Why most megatrends are NOT radically impacted by Coronavirus / COVID-19. Future impact of COVID-19 on industry and wider world

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Here is the truth about the longer term impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. I have been forecasting global trends for over 25 years, with a strong track record of proven results, advising over 400 of the world's largest multinationals, in every industry, across every region, often sharing platforms with their CEOs at their most important events.  And I also warned many times of new global pandemics like COVID-19.

It's easy to get carried away by sensationalist headlines, and to imagine that life on earth will never be the same again, that COVID-19 will permanently reshape our whole world, causing revolutions in every industry and nation. But the reality is likely to be rather different...

Read more: Why most megatrends are NOT radically impacted by Coronavirus / COVID-19. Future impact of COVID-19 on industry and wider world

Life After Coronavirus Pandemic. Impact on Business and Industry - accelerating existing trends. Longer term picture, business survival and recovery. Virtual board strategy, virtual keynote speaker, video seminars and leadership video briefings - ZOOM

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Business strategies for a post-coronavirus world. As a physician by first training and a Futurist advisor / keynote speaker on industry trends and strategy to over 400 of the world's largest 2000 companies, with a proven track record of longer term forecasting over the last 25+ years, here are some guiding principles to business life beyond Coronavirus / COVID-19. Global Crisis will accelerate pre-existing business trends Most mega trends described in my books, including The Future of Almost Everything, will continue to shape the world as before, but the Coronavirus pandemic will bring forward the timings of many key events in many industries. Examples:

Airlines will consolidate more rapidly in Europe because of COVID-19, following US picture over the last decade.  Larger airlines will be most likely to be rescued by government.  Borderline-non-viable airlines will be allowed to fold. Physical retail will lose out even more to online shoppers, with big jump in online sales which will only partially reverse after the pandemic has ended.  Many Shopping Malls will struggle to re-open in developed nations. Even faster growth of virtual working and virtual teams. Faster introduction of virtual learning into college education, MBAs, Business Schools and High Schools etc.

Here is more on Coronavirus / COVID-19 impact on business strategies for travel, transport, retail, leisure spending, entertainment, manufacturing, logistics and supply chains, banking, payments, health care, pharma research, energy and green tech etc.

Book your own board strategy review and coronavirus update - contact Futurist and Physician Dr Patrick Dixon 

Read more: Life After Coronavirus Pandemic. Impact on Business and Industry - accelerating existing trends. Longer term picture, business survival and recovery. Virtual board strategy, virtual keynote speaker, video seminars and leadership video briefings - ZOOM

Free AudioBook sample: The Future of Almost Everything book from Audible, narrated by Futurist keynote speaker Patrick Dixon. A Detailed Guide to your own future, business, workplace, family and wider world

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Just published - my AudioBook of The Future of Almost Everything.  

Click here to listen to a sample.  Download entire AudioBook from Audible for free! 

I recorded the entire book myself: every key message I have given recently to CEOs and business leaders around the world, from every industry, and in every region.

Urgent issues, challenges and opportunities facing us in the next 20-50 years. Plus a chapter on life in 2100.  

What it all means for your own life, for your workplace, family, community and wider world.

How China will dominate the world, and why most business leaders are blind to China's impact. Future of China, economy, trade, manufacturing, consumers, retail, e-commerce, military and security

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

By 2040 China will dominate almost all global markets. Most business and government leaders are blind to China's gigantic future impact. China already has the world’s largest banking assets of $42 trillion, and China is the world’s largest economy when measured by Purchasing Power Parity, which takes into account how much the same basic items cost in each nation. China is the world's largest manufacturer, the largest exporter, the fastest growing consumer market. China is the world leader in digital innovation, high-speed rail and green tech. China generates 40% of all global e-commerce transactions, and files more patents than any other nation. Mandarin is the most common first language spoken by 800 million web users, and China is the world’s largest e-commerce market with 40% of global share.  Chinese people will spend which $1.8 trillion online by 2022....

Read more: How China will dominate the world, and why most business leaders are blind to China's impact. Future of China, economy, trade, manufacturing, consumers, retail, e-commerce, military and security

The TRUTH about the Global Economy, Wholesale Finance, Future Interest Rates, Real Estate Development and the Future of Banking - Futurist Keynote Speaker

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

We may debate the economics of the world over the last decade, which have been largely driven by growth in emerging markets (where 85% of humanity live), but the fact is that many corporations now have huge cash mountains and no idea what to do with it. Trillions of dollars of cash is sitting in bank accounts of large companies doing nothing at all - more than $2.3 trillion in large Japanese companies alone. $12 trillion was made available a few years ago by Central Banks to the largest banks in their own nations. $3.7 trillion was by the US Federal Reserve alone. In addition $10 trillion of government bonds were issued with negative rates of interest (see below). Yet despite all this, many banks have refused to take cash offered by governments to help stimulate their economies, even when they are effectively fined by Central Banks for doing so...

Read more: The TRUTH about the Global Economy, Wholesale Finance, Future Interest Rates, Real Estate Development and the Future of Banking - Futurist Keynote Speaker

Future Trends - impact on Portugal and rest of world. Managing risk and uncertainty, robotics and AI, and future ethics. Summary of keynote.

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Interview for AESE Business School in Lisbon - about to give a keynote on global trends - 19th October 2017.  Here are major issues that are impacting very large numbers of companies across the world.  I usually group them as six factors that spell the word FUTURE, each of which forms one face of a cube.  The energy which spins the cube is EMOTION – reactions to events or trends are usually more important than events themselves.

“The world can change faster than you can hold a board meeting”, you said in a presentation. Among the hundreds of possibilities of change and innovation, what are the key trends do you foresee as having the most impact in business and personal life in this new World 4.0?"

Read more: Future Trends - impact on Portugal and rest of world. Managing risk and uncertainty, robotics and AI, and future ethics. Summary of keynote.

The truth about Northern Ireland’s borders after Brexit – passports and customs - and how demographic shifts will hugely alter political balance. Comment after keynote.

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

29th September 2017

A lot of nonsense is talked about Brexit.  Here is the truth.

Sorting out all Brexit issues affecting the borders of Northern Ireland could take many years to fully resolve.  At the same time, the EU has made it clear that until a practical solution is agreed, even if such a solution is fine-tuned in future, discussions on a trade deal post-Brexit, will be on permanent hold.

There is a small chance that the entire Brexit process will be halted by a further vote in the UK, which could form part of an election manifesto commitment at the next election.  However this is becoming less likely at the moment, because opinion polls across the UK as a whole are more in favour of Brexit than when the original vote to leave took place.  (At the same time, paradoxically, opinion polls in other EU nations are becoming more positive about being part of the EU.)

For the purposes of this article, let us assume therefore that Brexit happens.

The EU has made absolutely 100% clear that they will not under any circumstances tolerate a breach anywhere in the EU wall controlling goods, services and movements of people across the border into the EU.  That is, unless

Read more: The truth about Northern Ireland’s borders after Brexit – passports and customs - and how demographic shifts will hugely alter political balance. Comment after keynote.

The truth about North Korea, President Trump, the real risk of war, and why options for the Pentagon and rest of world are so limited. What is likely to happen next.

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Despite all the hot words from President Trump and some of the absurd commentary in the media, here is the truth about North Korea’s rapid military direction and about the complete impotence of the rest of the world.  And all taking place at a time when there are more geopolitical risks globally than for 30 years.

The fact is, that as we see every day in the failed state of Zimbabwe, or Afghanistan or more recently in the chaos of Venezuela, or in Syria or Iraq, the most powerful military forces in the world can be humbled and humiliated by the resilience and complexity of the tiniest of nations, however chaotic or weak they may appear to be.

Read more: The truth about North Korea, President Trump, the real risk of war, and why options for the Pentagon and rest of world are so limited. What is likely to happen next.

The Truth about Brexit - part 2 - what is likely to happen next and why, real impact likely to be very different than most expect. Why a second vote on Brexit is still a real possibility.

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Update 4th September 2017

Before and shortly after the Brexit vote I correctly predicted that the UK economy would NOT go into immediate meltdown as so many had falsely forecast.  A lot of people are still talking a lot of nonsense.

Here is the truth about the current situation and what is likely to happen next:

Read more: The Truth about Brexit - part 2 - what is likely to happen next and why, real impact likely to be very different than most expect. Why a second vote on Brexit is still a real possibility.

Life after Brexit: why I was right about immediate impact of the Brexit vote and what next. Why Brexit impact on trade, services, visas, banks and retail sales will be less than many fear

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Why I was right about immediate impact of the Brexit vote– and what next. We continue to hear toxic nonsense about life after Brexit.  Here is the truth: As I predicted, the impact of Brexit has been slight so far – despite some market turbulence to start with. Most analysts have had to eat their words, together with many political leaders, the IMF and a host of global CEOs – after being proven so spectacularly wrong. Despite constant warnings before and after the vote of instant economic meltdown, chaos, immediate recession, national and EU crisis, we have seen the exact opposite.

Read more: Life after Brexit: why I was right about immediate impact of the Brexit vote and what next. Why Brexit impact on trade, services, visas, banks and retail sales will be less than many fear

Truth about Brexit: what next in the UK v EU divorce, short term and long term. Impact on your personal life, house prices, brexit business strategy, community, EU and wider world. Cut through toxic nonsense. Brexit keynote speaker

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

We are in completely uncharted waters in troubled times globally and across the EU.  Over 50,000 reads in hours following Brexit with frequent updates of this page. The decisive vote to divorce the UK from the EU will influence the future of an entire generation of business people. There is no official mechanism for leaving the EU: it has never been done before and there are no guidelines or procedures defined in law - in either the UK or in Brussels. (Comment by Patrick Dixon, Brexit keynote speaker - Brexit strategy advisor).

Brexit will have a profound impact on the future direction of the EU and is likely to trigger multiple, complex global events.  Just the fact that such a Brexit vote took place was already having an impact elsewhere across the EU before voting began.  For example, on 26th February 2016, an opinion poll in Denmark showed that most Danes want to have a vote of their own.  

And there is a significant risk of contagion - spread of uncertainty and fear, into chaos, into instabilities in currencies and economies, radical shifts in business strategies...  In a globalised world, such things can spread at the speed of light.

The longer term future of the EU and the future of the UK will both be driven by a single word, more powerful than economics, or innovation, and that word is of course  “emotion”, linked to the most important single human force in the world today which is TRIBALISM.

Read more: Truth about Brexit: what next in the UK v EU divorce, short term and long term. Impact on your personal life, house prices, brexit business strategy, community, EU and wider world. Cut through toxic nonsense. Brexit keynote speaker

How to spot Fake Forecasts, Bad Analysts and False Futurists - secret of more accurate forecasting and of all great Futurist speakers. Shocking truth about easily avoidable Futurist errors

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

It is often said that no one can predict the future, but the truth is that forecasting is far easier than you may think, because many things change more slowly than media hype suggests.  I know this from advising hundreds of the world's largest corporations on the impact of key industry megatrends, for more than 20 years, and from writing many books about the future since 1987.  I’m not talking about share prices, commodity prices or currency rates.  Anything to do with markets is as difficult to predict two months ahead as the British weather. Every now and again in history there is a genuine step-change, for example the collapse of communism, or a global war, or the creation of the web, but such things are rare.  That’s why most board room debates about the future are not usually about direction of a trend, which tends to be fairly obvious, but about timing or speed of that trend. Judge me on my own record - content on this website goes back to 1996.

Here's what I wrote a while back for Wired Magazine (adapted)...

It is often said that no one can predict the future, but the truth is that forecasting is far easier than you may think, because many things change far more slowly than media hype suggests.  I know this from advising corporations on the impact of key megatrends, over the last 20 years, and from writing many books about the future since 1987.

Read more: How to spot Fake Forecasts, Bad Analysts and False Futurists - secret of more accurate forecasting and of all great Futurist speakers. Shocking truth about easily avoidable Futurist errors

Brexit keynote speaker. Huge Brexit shock to global economy? Truth about Brexit impact on UK, future of Europe, Eurozone, exchange rates, migration, business and wider world

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Leaders of G20 Nations have declared that Brexit would be a shock to the global economy: hype or fiction? Whatever the result of the British EU referendum on 23rd June 2016, the UK vote will be fiercely contested, and will have a profound impact on the future direction of the EU.  Just the fact that such a Brexit vote is taking place is already triggering events elsewhere.  For example, on 26th February, an opinion poll in Denmark showed that most Danes now want to have a vote of their own. The truth is that a lot of nonsense is being paraded as fact in the heated Brexit referendum campaign. Here is a guide to your Brexit-related future by Brexit Keynote Speaker Patrick Dixon

Read more: Brexit keynote speaker. Huge Brexit shock to global economy? Truth about Brexit impact on UK, future of Europe, Eurozone, exchange rates, migration, business and wider world

The Future of (Almost) Everything: Impact on Saudi Arabia economy and business. Global Competitiveness Forum - Saudi Arabia Futurist keynote for international investors - VIDEO

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

Keynote in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - starts at 1 minute 20 seconds: use scroll bar.  Global Competitiveness Forum 2015 - covering wide range of global trends and their impact on the future of Saudi Arabia, Gulf States and wider Middle East.  All included as part of Patrick Dixon's latest book: Order The Future of Almost Everything from Amazon.

Topics covered:  Future of the Middle East, future of competitiveness and innovation in Saudi Arabia, outlook for the global economy and why leadership agility will be so important in managing uncertainty.  Future of demographics, health, biotech, ageing and the growing global population, rise of emerging markets, changes in pattern of globalisation, future of manufacturing and robotics, future of banking and retail, e-commerce.  Big Data, Internet of Things and Cloud Computing - new cybersecurity risks.  Future of the energy industry: oil, shale gas, coal, solar power, wind power, smart grids and next-generation nuclear power. Need a world-class global competitiveness keynote speaker for your event? Phone or e-mail Patrick Dixon now.

Read more: The Future of (Almost) Everything: Impact on Saudi Arabia economy and business. Global Competitiveness Forum - Saudi Arabia Futurist keynote for international investors - VIDEO

Can a Futurist REALLY predict the future? Here's loads of predictions I made over last 20+ years in 16 Futurist books and as a Futurist keynote speaker

Futurist Keynote Speaker: Posts, Slides, Videos - Future Trends, Economy, Markets, Keynote Speaker

My new global trends book is out now: The Future of Almost Everything. But it takes at least 20 years to evaluate how good a trends analyst was / is – so what about forecasts made by me in previous books, about what to expect over the following decade or two or three?  How did those forecasts measure up? I had to answer that question for myself by re-reading what I wrote in the past about the future, before writing my latest book.  Read FREE SAMPLE of The Truth about Almost Everything.

So you can judge for yourself, here are loads of predictions I made in the past - and the book in which they were made plus date.  Every one of these is already a reality or looks like it soon could be, as of August 2015....And yes I got some things wrong - not many fortunately.

Read more: Can a Futurist REALLY predict the future? Here's loads of predictions I made over last 20+ years in 16 Futurist books and as a Futurist keynote speaker