A reminder – Global talent coming Downunder to talk tech, AI and the future of digital transformation

AUCKLAND, Today: Some of the world’s top innovators and business minds are making their way to Auckland for Future State, a keynote speaker event which will explore the driving forces behind the next era of technological innovation.

Presented by Spark Lab and Semi Permanent, the event will be hosted at Spark Arena on Thursday 11 May with around 1300 people expected to attend.

Aimed at attracting people from emerging small businesses right through to large enterprises, the event looks like it will become a regular fixture on the New Zealand business calendar with an international calibre of speakers from some of the world’s most innovative and successful companies, including adidas, Google, Vice media and more.

Spark marketing director Matt Bain said: “The one-day event will deliver a series of high-impact business briefings from amazing leaders who have pushed the boundaries and found themselves at the edge of innovation.

“We are seeing the possibilities for digital technology to enable cross-sector transformation explode – and the speakers we’ve assembled will speak to the newest trends, offer practical advice and renewed approaches to innovation to drive commercial success through technological and creative development.

“The first edition of the event has been curated to the theme of New Realities, which will explore the driving forces behind the next era of the internet and unpack the challenges and opportunities of developments such as the metaverse, data sovereignty, AI, VR, gamification and tokenisation, and UX and UI design.

“This will be the first Future State event with Spark Lab and Semi Permanent committing to host them annually with a smaller event also taking place in the second half of the year.

“The first edition has been curated to the theme of New Realities, which will explore opportunities of developments such as the metaverse, data sovereignty, AI, VR, gamification and tokenisation, and UX and UI design.”

“Unlike other business conferences, the event will offer more than just actionable insights into new technologies, with insights into how they apply to, and respect, people, and the planet.

“Additional topics will include diversity in digital representation, accessibility, AI biases, digital human rights, low-impact, and climate-positive technology, and building mental and creative resilience.”

Semi Permanent global creative director Mitchell Oakley Smith said: “Future State has always been a hugely popular part of every Semi Permanent festival programme, one that’s provided a multitude of benefits to attendees.

“We’re excited to be collaborating with Spark Lab to create a standalone platform for Future State that will strongly position New Zealand business leaders for long-term success.”

Confirmed speakers for the event include …

• Indigital ceo Mikaela Jade. Indigital is Australia’s first indigenous edu-tech company.
• Vice Media VP/head of innovation Mark Adams, who created the first digital consultancy for celebrities and for people in the public eye in 2003. After leading the digital transformation of more than a hundred entertainment brands and public personalities – from Usher and Lady Gaga, through to Barack Obama and Buckingham Palace, Adams established a brand-new company to apply this experience and to innovate in digital transformation for B2B brands.
• The Uncertainty Experts founder Sam Conniff. The Uncertainty Experts, an immersive learning programe designed to optimise people for change. He is a purpose-driven strategy consultant to brands such as Facebook, Red Bull, Unilever, and PlayStation.
• Google Empathy Lab founder Danielle Krettek, who’s worked for Nike, Apple and Google, Danielle has brought vibrant humanity, beauty, and emotion to products for 18 years. In 2016, she launched Google’s Empathy Lab to design more emotionally attuned and human-kind experiences. She believes the future is feeling and is on a mission to bring deep humanity to AI.
• Digital Experience Design global director Constantine Gavryrok, and Digital Production Personalisation senior director Alexandra Popova. Husband and wife duo Constantine and Alexandra have helped to grow highly efficient, innovative, customer-oriented teams delivering services and products across adidas. Alexandra is responsible for enabling markets across adidas and Reebok brands to bring thousands of products to millions of customers online. Constantine specialises in UX design, product design, and inclusive design across all adidas digital products.
• Cambridge University Professor of AI Ethics and Society Dr Jonnie Penn – a technology historian, #1 New York Times bestselling author and sought-after public speaker, is an expert in what is widely regarded as a global cognitive revolution: artificial intelligence.

Future State: New Realities will take place on Thursday 11 May at Spark Arena, Auckland. Tickets are available to purchase from https://future-state.live/

About Semi Permanent
Semi-Permanent is the biggest and longest-running creativity and design festival in the southern hemisphere. Over the past 20 years it has hosted 50 events in 13 cities, featuring 800 speakers and attracting 300,000 attendees.

• semipermanent.com
• Earlier M+AD article