Future

Trends
September 24-26, 2018,
Home Studios, New York, NY

E N D S .
I N G T R N D S .
P TA L K G T R E
STO ACTIONIN t of
Impacation
Autom

STA RT f Resilien
ce
Lever
a g i n g Trend
s

Rise O
s
C o n sciou r
ll y o
Socia per Behavi
Sh o p
Tomas Pueyo,
VP Product and Marketing,
SigFig
Tricia Wang,
Co-founder,
Sudden Compass Global Tech
Christian Kurz Ethnographer
SVP Consumer
Nathan Coleman, Insights,
CEO and Founder, Viacom
The Elephant Pants

www.futuretrendsconf.com
Future
Trends September 24-26, 2018,
Home Studios, New York, NY

IT’S TIME TO
STOP TALKING “FADS” AND
START ACTIONING TRENDS.
Too much energy these days focuses solely on how to spot trends, rather than the direct implication
of these trends on the business and the bottom line.
The 2018 Future Trends event is a powerful platform showcasing cross-industry Insights, Innovation,
and Brand executives who have spotted the key business trends on the horizon and pro-actively
adapted future strategies in anticipation for trend arrival. Extending the course of three days
(September 24th-26th), the Future Trends experience takes you through actionable presentations,
intentional interactions, and offsite environmental dives. Start 2019 ahead of the curve by selecting the
right trends for the market and understanding how to translating them into actionable business plans.

WHAT NOT TO MISS: SNEAK PEEK AT ETSY’S HQ

FT Gamification!
Future of Gaming Exercise
Learning about how different companies have spotted
trends and are actioning them is the bees knees… but it
would be even better to put these tools to work while at
the conference, #amiright?
The first day of the conference will take you through
four separate future gaming scenarios. (The Future of
Food, Retail, Finance, and Technology). After hearing
background on the landscape of the industry and
an introduction from the group facilitator, you will
join an intimate group of like-minded individuals to
solve the future of scenario. Throughout the rest of
the conference, time will be dedicated for groups to
come together and strategize the best solution. At the
conclusion of the conference, attendees will pitch their
solutions to each group and vote on the best solution.
New York City is full of boring office spaces and lacks
inspiring trendy companies. Said no one ever. Among
many of the hip and cool office spaces finding a home in
NYC, Etsy is bursting into the scene with the approach to
keep the environment “human.” Prepare yourself for an
hour-long tour where members of the Etsy Design team
will walk through the space and discuss how it reflects
Etsy’s commitment to our values and our mission to Keep
Commerce Human. The space integrates the vibrancy of
our community, celebrates small and local artisans and
supports employees’ innovative working styles and overall
well-being — all while adhering to some of the highest
sustainability standards in the world. We’re incredibly
proud of our home and want to share some of its special
features with you.
TRENZ®WALK
Break out of the conference’s four walls and out into one
of the greatest cities of all time! We will guide you through
the bustling streets of NYC on a guided tour to open your
eyes to many of the game changing trends discussed just
days ago.

Nichole Dicharry, Anastasia Ioannou, Kelly Schram, LinkedIn: The Future Trends Group
Associate General Manager Head of Product IMI, Blog: Frontendofinnovationblog.com
Conference Producer and Marketing KNect365
& Digital Product Director, IMI, Twitter: @future_trends
Manager, IMI, KNect365 Hashtag: #FTConf
KNect365
Facebook: Facebook.com/FutureTrendsIIR
EXPERIENCE AT A GLANCE
MONDAY TUESDAY
8:30 Registration Opens 8:45 Registration Opens

9:00 Chair Welcome and Introduction 9:00 Recap & Welcome from Chair

9:15 KEYNOTE: Decision Making — How Organizations Can Understand 9:15 KEYNOTE: Do You Even Give Back, Bro?
Trends and Leverage Them in the Digital Era Nathan Coleman, CEO and Founder, The Elephant Pants
Tricia Wang, Co-founder, Sudden Compass Global Tech Ethnographer
10:00 KEYNOTE: The Next Normal: Rise of Resilience
10:00 AUTOMATION Christian Kurz, Senior Vice President of Consumer Insights, Viacom
KEYNOTE: How Automation is Impacting Your Customers, Your
Workforce’s Jobs... and Yours 10:45 Break
Tomas Pueyo, Vice President of Product Marketing, SigFig
11:15 Change is a Coming for Women in Tech: But Why?
10:45 Networking Break Alix Keller, Chief Product Officer, GoCoach
11:15 GEN Z 11:35 Small Group Futurist Problem Solving
What Does the Future Consumer Look Like? How to Create Brands that
Resonate with Gen Z 12:35 Lunch
Amy Snow, Head of Research and Insights, The Wonderful Company

11:35 Not All Trends Are Created Equal

1:35 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Creating Value Through Collective Intelligence
Autumn McDonald, Former Senior Director Consumer Insights
Scott Schmidt, Head of Growth & Acquisition, Stash Invest
The Hershey Company, Owner of ADM Insights and Strategy
1:55 Want to get Involved! Contact Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com
12:00 Lunch
2:15 AI Mushroom – Bring It Out of the Dark
1:00 Want to get Involved! Contact Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com
Anthony Lambrou, Director of Corporate Innovation and Strategy, Pfizer
1:20 Practical Futuring
Alex Wright, Senior Director User Experience, Etsy
2:35 DIGITAL
Death to Digital
1:40 Want to get Involved! Contact Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com Jenni Friedman, Director of Brand, Hello Fresh

2:00 Networking Break 2:55 Break

2:30 FUTURE OF SERIES 3:25 Trend Activation Through Crowdsourcing

Future of Food Intro Lead by Christine Couvieler, Chef, Global Culinary
Trendologist & President, Culinary Concierge
2:50 Future of Retail Intro Lead by Bart Higgins, Partner, Whatifinnovation
3:10 Future of Finance Intro Lead by Tomas Pueyo, Vice President of
Product Marketing, SigFig
3:30 Future of Technology
Want to get Involved! Contact Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com
3:50 Break out into Futuristic Problem Solving Small Groups
Olga Patel, Former Principal Scientist, J.M. Smucker Co
3:45 Want to get Involved! Contact Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com
4:05 APP TO IRL
Out of the App and into the IRL!
Missy Kelley, Director of Product Experience, Hello Alfred
4:25 Visioning Pharma 2.0: Mapping our Digital Exhaust
Justin M. Wright, PhD Global Head of Innovation, Global Drug Development,
Novartis

5:00 KEYNOTE: Generation T: Touch 500,000 Lives Through the Skilled Trades 4:45 Small Group Presentations
Michael Mitchell, Director of Trade Skills, Lowes
5:45 End of Day Two
5:45 Cocktail Reception

WEDNESDAY
9:30: Full Day Trenz®Walk 9:30: Sneak Peek at Etsy’s HQ

www.futuretrendsconf.com 3
 DAY 1
Keynote Speakers 8:30 Registration Opens
9:00 Chair Welcome and Introduction
Tricia Wang,
Co-founder, Sudden Compass
9:15 AM Global Tech Ethnographer
Decision Making — How Organizations Can Understand
Trends and Leverage Them in the Digital Era
TREND: “Department of the Unknown”
ACTIVATION: Tricia explains why enterprises need a “Dept. of the
Unknown” to bridge the gap and make sure insights on trends are
properly activated within the organization. She outlines the central role
that data, marketing, and design play in this work as the champions of
the “unknown.”
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: Enterprises need a shared language that aligns
designers, data scientists, marketers, and researchers, and that enabling
leaders to make the right decisions for the future of their business.
Want to get Involved! Contact Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com. Open slots available at 1:00PM, 1:40PM
10:45 Networking Break
11:15 What Does the Future Consumer Look Like?
How to Create Brands that Resonate with Gen Z
Amy Snow, Head of Research and Insights, The Wonderful
Company
TREND: For the past 15 years, we’ve focused on Millennials.
But earlier this year, we witnessed a seismic event that
coalesced the next generation, putting Gen Z officially on the
radar – and they will change everything.
ACTIVATION: It is critical that we understand Gen Z on a deep
humanistic level – who they are, what they care about, and
how they will impact consumerism and brand relationships. By
mapping trends by category and overlaying it with overall truths
about how things will change, we can learn what will resonate
across all major categories including fashion, beauty, food and
beverage, retail, automotive, tech & entertainment, financial
services, beer, wine and spirits, and restaurants, among others.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: Brands need to understand what
this new generation of consumers is all about and because
they represent a paradigm shift in the traditional brand
relationship that just might change everything.
Tomas Pueyo,
Vice President of Product
10:00 AM Marketing, SigFig
How Automation is Impacting Your Customers, Your
Workforce’s Jobs... and Yours
TREND: Job Automation
ACTIVATION: SigFig is working with big financial institutions to
realize which jobs should be automated, and what’s the central role of
humans—today and in the future.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: As technology advances, more and more
tasks can be automated. Businesses need to predict which tasks
can be automated, which ones should be left to humans, and how
technology can enhance workers instead of replacing them.
11:35 Not All Trends Are Created Equal
Autumn McDonald, Former Senior Director Consumer Insights
The Hershey Company, Owner of ADM Insights and Strategy
TREND: With the landscape shifting so rapidly, there’s a clear
trend of business leaders feeling overwhelmed in trying to
determine which of the many consumer trends one really
cannot afford to ignore.
ACTIVATION: This session will, in a focused-fashion, distill
and highlight some of the most critical trends to consider in
connecting with consumers today and tomorrow.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: In a world where trends abound,
business leaders must be choice-ful in determining which
consumer trends to pursue.
12:00 Lunch
1:20 Practical Futuring
Alex Wright, Senior Director User Experience, Etsy
TREND: Bridging business forecasting with experience design
ACTIVATION: Etsy is exploring new frameworks that
integrate trend forecasting and design thinking methods
to empower its worldwide community of creative
entrepreneurs
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: Long-term business planning
is typically the domain of the C Suite. How can strategic
design processes help us enable workers at all levels of the
organization to bring long-term perspectives to bear in their
daily work?
2:00 Networking Break
4
 DAY 1
2:30 "FUTURE OF" SERIES: 3:50 Break out into Futuristic Problem Solving
CURATED GROUPTHINK Small Groups
Future of Food Attendees will break out evenly into the four presented “future
Christine Couvieler, Chef, Global Culinary Trendologist & of” problem solving groups and be presented with a “future
President, Culinary Concierge of” challenge scenario. During this time attendees will work
Pomegranate or Blueberry? Pulled Pork or Brisket? Hummus or together and strategize the best approach and solution
Salsa? … What are the next tastes & trends that will be showing for the field that they have chosen. At the conclusion of
up on gourmet retail shelves & innovative menus? the conference, attendees will present their strategies and
solutions to the audience.
Christine Couvelier is passionate about food. As a Global
Culinary Trendologist, an Executive Chef and a Culinary
Executive; it is her job to find out what consumers are going to
like even before they have tasted it!
This presentation will give a glimpse into the future of the food
and beverage world. Christine will share insights from her Trend
Watch Report .. looking at emerging, developing and existing
KEYNOTE
trends. Be inspired by this external view of the food world & use
these tastes & tips to think about the future of food!
SPEAKER
2:50 Future of Retail Intro Lead by Bart Higgins,
Partner, Whatifinnovation
Retail is an industry in radical transformation. The existing
bricks and mortar platform is losing relevance at a pace
beyond what most of us could have predicted. Retail vacancy
rates are at 20 year highs and retail brands are going out of
business at an alarming rate. With all of this change afoot, how
will brands continue to provide the real-life interactions with
customers that they require to control their story, introduce
their products/services, and build meaningful relationships?
In our working session we will collaborative to uncover new
opportunities for brands to develop meaningful experiences 5:00 PM Michael Mitchell,
within the retail landscape. From technologies and store Director of Trade Skills, Lowes
formats, to services and events, we’ll ideate and debate to
create solutions that we all can take back to businesses.
Generation T: Touch 500,000 Lives Through the
3:10 Future of Finance Skilled Trades
Tomas Pueyo, Vice President of Product Marketing, SigFig
TREND: Decline of American Middle Class and Trade Skill Workers
Industry after industry has been disrupted by Tech since the
1990s. Finance was left unscathed until recently. Now, a wave ACTIVATION: With confluence of trends—shifting DIY behaviors and
of newcomers is threatening to drown incumbents. Some a looming skills gap, trade skills have been trending into decline for
verticals have seen the brunt of it: Lending (SoFi, Lending decades. Lowes decided to do something about this trend and designed
Club...), Payments (Paypal, Venmo...), Investments (Robinhood, a specific trade skill program with the goal of reversing this trend and do
Betterment, SigFig...). Other verticals have barely been touched, something purpose-driven.
or face only emerging threats (Banking, Private Investments, BUSINESS IMPLICATION: The American middle class has been
Mortgages, Insurance...). declining for decades, meanwhile 1 in 5 working adults feel like they
In this session, we will look back and ask ourselves: why was have no career path and are disengaged with their jobs. Does it have
Finance protected for so long? Why is it threatened now? Why to be this way? How did this happened? Learn how the small team of
are some verticals more likely to be attacked than others? We will trade skill at Lowe’s received upper management buy-in for purpose-
then discuss what's coming: Who will be the winners and losers? driven trend activation.
What timelines are we talking about? What can incumbents do
about it? What can we learn from it about other industries?

3:30 Future of Technology Facilitator Intro

To get involved in this open session please contact 5:45 - COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com

FT has consistently provided superior knowledge for future proofing companies,

brands, and careers. This event is where the most innovative marketers and
business futurists freely share how we can all thrive in the years ahead.

-2017 FT Attendee

www.futuretrendsconf.com 5
 DAY 2
Keynote Speakers 8:45 Registration Opens
9:00 Chair Welcome and Introduction
Nathan Coleman,
9:15 AM CEO and Founder,
The Elephant Pants
Do You Even Give Back, Bro?
TREND: Socially conscious shopper purchasing
ACTIVATION: Learn how our brand at The Elephant Pants has
activated this growing trend of socially conscious living among younger
generations and integrated it within our business model and purpose.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: There is a $1 trillion opportunity on the table
and it's making everyone sweat. Despite "9 out of every 10 Millennials
being prepared to make personal sacrifices to make an impact on issues
they care about", charities aren't making it rain like you would expect.
About 50% of Millennials believe that “purchasing socially responsible
products is a more effective way to support positive change.” As a brand,
how do you leverage this mindset to establish a long-term relationship
with the consumer and the charity?
Want to get Involved! Contact Sarah Scarry at Sarah.C.Scarry@knect365.com. Open slots available at 1:55PM and 3:45PM
10:45 Break
11:15 Change is a Coming for Women in Tech: But Why?
Alix Keller, Chief Product Officer, GoCoach
TREND: #Metoo Technology and Women in the Tech
Industry
ACTIVATION: GoCoach is activating this trend by putting the
power back into the hands of women in the workforce to own
their careers.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: It’s insanity that the very industry
that could be the most remote in nature, isn’t attracting or
retaining women so they can grow and support their families.
In addition, millennials prime desire for continued development
and support along the path of their careers is falling short and
they are seeking more innovative ways to get it despite their
employers.
11:35 Small Group Futurist Problem Solving
12:35 Lunch
1:35 Creating Value Through Collective Intelligence
Scott Schmidt, Head of Growth & Acquisition, Stash Invest
TREND: The want for personalized customer experiences
through structured and intelligent data
ACTIVATION: Using cohesive data throughout the consumer
journey to have a seamless conversation with your customer
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: As customers’ attention and needs
become more fragmented, the need to create personalized
experiences is becoming a necessity. Learn how making your
data actionable can unlock serious value for your customer
and business KPIs.
Christian Kurz,
10:00 AM Senior Vice President of
Consumer Insights,
Viacom
The Next Normal: Rise of Resilience
TREND: Audiences at home are standing up to uncertainty, staying
grounded, enjoying the moment and coming together more than
ever before.
ACTIVATION: Viacom is using storylines, award shows, digital content
and partnership collaborations to make audiences at home feel they
are represented.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: In this ever-changing world, and with a
focus on younger audiences who change even more rapidly, it is vitally
important for Viacom to continue to reflect the audience’s reality and
drive culture and conversation.
2:15 AI Mushroom – Bring It Out of the Dark
Anthony Lambrou, Director of Corporate Innovation and
Strategy, Pfizer
TREND: Artificial Intelligence
ACTIVATION: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine
Learning to bring potentially life-saving therapies to patients
faster and identifying a number of other trends in pharma.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: AI has the ability to search millions
of documents at a time and constantly keep up with scientific
research. How do you create a balance between a scientist’s
hunch and superhuman computing abilities.
2:35 Death to Digital
Jenni Friedman, Director of Brand, Hello Fresh
TREND: Consumers Craving Personalized Analog
Experiences
ACTIVATION: HelloFresh is going back to basics and
strategically positioning its brand to provide customers with
more “in real life” analog experiences.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: While digital seems to be the way
of the world currently, consumers are not trashing the analog
experience. Businesses must find a unique balance between
the two worlds in order to survive.
2:55 Break
www.futuretrendsconf.com 6
 DAY 2
3:25 Trend Activation Through Crowdsourcing
Olga Patel, Former Principal Scientist, J.M. Smucker Co
TREND: Harnessing Collective Intelligence
ACTIVATION: This talk will cover three case studies of
dramatic and cost-effective acceleration of trends conversion
into popular ideas through the power of crowdsourcing in
diverse areas of new ideas: 1) new product; 2) new process
equipment; and 3) new knowledge management approach.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: Is there a feasibility of surpassing
traditional trend research & technology scouting and going
straight to ideas?
9:30 Full Day Trenz®Walk
The world is speeding up faster than ever and you need to be as far as
five years ahead just to keep up with this new pace. Decision makers and
innovators must not only anticipate the future of the industries they work
in, but also the future of society and technology as well.
Participating in a Trenz®Walk will bring you where the fun, action,
danger and pain are- The foundations for capturing trends in their
infancy. Today’s business leaders must get closer and deeper to
reality to connect to consumers. The Trenz®Walk will bring you to
a higher platform for observing societal changes and give you an
opportunity to get a hands-on understanding of the processes of
identifying, deciphering, and utilizing trends.
4:05 Out of the App and into the IRL!
Missy Kelley, Director of Product Experience, Hello Alfred
TREND: Digital products are becoming less “time suck" and
more utility
ACTIVATION: Products like Hello Alfred, are broadening their
product reach by taking users out of the app and meeting
them where they’re at to provide ways interact like SMS, and
automation.
BUSINESS IMPLICATION: With the App Store filling up with
these time sucks, a new wave of companies are competing
through indirect methods, focusing on more useable,
straightforward patterns and contextual ways to interact with
the product without ever opening the app. These new patterns
are changing how products are being designed, but moreover
they are changing how we gauge success.
4:25 Visioning Pharma 2.0: Mapping our Digital Exhaust
Justin M. Wright, PhD Global Head of Innovation, Global Drug
Development, Novartis
5:25 End of Day Two
DAY 3
9:30 Sneak Peek at Etsy’s HQ
New York City is full of boring office spaces and lacks inspiring trendy
companies. Said no one ever. Among many of the hip and cool office
spaces finding a home in NYC, Etsy is bursting into the scene with the
approach to keep the environment “human.” Prepare yourself for an
hour-long tour where members of the Etsy Design team will walk through
the space and discuss how it reflects Etsy’s commitment to our values
and our mission to Keep Commerce Human. The space integrates the
vibrancy of our community, celebrates small and local artisans and
supports employees’ innovative working styles and overall well-being —
all while adhering to some of the highest sustainability standards in the
world. We’re incredibly proud of our home and want to share some of its
special features with you.
www.futuretrendsconf.com 7
DELIVERING NEXT-PRACTIES TO
FUTURE THINKING ORGANIZATIONS
Future Over the past 15 years, over 3,000 customer executives have
relied on KNect365s portfolio of outstanding customer-driven

Trends events as their trusted source of inspiration and application.

15
Year event
history

12+ 8
Facilitated 65% 20+
Industries in interactive Client Side Visionary
attendance activities Attendees Speakers

BORROW FROM THE COMPETITION

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Borrow the best ideas from those outside your industry. We bring together executives from:

CPG MANUFACTURING FINANCIAL MEDIA AND PHARMA/ TECHNOLOGY

SERVCES ENTERTAINMENT HEALTHCARE

CONNECT WITH MANAGERS, DIRECTORS, VPS, HEADS OF:

Insights Innovation
Trends Design & Creative
Marketing Foresight
Research & Development Communications
Strategy

www.futuretrendsconf.com 8
REGISTRATION DETAILS

3 WAYS TO
REGISTER
PACKAGE OPTION PRICING:
EASIEST:
www.futuretrendsconf.com

Register by June 29th

SAVE $300
CALL
888-670-8200 or
+1.941.554.3500

SAVE $200
EMAIL
register@KNect365.com
Include code M3037

Register by August 3rd Register by September 7th

SAVE $100 Standard & Onsite

2 Days at Home Studios $1,700.00 $ 1,800.00 $ 1,900.00 $ 2,000.00

Additional Option: Full Day Trendz®Walk + 600.00
Additional Option: 1 Half Day Excursion + 400.00
Additional Option: 2 Half Day Excursions + 650.00

DATE & VENUE

September 24-26, 2018
Home Studios Inc.
873 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

ACCOMODATIONS:
If you are looking for accommodation, we have put together a
Hotel Map showing the latest hotel availability near to the venue.
Please visit www.futuretrendsconf.com
for further details.
We look forward to seeing you!

SEND A TEAM AND SAVE! Auxiliary Aid:

Any disabled individual desiring an auxiliary aid for this conference
• Save $100 off current rate when you send a group of 2-3
should notify KNect365 at least 3 weeks prior to the conference in
• Save $250 off current rate when you send a group of 4+ writing, by faxing 212.661.6045.
For large groups and to take advantage of discount options, contact Cancellation policy:
Kevin Schlear at Kevin.Schlear@KNect365.com or 646.895.7309. For information on KNect365’s cancellation and substitution policy,
please visit www.futuretrendsconf.com.
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Club or American Express. Please make a checks payable to the
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check, as well as our reference code: M3037. If payment has not been
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

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