retail’s Big Show,” the agenda will stretch from 12-14, 19 and 21-22 January with virtual keynotes, breakouts, and expo hours centered around the EST time zone on those dates. The NRF speaker list is a who’s-who of retail, featuring both brand executives from L.L.Bean, P&G, The Home Depot, and Wayfair, as well as tech players like Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google.