Meet The Visionary Game-Changers, Presented by SAP

The buzz: Imagine all the people living for today...The Digital Economy is creating billions of connections between business, people, devices, sensors, data, processes, with 10X growth expected by 2030. But this Era of Hyperconnectivity has a downside: escalating resource demand and volatility. How to reset the balance in our favor? Companies like yours can wake-up the physical world by using the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data to conserve resources, reduce costs, and transform how you serve customers. Best of all, you can generate new, sustainable revenue. The experts speak. Dr. Miroslaw Ryba, EY: “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing” (Benjamin Franklin). Kai Gorelich, SAP: “As my artist’s statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance” (Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes comic strip). Join us for Internet of Things: Reimagining Your Business Models.

The buzz: Gotta be me! Our appetite for online reading, viewing, buying is voracious. In just 8 minutes, Alibaba achieved $1b in sales on Singles Day November 2015. 42% of shoppers search product information on a mobile device while in-store. We spend 2 more hours a day on mobile than 3 years ago. This technology tidal wave keep us connected and social. Small businesses want a piece of this action. But can they become a better, digital version of themselves without losing what makes them unique? The experts speak. Lil Mohan, University of Chicago: “The change we are in the middle of isn't minor and it isn't optional” (Clay Shirky). Max Dower, Unfortunate Portrait: “One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man” (Elbert Hubbard). Susan Reynolds, SAP: “Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense” (Gertrude Stein). Join us for Becoming Digital, Staying Human: Be True to You and Your Business.

The buzz: On the road again. To take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities in the emerging Digital Economy, your business needs to boldly embark on a path to global growth. But daunting roadblocks may impede your expansion, including complexity, lack of transparency, and elusive governance and controls. How to arrive at your destination without a fatal breakdown? Get fresh! Fresh generations of ERP, delivering new, improved user experiences in the Cloud, can help simplify your IT, access to data, and overall business. Another incentive: your competitors may already be using Cloud ERP. What are you waiting for? The experts speak. Cindy Jutras, Mint Jutras: “Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there (Will Rogers). Mark Hopkins, Skullcandy: “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished” (Benjamin Franklin). Mike Morel, SAP: “Vision without execution is hallucination” (Thomas Edison). Join us for Cloud ERP: Engine for Global Growth.

The buzz: Your digital future. Digital Transformation is dramatically altering relationships between humans and machines, with 75+ billion Internet-connected interactions predicted by 2020. It is also disrupting traditional business models with democratized technology, lowering the barriers to entry for new businesses and enabling small, agile firms to compete against large, established companies. Visionary entrepreneurs hold the key to this new world. The implications for your company and your customers? The expert speak. Daniel Newman, V3B and Broadsuite Media Group: “Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple” (Richard Branson). Brian Fanzo, MyChannel Inc.: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” (Gretzky #99). Ursula Ringham, SAP: “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell” (Seth Godin). Join us for Digital Transformation: The Small and Midsize Enterprise.

The buzz: School days.All children start with the same passions, imagination, and desire to learn. But according to UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report, “Ensuring that all children access upper secondary education by 2030 will remain beyond the grasp of the international community unless priorities are re-considered.” Is it just the responsibility of parents, governments and schools, or the private sector, too? Are enough jobs ready for youth who get an education? The experts speak. Karim Ramji, Deloitte: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” (Nelson Mandela). Oisin Walton, Vodaphone: “It's no longer a question of technology, it's a question of imagination” (Jean-Francois Cazenave). Alicia Lenze, SAP: “Technology alone is not enough. It's technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our hearts sing” (Steve jobs). Join us for Technology and Education: Empowering Youth Worldwide.

The buzz: The DL. Sports are big business. Given the power and speed demanded of competitive sports, it’s no surprise that player injuries are rampant and expensive. The average cost of soccer player injuries in 2015 is $12.4 million per team for the world’s top four professional leagues. Any reduction in injuries could translate to huge dollar savings, improved player health and enhanced performance. Is it realistic to hope that innovative injury prevention technology can prevent half of all professional sports injuries - or is it reserved just for wealthy or elite athletes? The experts speak. Corrine Vitolo, SmartSports: “The more injuries you get, the smarter you get” (Mikhail Baryshnikov). Kathleen Stroia, WTA: “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen” (John Wooden). Puneet Suppal, SAP: “The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight” (Arthur Ashe). Join us for Slicing the Cost of Sports Injuries: Technology to the Rescue.

The buzz: It begins at home. Beyond enormous competition for consumer and corporate funding, charities today face their greatest challenges in maintaining financial transparency and optimizing their use of resources. Technology to the rescue! But where should charities invest their precious time and dollar resources: in new social media platforms in hopes of boosting fundraising – or in predictive analysis to improve efficiency and impact? The experts speak. Christian Kraus, Betterplace.org: “On résiste à l’invasion des armées; on ne résiste pas à l’invasion des idées” (Victor Hugo). Roger Ford, Accenture: ““There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home” (Ken Olson). David Jonker, SAP: “The data revolution is giving the world powerful tools that can help usher in a more sustainable future” (Ban Ki-Moon). Join us for Changing the Face of Philanthropy with Technology.

The buzz: The crowd roars! The ultimate sports fan experience? Players, teams, and coaches performing at their best – plus on-demand access to sports facts and performance analysis. This winning combination delighted more than 50 million sports fans in 2014. Technology-supported sports teams know that using analytics software helps them play, run, ride, drive and sail better and win more. When Singapore welcomed the first leg of the Extreme Sailing series, the latest 3D visualization software enabled the racing teams to sail faster, better, simpler. The fans loved it! How can your business use these new technologies for a win-win fan experience in your marketplace? The experts speak: Rasmus Kostner, Extreme Sailing Team: “You haven't won the race, if in winning the race you have lost the respect of your competitors” (Paul ElvstrØm). Chris Burton, SAP: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do” (Steve Jobs). Join us for Sports and Technology: The Ultimate Fan Experience.

The buzz: The Blues? Global WebIndex [adweek.com/socialtimes/time-spent-online/613474] reports 28% of time spent online – averaging 1.72 hours/day – is on social platforms, which reach 70%+ of all Internet users. Listen up: Social Selling is not optional for your business. Questions: Is traditional phone/face-to-face sales engagement a dinosaur? Can your top sales people still win without a digital footprint? Will the Social Media Bubble burst and be replaced soon? Should Social Selling be owned by Marketing or Sales? The experts speak via the Blues Brothers. Kurt Shaver, The Sales Foundry: Elwood: “It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark...and we're wearing sunglasses.” Jake: “Hit it.” Kirsten Boileau, SAP: Elwood: “Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail me now.” Jim Fields, SAP: Jake: “How often does the train go by?” Elwood: “So often that you won’t even notice it.” Join us for Social Selling Part 2: The Future of Sales?

The buzz: The crowd roars! The ultimate sports fan experience? Players, teams, and coaches performing at their best – plus on-demand access to sports facts and performance analysis. This winning combination delighted more than 50 million sports fans in 2014. Technology-supported sports teams know that using analytics software helps them play, run, ride, drive and sail better and win more. When Singapore welcomed the first leg of the Extreme Sailing series, the latest 3D visualization software enabled the racing teams to sail faster, better, simpler. The fans loved it! How can your business use these new technologies for a win-win fan experience in your marketplace? The experts speak: Rasmus Kostner, Extreme Sailing Team: “You haven't won the race, if in winning the race you have lost the respect of your competitors” (Paul ElvstrØm). Chris Burton, SAP: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do” (Steve Jobs). Join us for Sports and Technology: The Ultimate Fan Experience.

The buzz: Quota! A 2013 Aberdeen Social Selling study revealed that 64% of sales teams using Social Selling met quota, compared to 49% who ignored social media. This raises critical questions for your company. Is Social Selling a trendy sales tool for Millennials or a personality-booster for ambiverts / inverts? Can a seasoned or newbie Salesperson succeed without a digital footprint? Is Social Selling an excuse to kill time online instead of cold-calling or cold-emailing? Is it more effective in certain industries and regions? Perhaps most important, does your Sales team need a social media strategy? The experts speak. Kurt Shaver, The Sales Foundry: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated (Mark Twain). Kirsten Boileau, SAP: “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people” (Victor Borge). Jim Fields, SAP: “Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional” (Chili Davis). Join us for Social Selling: Is Your Quota A Click Away?

The buzz: To Life! With over two billion people expected to be 60 and older by 2050, chronic illness and diminished wellbeing are fast becoming major global public health challenges. The solution to aging gracefully, managing chronic diseases, and minimizing impacts? Not cure, but treatment. But if we turn to smart technologies and data—a “Connected Care” continuum—to support aging populations, will one Robo-Doc replace multiple human MDs? And is Connected Care just for the wealthy—no iPad or Smartphone, no health? The experts speak. Avner Halperin, EarlySense: “Technology is neither good nor bad, nor is it neutral … It is our thoughtful and ethical implementation that can help improve and save lives” (Melvin Kranzberg). Dr. Oliver Haferbeck, Roche Diagnostics Germany: “A DJ is always listening for what's next (Grandmaster Flash). Dr. David Delaney, SAP: “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” (Aphorism). Join us for MD in the Palm of Your Hand: Connected Care.