As the end of the year is fast approaching I am taking time to take stock of the year gone by. In particular I am focusing on the trends and topics for keynote speakers and events.
Like most businesses we have enjoyed a better market this year and have placed speakers in all continents. We have been part of events for a board of 10 people and also events that had up to 30,000 in the audience. 2018 has seen Personally Speaking be part of corporate events of all shapes and sizes.
Here are some of our observations that we noted this year:
1. Leadership Strategy Meetings are taking place more often. These meetings are moving from annual to quarterly for many of our clients. This year we had more requests than ever for Keynote speakers and facilitators to help put shape and flow to these two to three day events.
2. With the increase of smaller events this year, we wondered if big conferences would be out of fashion but they are still very popular and are very well attended. I wonder with more agile staff, are events now being used more as a place for people to connect with others, network and improve knowledge?
3. We noticed a lot more internal events in organisations especially in the area of Learning and Development. Bringing in outside experts for leadership programmes, wellness and team development was definitely a big part of our business this year.
4. Wellness and Wellbeing are firm on the agenda for every organisation. Keeping talent well and happy is not a tick boxing exercise for organisations. Our clients are investing time and money, bringing programmes/talks/expertise to their staff. This helps to manage their mental health, physical wellbeing, energy, sleep and happiness.
Most Popular Trends
The most popular themes and topics in 2018 were:
Leading With Purpose
Collaboration
Agile Teams
Robotics and AI – The Future of Work
Wellbeing – Mental Health, Purpose, Resilience and Happiness
Blockchain
Brexit, Brexit and Brexit
Globalisation
Communication
Talent acquisition and retention
It is hard to pinpoint the highlight of the year or to choose a favourite talk but I think BCG Fellow Yves Morieux’s talk on SMART SIMPLICITY is more relevant than ever as the world become more complex and we are in a constant state of change.
If you are planning an event, contact Personally Speaking to discuss what Keynote speakers may suit your audience, budget and goals.
