Speaking Traditions

Invited to be the opening day keynote speaker for a conference. Over and over for a decade. Talk about a speaking tradition!

Let me explain:

While serving as the first Brand Steward for ThinkPad notebook computers (at the time IBM, today Lenovo), was asked to deliver a keynote address to a new business event: The German Mobile Computing Conference. Organized by the resourceful Ralf Hinnenberg who served as a member of our European Mobile Industry Advisory Council for ThinkPad. As I recall it was something like the “Deutsche Mobil Komputing Konferenz” as the headline in German.

After my remarks and Q&A for the first conference, Ralf is motivated to ask on-the-spot before getting off stage to join them again next year. Must have gone well. Answer: Of course, as long as health and circumstances support being with all of you next year. Very flattered you would ask in the moment.

…and so a speaking tradition began that would last for almost 10 years in a row. At the end of every talk the same request from Ralf to return the following year. Spitzingsee is a recurring great spot in the Bavarian Alps for the conference on Lake Spitzingsee and an arrival night dinner in Munich with Ralf at K?fer.?All tradition and yet unusual in the world of speaking.

As an accomplished platform speaker, the stage is not a strange place. This said, coming to see the same people year after year has challenges related to freshness of ideas and remarks. Luckily, the early mobile computing industry and ThinkPad were in some of the most innovative and productive years in a young and growing category. You could count on one hand and later two hands the amazing early years of ThinkPad.

So I did get in the habit of delivering fresh and relevant keynotes for Ralf and his conference attendees year after year. It helped me develop a habit of thinking ahead to next year right after getting off stage. ?

Today I still think about what’s happening now, what’s new, and what’s coming next. So I simply call the repository for these concepts the Content Evolution Now-New-Next Ideabase.

Want to read about some of these ideas? Discover them in my posts here on LinkedIn. Hear about them in episodes of Content Evolution nuWorld – https://nuworldce.com/

You can also bring me to your next conference, team meeting, or executive retreat. Dial the intimacy up or down depending on whether you’re looking to inspire your customers or team from the stage, or quietly and strategically seeking a dialogue about what’s next for your organization and the world around you at the executive retreat.

By the way, about to publish the book Collective Intelligence in the Age of AI with my remarkable co-author Kyle Shannon. That will get bookings turbocharged, so recommend you reserve your dates now for virtual delivery (best value) or on stage in person for the balance of 2024 and 2025.

Also starting small cohort c-suite advisory groups for selected leaders and executives based on the book. A safe space to learn about AI for your organization and get direct experience with GenAI.

Want to know more about booking a keynote or joining the GenAI advisory group? Write to [email protected]

Make these speaking traditions and my experience as a serial innovator your advantage. Reserve today.