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2014 saw the widespread expansion of what is now termed the "sharing economy." Companies such as Uber, Zipcar, and Airbnb are just a few examples of this growing trend of offering consumers traditional services in radically new ways. And while the debate is still very much alive about the contributions—both positive and negative—of these new business models, it is clear that they have already made quite an impact on their respective industries. Another trend we've been watching this year is actually an entire list of trends at the intersection of technology and event planning. James O'Brien at Mashable put together a list of the ways in which technology is shaping the way that both attendees and planners are approaching events. The clear takeaways are: attendees are more active than passive participants, the use of social media for collaborative planning, and personalization of the attendee experience. Overall, the evolution of technology is creating more engaging, more informative, and more effective events—at least for those that choose to adapt. According to BigSpeak Speaker Vivek Wadhwa, the speed of technological change across all industries is astounding. Automated manufacturing robots, 3D printing of electronics, bitcoin and crowdfunding disrupting financial services, healthcare revolution brought on by mass data storage, advancement of solar energy, vertical farms with crops grown indoors, and even the disruption of telecom due to the proliferation of open data networks. Many of these trends are already happening, and 2015 is going to bring about several leaps forward for these industries. Listen to Vivek speak on these trends in his latest BigThink video.
These trends, along with the ever-evolving nature of business, technology, and the economy, are the reason why our speakers are so highly valued by the organizations at which they speak. BigSpeak speakers are not only experts in their fields, they are forerunners and innovators dedicated to inspiring organizations towards improvement. We've had a very successful year over here at BigSpeak, and we owe most of that success to our list of incredible speakers who share their expertise with our clients and work with them to create lasting change in their organizations. Here is a list of some of our most in-demand speakers and those that were booked the most in 2014. We would like to acknowledge the fantastic work of these talented individuals. Click on each speaker's name to learn more about how they can create BIG results for your organization.
As 2014 draws to a close and 2015 begins, now is a good time to reflect on the importance of work-life balance. This month's article by BigSpeak speaker Libby Gill demonstrates the importance of maintaining work/life balance as well as the increased ROI for organizations whose team members have healthy work/life balances. Work-life balance: myth or reality? BigSpeak recently connected executive coach Libby Gill with U.S. News & World Report to take on this controversial topic and provide insights on how she’s reframing this complicated paradigm. Among many interesting findings and insights, the article shared that according to the Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll, 40 percent of Americans feel that, “in today’s economy, it’s not possible for most people to succeed at work, make a good living, and have enough time to contribute to their family and community.” With a striking statistic like that, should we just throw the idea of work-life balance out the window? Not quite. Here’s some helpful expert tips listed in the article to help you achieve a greater sense of balance: Reset your mindset: Thinking you can “do it all” may be your biggest problem. Allow yourself the freedom to prioritize your life so it works for you. Try a new tool: Try measuring success someway other than how much time you commit. Instead, try establishing goals for each aspect of your life and measure success by how you achieve those goals. Think daily, not weekly: Strive for balance on a daily basis–don’t assume if you work overtime this week you’ll be free to focus on family next week. Take a day-by-day approach to be more effective. Add the “-ing”: Instead of achieving “balance,” think of it as “balancing.” Accept the possibility (and likelihood) that you may never completely get there–and that’s okay too. Read the full article on U.S. News & World Report.
We wanted to share with you a summary of one of our BigSpeak Consulting case studies, which we found particularly notable.
The Challenge: The CEO of Heartland Financial Advisors, Bill Nasgovitz, needed to evolve a plan for seamless succession planning into the executive team at his company. The Solution: BigSpeak Consulting designed a team coaching program as an effective method for Nasgovitz to develop a number of senior leaders on his executive team simultaneously. A series of consult ations engaged Bill Hawkins, a noted expert in coaching, leadership development and a founding member of the Marshall Goldsmith Group. Mr. Hawkins custom designed a yearlong program for the top 12 leaders at Heartland Financial. The year-long development process consisted of quarterly visits to Heartland where Mr. Hawkins conducted educational workshops for the entire team. Each workshop was customized to address current Heartland issues. The Result: The results were dramatic. Every single executive improved on the specific issue he/she worked on over the period of a year. The CEO was so impressed with the results, that he set new goals for the next year and employed the same process to take the team to the next level of effectiveness. The process has been repeated utilizing the expertise of Bill Hawkins to even greater and deeper effectiveness over time.
Direct Relief International - "Giving Back in a BIG Way" BigSpeak appreciates the opportunity to be of service to you and your organization. We also show our appreciation by giving back when we can. With partnerships in many countries, BigSpeak is connected across the globe. That’s why we’re so proud to donate to Direct Relief on behalf of our international clients as a "thank you" for your business partnerships. Direct Relief in a non-profit, non-partisan organization that serves the medical needs of people around the world who have been afflicted by poverty, natural disasters and civil unrest. Most recently, they have made strides in responding to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and mobilizing medical aid in the Philippines in response to Typhoon Hagupit. We’re committed to giving back to our valued communities and are proud to partner with Direct Relief to positively impact lives around the world. For more information about Direct Relief and how you can help, please visit www.directrelief.org.
We would like to leave you with some fun images of BigSpeak staff taking selfies with celebrities throughout 2014. Until next year!
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