Some of Our Upcoming, Current, and Recent Activities

 

Future of Packaging Program Concludes with its final meeting, Boulder, Colorado

The Leading Futurists and PTIS program, The Future of Packaging, 2007-2017: Visioning to Insights, concluded this Fall when packaging executives from leading organizations across the value chain attended a two-day session in Boulder.

 

Highlighting the agenda were presentations of the final program findings, and tours of a recycling plant and the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials.

 

The Future of Food, Wellness, and Nutrition

Leading Futurists’s report to the American Dietetic Association, “The Profession of Dietetics at a Critical Juncture: A Report on the 2006 Environmental Scan,” is published in the July 2007 edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

 

Key themes from the scan report:

  1. Aging, implications for health, and stress for health care systems
  2. A Fast-Food Eat-and-Run Society, working and busy families eat together less, eating out and buying takeout more
  3. The Growth of Obesity, being overweight is taking center stage, even though hunger is still a worldwide problem
  4. The Global Explosion in Communications, digital communications shape our work and home lives, create new expectations
  5. Growth in Diversity Among the US Population, diverse demographics in the US change the nutrition, wellness picture
  6. An Industrialized Food System Matures, the industrial age of food production tends to shape eating habits, especially for younger generations
  7. An Economically Fractured Society, gaps among the haves and have-nots in US society are widening with consequences for health and nutrition
  8. Environmental Issues, global supplies and quality of food will be affected by growing demands for water, energy, and among developing countries, new expectations for diet
  9. Policy Focus on Health and Wellness, health care reform could be driven by the need to become more competitive internationally
  10. Choosing Alternative Health Care, growing interest in alternatives to conventional health care also include expectations of a “magic” diet pill
  11. Science and Technology’s Revolutionary Potential, potential impacts of biology and genetics on food and choice of diet are huge

Futurists Working Together to Develop Their Field

Leading Futurists took part in a gathering of members of the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) in Vancouver, Spring, 2007. Jennifer Jarratt led a discussion on issues of working cross-culturally. This discussion of cultures included native culture, country culture, and the varying cultures of corporations.

 

John Mahaffie, chair of the APF, participated in APF activities at the 2007 annual conference in July of the World Future Society, Minneapolis. Leading Futurists, LLC was a sponsor of the APF’s annual reception for its members and guests.

 

Increasing the Value of Group Participation in a Futures Exploration

Jennifer Jarratt and John Mahaffie joined with Mary Jane Naquin, Informed Futures, Houston Texas in an interactive session at the world Future Society conference, Toronto, July 2006. The session focused on working effectively with groups in exploring the future.

 

The 50+ Workforce 2020: A Blueprint for Innovation

Leading Futurists worked with Katherine Green, Green Consulting Group, to develop and lead workshops for human resources executives in Northern Kentucky, Tucson, Charleston, and Bridgeport, Spring/Summer 2006. The workshops focused on future possibilities for the older worker, and the issues and opportunities that surround the aging workforce.

 

The Future of yoga and yoga-based enterprises

Leading Futurists, LLC is working with Tranquil Space (www.tranquilspace.com), to help the business and its founder, entrepreneur Kimberly Wilson, explore the future.

 

Tranquil Space was voted “Best Yoga Studio in DC” in 2005. It is a busy and successful small business in the DuPont Circle area of Washington that combines yoga practice with yoga-styled fashions in a boutique. TS is beginning to expand into new sites and offer yoga at work, as well as events, workshops, and fund raisers for community causes.

Some typical trends whose impact LF and TS are evaluating include:

  • Yoga is becoming nationally more attractive as an anti-aging therapy, and there is a large generation of Baby Boomers aged 40s to 60s who are seeking help.
  • Active Baby Boomers have, and will suffer, physical injuries or wear in their bodies that require rehabilitation
  • Yoga has an image of not being as commercial or as crowded as gyms and may still be less expensive, especially for younger people
  • Time and convenience still drive exercise choices for most women and men, yoga requires relatively little in the way of time, clothing, or technologies, and can be practiced at home without expensive equipment
  • People today have sedentary jobs that are mostly mindwork and need exercise that counters the effects of sitting on their bodies, and stress on their brains
  • Fashions in exercise change, and the sleek look developed by yoga may be preferred over the muscled look that might be acquired at a gym.
  • Yoga has a mystique and a hint of the spiritual, and this is important in constructing a personally-designed lifestyle as many people will want to do.

What's the future for non-profits?

Leading Futurists had the opportunity to work with the National Association of YWCA Executives (NAYE) at their 20th annual Professional Development Conference in Santa Fe, NM, October 2005. Find more information on NAYE at www.naye.org

 

JenniferJarratt presented 20 trends likely to shape the future in a general session and then worked with the executives in small groups to understand the implications of these and other issues identified in their discussions.

 

FromJennifer’s presentation, here are seven broad trends that will drive change, typically for non-profit organizations like YWCAs:

  • People expect to live longer and more active lives—Baby Boomers will redefine age.
  • North American society is becoming more diverse, especially among the young—Older and younger generations have strikingly different experiences with diversity.
  • Women are coming into focus—women’s issues are increasingly on the world’s agenda.
  • Post-consumerist values: the search for meaning and identity is more important—the age of the anti-consumer is near.
  • Crime and terrorism are consuming more money and attention—people are feeling the pressures of new and old fears
  • Government resources are increasingly under stress—Demands continue to shift to state and local government.
  • We can work from anywhere to everywhere with our electronic tools—Managing people is becoming more complex.

Critical Megatrends in Packaging

2005 Packaging Management Conference, John B. Mahaffie, keynote presentation, East Lansing, October 2005. John highlighted: Billions more packaging consumers:::Look at the bottom of the pyramid for growth:::Aging versus youth appeal:::Rising worldwide interest in health, nutrition, wellness:::Contrasting worldviews influencing packaging consumption:::The changing home:::Emergence of virtual worlds:::Rethinking the point of sale:::Sustainability:::Competing with China:::New threats, fears, and fatalism

 

Forces of Change Shaping the Future of Healthcare

John Mahaffie keynote presentation to a leading health care insurer, October 2005. The presentation focused on conflicting demands in health care that will stress employers, insurers, consumers, and society. Technological change and changing social values collide to create ever-rising demands on the system. Just being not sick will no longer meet people’s expectations—we are moving to a wellness culture.

 

Imagine the Possibilities

John Mahaffie keynote presentation and workshop, New York State Health Care Providers, September 2005. American society cannot deliver what we now expect, let alone what we will come to demand, under the current system. Aging and rising expectations are at odds with our resources for health care. How will we respond?

 

Reshaping your Internal Assumptions

Keynote presentationto AIIM—The Enterprise Content Management Association, September 2005. The focus: people’s relationship with information is changing.

 

Forces of Change

presentation, Urban Libraries Council, Chicago,June 2005, John and futurists Derek Woodgate of the Futures Lab, and Stacey Aldrich, Omaha Public Library, shared the dais for an exploration of the future for public libraries. John explore four themes: 1). Aging world, youthful world, 2). I’ve got all this, now what else?, 3). Government, business, money and expectations, and 4). Medium, message, meaning.

 

The Future—The Challenge to Comprehend

SHRM Atlanta, June 2005, Keynote presentation. Myriad global forces are changing the business and human resources landscapes. All businesses, large and small, are shaped by global trends.

 

Election to the board, Association of Professional Futurists

Jennifer Jarratt was elected Chair and John B. Mahaffie elected board member of the Association of Professional Futurists. Leading Futurists is a corporate member and John and Jennifer are founding members of the Association. May 2004.

 

How to Build and Use Scenarios Effectively

Jennifer Jarratt and John B. Mahaffie, course on scenario building at the World Future Society annual conference, July 31, 2004, Washington, DC.

 

The Future of Associations

Jennifer Jarratt, John B. Mahaffie, and their From Scan to Plan co-author, Jim Dalton, present on the future of associations at the World Future Society annual conference, August 1, 2004, Washington, DC.

 

The Future of Packaging: A Critical Roadmap for the Next 10 Years (A Multi-client Program)

In partnership with Mike Richmond and Brian Wagner of Packaging & Technology Integrated Solutions, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Leading Futurists will explore the future of packaging with in this multi-client program (February 2004 through September 2004).

 

Global Future Forum North America

Jennifer Jarratt, joined her fellow board members in Orlando, December 8-9, 2003 to explore new opportunities for the Forum in North America.

 

From Scan to Plan: Integrating Trends into the Strategy Making Process (2003, American Society of Association Executives)

Jennifer Jarratt and John B. Mahaffie have collaborated with strategy consultant Jim Dalton to create a unique new resource for association executives. Under the sponsorship of the American Society of Association Executives Foundation, they wrote a book on how associations can combine leading edge foresight with strategy making.

 

Forces of Change Shaping the Smithsonian Institution's Science Mission

John Mahaffie presented views of the future that will shape the Smithsonian's science programs, for the Institution's strategic planning meeting, December 10, 2003.

 

Getting Inside Scenarios: A Tool for Understanding Your Future

Jennifer Jarratt led a workshop on scenario building at the Institute for International Research Future Trends conference in Miami, November 17th through 19th, 2003.

 

Critical Megatrends in Packaging

John Mahaffie presented to the Michigan State University Department of Packaging Alumni Association 2003 Packaging Management Conference on the future of packaging, October 2-3, 2003.

 

How to Build and Use Scenarios

At the 2003 World Future Society Annual Conference, San Francisco, John Mahaffie and Jennifer Jarratt led a course on scenario building.

 

Emerging Technologies -- Just Where is the Credit and Collection Industry Headed and Should it be Going There?

Jennifer Jarratt presented to the Annual Conference of the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 10, 2003.

 

Futures of Futures

Jennifer and John participated in the Association of Professional Futurists two-day meeting in Austin, Texas to explore the future of the futurist profession. February 28-March 1, 2003.

 

National Urban League

Jennifer was a lunchtime speaker to the National Urban League at their Economic Opportunity Institute, at George Mason University, with the Institute for Social Entrepreneurs, February 2-8, 2003.

 

Participant Roundtable on Issue Identification and Futures Methodologies

John Mahaffie fueled and facilitated a discussion on futures research methodologies used in business for the Issue Management Council, Emerging Issues Workshop, Arlington, Virginia, September 18-19, 2002.

 

Megatrends: 100+ Assumptions About the Future that will Change How You Do Business

John B. Mahaffie and Jennifer Jarratt led a workshop on forces of change reshaping business and on scenario building for executives of the partner firms of the University of Dayton, Center for Leadership & Executive Development, September 10, 2002.

© 2008 Leading Futurists, LLC