Forecasting what the future may hold has never been an exact science. Yet, at this year’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, futurist Ray Kurzweil gave an indication for the launch of ‘Merge’, PHD’s latest book. Within the next three decades, humans will merge with machines, live longer and be a lot smarter.
These key themes form the basis for the eighth edition of PHD MENA’s annual conference, BrainScape, as the lines between humans and technology blur even further. Taking place on October 16 in Dubai, this year’s edition will feature marketing mavericks and futurists who will discuss how humanity and technology will, in future, become inextricably linked.
Jonathan (JC) Oliver, global creative officer of Unlockd and founder of innovation agency, 31Flavas, will examine what this tech-driven reality means to us, both as humans and as marketers. With over 25 years of global media experience, JC’s work at the intersection of creativity and business fuses technology with science to develop the next big opportunity within marketing.
Highlighting the measures organizations need to take to thrive in this new environment, author, alchemist and founder of The Envisioners LTD, Dave Coplin, will consider the implications for management executives. Considered as one of the most influential people in digital today, his standpoint on how technology can help enhance, rather than suppress, human potential has helped organizations work smarter, not harder.
Dr. Noah Raford, Chief Operating Officer of the Dubai Future Foundation, will offer expert insight on how governments and authorities can prepare for this next phase of innovation. Focusing on how vision and ambition, coupled with deploying the right technology can be key to a successful strategy, he will show how Dubai is supporting its business landscape with its transformative agenda.
“Technology has allowed us to evolve beyond what we ever thought possible, both in business and human terms. We as marketers are continually challenged to deploy it in the most effective way and at PHD this is at the forefront of our strategies, looking at how we can enhance our clients’ campaigns through innovative and transformative solutions. This year, we explore the closing gap between technology and humankind in more detail. The aim is to consider both the immediate and forthcoming impacts of this fusion. This means considering both a new range of immersive experiences, be it on a physical, simulated or augmented level, and the environment for technology-enabled lifestyles to thrive,” said Elda Choucair, CEO, PHD MENA.
The 2017 edition of PHD BrainScape is produced in association with MENA Marketplace, Digital Venture and Mediaquest.