How will you adapt? This conference will give you some options

Charles Darwin had it right. "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that most adaptable to change," he wrote in Origin of Species.

His statement is as true of the modern business world as it is of the natural world he explained with undisputed clarity.

A large part of my work at QUT over the past four years has been to apply a Darwinian nudge to the pace of adaptation of our internal and external community.

That has happened through the Real World Futures program, a series of 25 public events that has covered everything from social media to the future of film to the realities of workplace change.

Our next event will be the highlight of the year. It is the third Disruptive Influences And What To Do With Them conference, this year with a theme of The Adaptation Factor.

Our line-up of top level corporate and academic speakers will cover learning, business, working, thinking and living adaptation in a one-day program.

. QUT’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Sheil, AO;

. The President and CEO of Bosch Australia, Mr Gavin Smith;

. The CFO of Suncorp Group, Mr Steve Johnston;

. Mr Matthew Ames, an engineer who has his own experience of disruption after losing all four limbs through and infection;

. Dr Charlie Day, CEO of Innovation and Science Australia;

. Ms SallyAnn Williams, Engineering and Outreach Manager of Google Australia;

. Professor Paula McDonald, Director of the Work/Industry Futures Research Program at QUT and Dr Sue Keay, Chief Operating Officer of the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, and;

. Professor Michael Rosemann, QUT Executive Director of Corporate Engagement, who will run an interactive workshop on adapting to digital change.The speakers will include:

Our conferences, moderated by Danielle Duell, are designed to encourage participants to look across the landscape and to offer practical support. Participant reactions last year included:

“I learnt so much in one day that I could take straight back to the office.”

“QUT does a great job of bringing together industry and its own real world experts. It’s challenging but so worthwhile.”

 Tickets are on sale now for $295 a head with a discount for a table of eight.