Instead of asking what if things go wrong, ask what if things go right.
Dr Ben Hamer is an accredited futurist, who was recently awarded the number one thought leader for the Future of Work in the Asia-Pacific by Onalytica.
Ben has undertaken work and research around the world, including time spent leading critical projects at the World Economic Forum as well as being a Visiting Scholar at Yale University. He is an Adjunct Professor at Edith Cowan University’s School of Business and Law and a Non-Executive Director for the Australian HR Institute, where he was appointed as the youngest Non-Executive Director in the organisation’s history, as well as being on the Board of Netball NSW, which includes oversight of both the NSW Swifts and Giants professional netball teams.
A sought after media commentator and keynote speaker on future trends, Ben is the host of the ThinkerTank podcast, which is all about the trends shaping the way we will live, work and play in the future.
Talking Points
Everything, everywhere, all at once
It can be overwhelming when we think about the future. There's a lot of fear. And a lot it feels like it's outside of our control. At the same time, we sometimes think that the future is far away and not something we must concern ourselves with here and now. But by sitting back and being a passive observer, you'll just end up living and working in a world designed for someone else. Everything, everywhere, all at once
Key Takeaways
• Case studies on incredible innovations and news stories that celebrate humanity and will fill the audience with hope for the future
• Demonstrations of emerging technologies
• Myth-busting trending topics and headlines
• Forecasts on how we will live, work and play in the future and what it all means for today.
This keynote is especially useful at the start of an event, like a conference or a strategy offsite, to help open minds and serve as a scene setter while setting a light-hearted, optimistic, yet engaging and informative tone. And it will have your attendees talking about it long after Ben's done.
Great minds don't think alike: How to think like a futurist.
Disruption is the new normal. We need to be able to anticipate and respond to change, irrespective of our role in the organisation. That is, we need to learn the art and science of futures thinking. Hear from one of Australia’s leading (and few accredited) futurists on the mindset and methodology so that you too, can think like a futurist and design your preferred future.Great minds don't think alike: How to think like a futurist.
Key Takeaways:
• Understand what future thinking is (and isn’t) and how it benefits both organisations and individuals
• Walk through the methodology of futures thinking using examples and case studies
• Practical tools and strategies to take away so that you can think like a futurist.
Rise of the humans: The future of work
Change is happening at the fastest rate of human history. It is also the slowest we’ll experience for the rest of our lives, and arguably nothing is changing more than work. Find out about the key trends shaping the future of work from the number one thought leader on the topic in the Asia-Pacific. Rise of the humans: The future of work
Key Takeaways:
• Understand the key disruptions facing organisations
• Receive an update on the current state of the labour market
• An understanding of the current state of work and how it is projected to evolve in the future
• Get across the latest topics chaping the future of work, like how some governments are looking to change the 9 - 5 work day in the face of climate change, or organisations that are already using AI robot managers.
Audiences will walk away with the sense that despite technology being pervasive, one thing is clear. Humans and the skills that make us uniquely human have never been more important.
Ctrl, Alt, Delete: New mindsets for a new world.
We've become a society of high-functioning cynics. And we're arguably the most cynical when it comes to the future. It's how our brains have been designed - we think about negative futures three times more than we do positive ones. Which is why when we switch on Netflix, we're swamped with the likes of The Hunger Games and Black Mirror rather than stories that celebrate the potential of humanity. But enough is enough. It's time to shift gears. It's time for a mindset shift. It's time to stop asking 'what if things go wrong?' and start asking 'what if things go right?'. Whether you're trying to overcome change resistance in your organisation, are about to embark on a significant transformation, or just want to get people excited about the future, then this one's for you.Ctrl, Alt, Delete: New mindsets for a new world.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn about the neuroscience of negativity
- Understand how to challenge your biases and in doing so re-write the algorithm
- Shift your mindset to think about and approach the future with optimism and hope.
A Postcard from the Future: Bespoke Keynotes
Dr Ben Hamer is publishing 'A Postcard from the Future' with Ultimo Press in April 2024. The book is all about how we will live, work, and play in the future, with each chapter focusing on a different topic. Ben can develop a bespoke keynote that highlights one of the chapters from his book that is most relevant to you, your organisation, or your industry. This includes potential keynotes on the future of technology, cities and transport, society and lifestyles, work, health, environment and energy, trust, politics and power, and food.
A Postcard from the Future: Bespoke Keynotes
The AI Advantage: Embracing tomorrow's tech
A lot of the headlines written about artificial intelligence focus on all the bad stuff, driven by the question of "what if things go wrong?" . But what if we shift the narrative to "what if things go right?" AI has the potential to revolutionise industries, enhance our daily lives, and solve some of the world's most pressing challenges. Sure, there's some difficult stuff to solve for and we need to use it responsibly. This keynote won't shy away from that, but it will bring a bit of balance to the narrative by understanding how people and organisations can get the most out of it to drive innovation and revolutionise ways of working. Together, we'll explore examples of new AI technologies, touch on the skills we need to stay future-fit, and understand what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.The AI Advantage: Embracing tomorrow's tech
Key Takeaways:
• Discover the transformative potential of AI and its benefits
• Explore real-world demonstrations of AI technologies and what they mean for your business or industry
• Understand the skills required to make sure you're future-fit
• Practical actions for building AI literacy
The Gen-Z effect
Gen-Z, with their love of mullets and TikTok, are the most markedly different generation that we've seen for a long time, shaking up everything from consumer trends to ways of working. And it's not hard to see why - These 'digisapiens' are the first generation to grow up with the internet and social media. This keynote will explore who Gen-Z are, their icks, and what makes them tick. And it's important to get across, with Gen-Z likely to make up to a quarter of all workers in the next two years. The Gen-Z effect
Key Takeaways:
• Why Gen-Z refuse to answer your phone calls
• Gain insights into the characteristics, values, and motivations of Gen-Z.
• Learn how to attract, retain, and motivate Gen-Z talent in your organisation.
• Understand the behaviours of Gen-Z and how to market to them effectively.
Video
Dr Ben Hamer | Saxton Speakers
Meet Dr Ben Hamer | Saxton Speakers
Dr Ben Hamer is an accredited Futurist and one of Australia's leading keynote speakers.The amazing Dr Ben Hamer literally ‘sunset’ the phenomenal two days of the 2024 Australian HR Institute (AHRI) WA Conference. Awe-inspiring research, impactful sound bites and innovative th ... keep reading Wesfarmers
Thank you very much for an excellent presentation yesterday. I also wanted to say, and I'm sure you are already aware of this, but you are such a natural and warm presenter; you are really enjoyable for an audience to watch.
On behalf of my team, thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us yesterday. Your thoughts, ideas and expertise was very insightful. It created great discussion this morning
Thank you so much for your sessions today, they were very well received, and I have had a lot of very positive feedback. Thanks again - you have generated a lot of great conversation, which is exactly what I was after.
It was a pleasure working with you in the lead up - we felt in safe hands all the way through. The day itself was an impressive experience, seamlessly executed. You made us look really good. Probably too good, and off-brand, for us. Also, we weren't fooled by the way you made it look easy. Thanks for all the hard work you put in
Ben totally nailed it at our recent Board Director Development Day. He is well researched, thought provoking and absolutely met the brief. His engaging style allow lots of discussion on the day. thank you Ben.
Talking about the future is always a difficult subject to attempt but Dr Hamer’s presentation yesterday was up there with the best. It was not only the high quality content of his presentation but the way in which he responded to questions. He really cared about the thought processes behind the person’s question and gave perfectly structured and highly intelligent responses. Thoroughly enjoyable and time well spent.
Was an absolute pleasure to deal with and very smooth in terms of preparation, organisation, and execution on the day - our event was a great success! Ben was engaging, professional, down to earth, and authentic with great content that resonated with our audience.
Ben was exceptional, he was professional, warm, entertaining and created a talk thread that was super relevant for our audience
Ben was a great Keynote and as the first speaker, set the scene for our VET National Teaching & Learning Conference.
Ben engaged with the audience and his message was in line with our conference theme. All feedback from attendees was extremely positive and we would definitely look at having Ben present at future events.
Dr. Ben was fantastic ! I loved his positive outlook. He brought great energy to the event and his keynote was very well received.
