Vanity will eat trust for breakfast and convenience is the appetizer. The rise of social and mobile over the last 15 year have created 4 billion individuals craving attention. Being exposed felt good. Wanted to feel unique. Seeking confirmation. Being liked. Literally. But…the more and the longer we as consumers are becoming the product, the more and more sceptical we become; the more critical we are about our privacy. We no longer accept to be marketed to, let alone sold to. In the next phase of social beyond big tech – with its virality and swiftness typical for the TikToks of this world – the world is creating 9 billion potential content producers. It's making 9 billion celebrities. All want to feel special in their own way. All are demanding in their own unique way. Vanity is starting to run through the veins of this generation. Being customer Obsessed - the fundamental baseline of Amazon's growth model - no longer cuts it. At the same time, a Privacy revolution is taking place - and both Google, Facebook and Apple all have their own method of addressing the opportunity of gaining dominance over our screen time and becoming the trusted gateway to our identity. On the other side of the fence, Marketing is often about creating brand experiences that bring sympathy. At best. But we have shown little empathy. In the world of the Vein, more is needed. In the world of the Vein, you need to empathize more. Much more. Really listen, but especially act – and become proactive. In the land of the Vein, four perfect revolution storms are coming together, challenging your audacity to move. The first one is the Privacy Revolution. Everything that is taking place: the end of third-party cookies driven by Google, the 'Ask me not to track' introduced by Apple. All of this is nothing more than Google, Apple and Facebook trying to choke each other and go for world domination with the sole excuse of protecting your privacy. All of this is aimed at nothing more than becoming and remaining the dominant player on your screen whether it's the phone in your hand or the goggles on your face. Revolution two: Platforms. In the last 15 years, we have seen business lines fade. Marketing moved deeper into sales, and Service has become the new marketing. As banks, telcos, and retailers are repositioning themselves and becoming publishers, we are witnessing the fading of industries. Your customer no longer necessarily has to buy something with you to be of value, as you can serve them ads or other value and monetize on that. Revolution three: the data revolution. Data volumes will explode in the next coming years. Knowing that only 1% of company data is used to impact or steer Customer experiences and that 99% of data is unstructured (think about the powerpoints on your drive or the xls sheets we all create) will be essential to manage this better. Data quality will become the oxygen to your success machine even more tomorrow. Revolution four: Predictive model as a new normal.. Spotify used to condition us because it created a certain level of convenience that outclassed the quality of the audio. What Spotify is making now is a new paradigm with minimum Input but Exponential output. Its recommendation engine is so powerful – that when you select one song for the ride home, the rest of the trip, you have a radio station based on that one selection. 30% of what Amazon sells in the world comes from their recommendation engines. The good news? First, the technology needed for change is democratizing like hell and available to almost any organization. You don't have to be a billion Euro revenue retailer. Secondly, in Vanity, I will be introducing a model to fix this behind and keep ahead of the curve. As with any new paradigm, there are new technology concepts that goes in hand with achieving this. More on that in the keynotes. This blogpost is written by Renout Van Hove, active at the intersection of Advertising, Data ecosystems, Privacy and Technology

Work hard, play hard... It may sound like a cliché, but the play part has never been taken more seriously than today. And especially in hard times it is important to celebrate with your customers and coworkers. And if you organize an event, why not combine it with something that brings added value for your organization and clients? It is the ideal moment not only to energize and create a sense of togetherness, but also to promote the company’s brand values and to embed company culture. Speakersbase sees it as its mission to prepare organizations for a bright future and to instigate change. What's a better way than getting started with a memorable event? Its impact will long outlive the hangover. We are more than happy to exchange views on what motivational keynote fits best with your organization. For your inspiration and convenience we've already come up with a shortlist. Innovation and creativity Crossing borders: what can your organisation learn from other industries? The essence of innovation from Woody Allen to Leonhard Cohen Why innovation fails and 7 keys to success What can we learn from children to create the future of work? From art thinking to game changing The power of curiosity Future and trends Future mindset Impact transformation, in search for a new equilibrium Trends 2030, are you ready? Wellbeing Corporate Positivity Wellbeing: not a cost but a mind-shift Boost your motivation Manage your energy to excel Reframe your routines Boost your energy General interest Dare to jump! Harmony through singing Excell! Personal leadership The only way is up

De Tijd reports today that the number of burn-outs has risen with a staggering 66%. Also more people suffer from depression. These are extremely sad numbers. It is not only the impacted who suffers, but it also puts tremendous pressure on the colleagues who have to step in. So the problem just keeps getting bigger. Especially with the scarcity in the labor market and the increasing War for Talent. Every HR department, every manager and every company must take responsibility and put a stop to this. Let us make resilience and mental health an absolute priority in every organization. Unfortunately burn-out is not the only problem. De Tijd reports that more employees are also complaining of a feeling of malaise and fatigue (+34%). Half of these people receive a burn-out diagnosis seven months later. These keynotes for your staff are the perfect start to put a sensitive matter higher on the agenda. In this blogpost we make some suggestions to support this. Together we go for happy and healthy employees! 11 highly effective keynotes related to burn-out, resilience and stress 👉 Only Future-proof with happy and healthy employees by Ann De Bisschop A presentation full of insights to get healthy, happy, and enthusiastic employees, with less stress and more resilience. Ann will provide you with a lot of tips and tricks and inspiring examples of other companies. 👉 Stress and Burn-out by Florence Pérès What is it? How to recognize it? How to prevent it? This keynote is stacked with insights, concrete advice and immediately applicable tips. You immediately make a big difference in energy and enthusiasm. 👉 The Wealthy Leader by Brecht Buysschaert A better world through health and well-being at work. 12 reasons why you should invest as a leader in workplace health and well-being management - “Happy and healthy cows produce more milk”. 👉 Boost your mental energy! by Dominique Monami Deadlines, pressure, changes, stress, Nowadays, not only machines crash but also people! This keynote brings useful insights and tips to optimize energy levels for the knowledge worker. 👉 Prevent Burn-out by Isabelle Gonnissen In this keynote, Isabelle first unmasks a number of important misconceptions and pitfalls that stand in the way of a happy life. Then she will give you the seven building blocks of sustainable happiness. 👉 Stress yourself by Goedele Leyssen Stress is not your enemy; it is an opportunity for self-development and growth. If you use it in a smart, sustainable way, it will help you to push yourself without burning yourself out. 👉 Mental Resilience by Elke Geraerts Elke shares her insights on mental resilience and how we can deal swiftly with any challenge. Expect an eye-opener that makes it crystal clear that investing in your own brain leads to more agility, energy and happiness and less stress. 👉 Recognizing & reversing Burn-out by Mahdi Brown What every leader should know about burn-out within their team to help prevent it. 👉 Stronger by Stress by Lieven Van Linden Learn how stress can help us to become more resilient in work and life. During this keynote, Lieven will explore, from his own personal story, topics such as stress and how stress can help us in becoming healthier and happier. 👉 Omgaan met grenzen (Dutch only) by Veerle Dobbelaere In deze keynote gaat Veerle dieper in op jouw grenzen, hoe ze te voelen, aan te geven en te bewaken. Deze keynote is voor leidinggevenden en medewerkers die willen leren hoe ze met grenzen moeten omgaan. Waar eindigt jouw grens en waar start die van je collega? 👉 Manage your energy to excel by Herre Zonderland In this keynote Herre brings a motivational session on energy & peak performance and explains the 5 building blocks of sustainable performance. 👉 Sleep Samurai by Leo van Woerden Sleep is the basis of optimal emotional balance, health and growth. By applying neuroscientific knowledge and his drum skills Leo teaches you how to use sleep as a tool to achieve all your goals. Take it seriously and a step further Creating a culture that counters burnout is not easy and it doesn't happen overnight. It can only be successful if it is carried throughout the organization. It is not a project. It is a sustained investment of a chain of initiatives, well-cast, well-timed and over a long period of time. That's why we also offer workshops and trainings on the subject. Workshops Putting in effective workplace wellness practices can help. For them to be effective, they must be at an organizational level, reducing stress at work, fostering employee wellbeing, and upping employee engagement. Our workshops guide you and streamline the process. Training Teamleaders and managers can play a huge role in timely detecting the warning signs of burnout in the workplace. Our trainings dive deeper in what they can do to prevent it. Target group: CEOs, general managers, HR managers and other people in leadership positions.

Today it's exactly 2 years ago we launched Speakersbase 2.0. What a fantastic ride it has been! And as we are in the business of inspiring, so our customers can learn and grow, we would like to share the 5 most important insights of the last 2 years with you. 1. Everything changes Back in 2017 our founders had an idea: let's build a platform that's going to be the linkedin of keynote speakers. And so they had a website developed and soon gathered a database of thousands of speakers. But then the pandemic struck… The huge investment had become obsolete as there were no events and companies had gone in lockdown. But we knew a thing or two about agility, resilience and innovation. Florence Pérès, keynote speaker herself, had seen all her gigs being cancelled, so she went back to the drawing board. 2. Relevance is key At Speakersbase we strongly believe in the power of customer intimacy, so she started off listening to the needs of organizations. Moreover, she knew full well the pandemic wouldn't disappear overnight, so she focused on an offering of virtual events and curated programs of lectures that could make all the difference in a world that was completely gripped by COVID-19. She carefully selected speakers who could not only make the change to an online format, but who also addressed topics that were relevant in a world that had changed so drastically. It was an instant hit. Especially HR departments knew they had to support their employees and appreciated our "working from home" series. 3. Quality over quantity We can only be relevant and customer intimate if we also have a good relationship with and understanding of our team. We need to fully grasp their storylines and strong points to be able to make that perfect match. That's the only way to meet our customers' objectives and turn every project into a success. Even though our team is growing to have an appropriate speaker for new upcoming topics, it explains why we prefer a smaller team. It guarantees its quality, makes it balanced - did you know we have no less than 40% female speakers? - and gives us the time to screen the market for new emerging talent. Remember, you heard them first booked through Speakersbase! 4. Walk the talk Our baseline speaks for itself: get inspired, learn and grow. But Speakersbase is not just another speaker agency. We believe in the power of inspiration, but we don't stop there. We also offer additional services in order to truly effect change. Hosting and moderation is obvious, but recently we also added team building, training, workshops, consultancy and coaching to our service offering. It's another way of being relevant: we bring added value to your organization. 5. The best is yet to come It is clear that an awful lot has happened in the last two years and we are now reaping the benefits. This week we had no less than 8 bookings and gave lectures in four countries. We also held our first team building. In the coming months we want to continue to focus on diversification and internationalization. Last month, already 1 out of 2 of our quotation requests came from abroad. The future looks bright!

There’s a dirty little secret in the land of transformation. While all of us in the trade talk a good game about mindset change, behavioral design and psychological safety, reality is that many change programs aren’t really about transformation. They’re about compliance. A small group of people decides on a new direction or initiative, and in their heart, they just want the rest of the organization to do as they’re told and ideally think like them. But as in modern day management, these statements are politically incorrect, we come up with the managerial newspeak to make everyone feel good. To be fair, there are corporate situations where compliance IS the smartest course of action. If you’re on a clock or facing a crisis, it’s often the only way to go. As long as you remember that any change you force will only go so far. People will nod, but only because this is good for personal survival, Christmas bonuses and social acceptance. They may even genuinely try to be supportive, as this makes them feel smart or part of the new social order. But longer term, they will revert to the beliefs and behaviors that have helped them earlier in their career and life. It’s not malicious, it’s just human. KPIs and pretty posters can only push water uphill for so long. But for lasting transformation, we need to aim higher We need to create an environment where the people we address WANT the strategy and change that is proposed. Not because we tell them to, but because they think it’s a good idea. Because the new reality is something that makes them feel better about themselves, their situation and those they care about. This requires some new transformation practices Below, I’ll phrase three of them as questions I ask myself, each accompanied by a suggested action. QUESTION 1: Do I know the heart of my people? Do I know my own? Every successful transformational leader in history tapped into something their people cared about. Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, even the unsavory Adolf Hitler, brought a message that resonated with those that were asked to follow them. This makes it even more remarkable that so many transformation programs are created in isolation from those that need to make them happen. Senior executives or transformation teams lock themselves away to theorize about a potential future, which they expect other employees to execute. How the latter will feel about this hardly ever comes up in conversation. Unless the topic is ‘overcoming the resistance to change’. Instead of following Simon Sinek’s advice of starting with WHY, I therefore prefer the recommendation of Jen Rice and Start with WHO. Even before I work on a purpose, strategy, or transformation logic, I want to understand how the people in the business feel about the work they do? What do they hope? Fear? Dream of? What do they need beyond a paycheck? What do they consider right and wrong? And how their worldview contrasts with my own? Because let’s be blunt, I’m a white, educated, privileged, middle-aged cis-male. So what do I know of the world? Suggested action: People will only support transformations that align with their own values and emotional needs. So take these into account before you go on that corporate off-site. It will make whatever you propose fall on much more fertile ground. QUESTION 2: Where are the people that already live the future? Transformations never follow a linear curve. Just like anything in nature, they start as a small anomaly somewhere in a system. If nurtured, this anomaly gradually grows until it becomes the dominant way of working. This means that at the start of a transformation program, there is no sense in trying to get everyone on the bus. So instead, I try to identify people in the organization that are already living the new direction. Or that are at least ready to adopt it with little convincing. Not because I tell them to, but because it feels natural to them. This is the group to start with and nurture. To provide with resources to do more of what they already want to do and publicly praise for their efforts and the risks they take. This will automatically attract those who are a bit more hesitant to declare themselves. Supporting this new group will again grow the momentum until you have a transformative movement which eventually starts pulling itself. Suggested action: Rather than ‘force change’, start the transformation with the people who are already open to change, or live it. It makes your life easier and turns the transformation into a positive and organic experience rather than something to be endured. If you nurture the change, you’ll see it grow at an exponential rate (warning: most exponential curves are flat at the start, so be patient!). QUESTION 3: How can I make them feel my message? I like words. And I flatter myself by saying that I’m great at PowerPoint. But a ton of science shows that for the brains of those that listen, they’re just hot air. Meaningless sounds that can only be interpreted within a frame of perception that already exists. If I want to have a chance at transformation, I need to offer my target audience experiences that let them discover for themselves the new perspective/strategy/reality I propose. My friends at Punchdrunk Enrichment do this brilliantly (see the video above). To get children excited about reading books and studying history, they take them on an adventures into hidden libraries and magical villages. In the process transforming the teaching styles of quite a few teachers as well. So even when corporate thinking forces me into 20 minute high impact PowerPoint presentations or 2 hour workshops, I always remind myself of their limited impact. And where possible, I lobby for the time and resources to introduce experiential elements. Suggested action: While you may not get rid of PowerPoint, think about how you can let your people experience the benefits of what you want to achieve in terms they care about. Make them feel the transformation in ways their brain understands and drives action. I realise that these three questions may required you to step (far) out of your comfort zone. In my own case, I had to reframe quite a bit of the training I had learned in strategy class. But if you’re asking it of your audience, is it unfair to ask it of yourself? Want to know more? Alain Thys, the author of this post, gives keynotes and workshops on this topic.

Change is everywhere we look. Whether it is the political situation with Russia, the COVID regulations or how we run a business. And most of the time new things frighten us. We find it hard to deal with it in the right way. These emotions are only natural. However, the status quo should scare us more. More often than not it is the harbinger of a slow death. At Speakersbase we are here to assist you with making the change you need. We do so with inspiring keynotes, consultancy, trainings and coaching. An overview of how we can help you: For executive teams Having a clear strategy for your organization is key. But also your strategy needs to evolve as the world around us is changing. These keynotes can offer you a fresh perspective: Transformation 3.0 - in search of a new equilibrium by Jo Caudron Business and life in the Day after COVID-19 - become future proof as a company by Rik Vera Building a Better Business Together - 4 charachteristics of a future proof organization by Tom De Ruyck Trends 2030, are you ready? by Richard Van Hooijdonck For managers Management teams face the challenge of putting the change into action and make sure everybody is on board. These keynotes help them both by bringing the message in a convincing way as well as executing the change. Putting transforming while performing into action by Olivier Van Duüren Transformation from within, innovate through intrapreneurship by Bert Van Wassenhove The Winning Mindset for leaders - how to deal with change by Marnick Vandebroek Strategic Storytelling by Barbara Rogoski For human resources The War for Talent has never been so extreme and the end of the Great Resignation doesn't seem to be in sight. Change is unsetling for the workforce, but you can win the fight if HR takes this into account: Employee Engagement, what else? By Inge Van Belle Rethink | Reboot | Retool HR by Lesley Arens Wellbeing: not a cost but a mind-shift by Ann De Bisschop The Psychology of Change by David Ducheyne For employees Don't underestimate the impact change has on your coworkers. Following lectures give them insights and actionable advice on how to deal with it and even fuel the change. How to cope with change?-- 6 strategies by Florence Pérès Build new success habits & rituals by Goedele Leyssen The Change Mindset - Survival kit for professionals in change by Cyriel Kortleven Mental Resilience - how we can deal swiftly with any challenge by Elke Geraerts

We all have different associations with AI. Some will think of Stanley Kubrick and 2001: A Space Odyssey, others of IBM Watson or Metaverse and personally I link it with chatbots and the Internet of Things. So, what's the definition then? The problem is that there is no single, universally accepted descriptor for artificial intelligence as there is such a wide range of ways in which AI can support, augment and automate human activities, and learn and act independently. According to Gartner Artificial intelligence (AI) applies advanced analysis and logic-based techniques, including machine learning, to interpret events, support and automate decisions and take action. There is also consensus, though. It is commonly accepted that AI will ultimately reshape how work is done as the technology replaces some tasks typically performed by employees and changes how day-to-day decisions are made. IT and data analysis leaders can use AI techniques to solve a wide array of business problems and can generate significant returns on investment. That's why AI has made its appearance in several application areas: supply chain management, human resources, finance, customer service, sales and marketing, legal, procurement... This implies also potential risks and raises the topic of AI ethics and privacy. Government will need to step up and provide regulations. There is so much to be said about AI. The more you read about it, the more questions surface. That's why Speakersbase added some AI experts to its portfolio of keynote speakers who can share their insights with you. Geertrui Mieke De Ketelaere Geertrui Mieke De Ketelaere is Director AI at imec (IDLab). She holds a master degree in civil and industrial engineering and specialised in robotics and artificial intelligence during her studies. Over the last 25 years, she has worked for several multinationals on all aspects of data and analytics (IBM, Microsoft, SAP, SAS, etc). At imec, Mieke De Ketelaere is responsible for the development of the AI strategy and roll-out. From a consulting point of view, she is specialised in defining the AI business canvas, from potential value to predefined risks. With her understanding of the new digital data streams and her understanding of AI technologies, Mieke De Ketelaere is requested by different business schools as a guest speaker on digitalisation. In 2018, she was nominated “ICT Woman of the Year” in Belgium. In her public presentations, Mieke puts the focus on the demystification of the hype around AI and covers non-technical subjects such as data privacy: Artificial Intelligence, drivers for success. The good, the bad and the ugly of AI: AI has existed for some time, but we are coming to the tipping point: the popularity increases over time, yet there is tension caused by the negative effects of or fear for AI. Me, myself and my AI: For the successful adoption of AI, we need more female leaders. Why? As AI projects succeed on 4 factors (data, technology, people and processes), women normally possess the right qualities to lead projects to build real-world AI products more successfully as they fully master the enablement of an environment for collaboration and inclusion. Katja Schipperheijn Another leading lady in tech is Katja Schipperheijn. She is an internationally recognized learning strategist, consultant, author and keynote speaker on learning and engagement in the connected world. She has a Masters in Economics, an Executive MBA from AMS and recently added Digital Learning Strategies and Algorithmic Business Thinking from MIT Sloan to her personal learning. Her area of expertise focuses on the symbiosis of people and technology to achieve sustainable growth based on commitment and well-being. EdTech, LearnTech, MadTech … Whatever Tech. Will technology help us bridge the skill gaps or will it be the catalyst that widens the gap? Metaverse, has the future caught up with us? Will those who have not yet joined the Metaverse miss out on potentially great opportunities? Other keynotes on Artificial Intelligence The leverage of AI in HR: End the 'war for talent' in collaboration with AI. -- by Jochen Roef. AI for business: How AI will impact business models-- by Richard Van Hooijdonck Transforming to a data powered organization and enabling Artificial Intelligence. How to generate relevant data and set it to good use through Artificial Intelligence (AI) -- by Bert Van Wassenhove Metaverse for marketing: what are the opportunities? -- by Clo Willaerts Metaverse: immerse or curse? If a giant like Facebook/Meta decides to pivot and embrace a tech trend, it's worth paying attention. But what is 'the Metaverse' and what does it mean for your business? -- by Gerrie Smits

Vandaag is het Blue Monday, ook wel deprimaandag genoemd. Het zou de meest deprimerende dag van het jaar zijn. En daar kunnen we ons wel iets bij voorstellen: donkere dagen, de eerste werkdag van de week, mislukte goeie voornemens en vakantie lijkt nog eindeloos ver weg. Tegelijkertijd stellen we vast dat marketingafdelingen gretig op Blue Monday inspelen en het begint heel wat gelijkenissen te vertonen met Black Friday. Tijd dus om de wetenschappelijkheid ervan te achterhalen. Waar komt het vandaan? Het is een Britse psycholoog, Cliff Arnall, die in 2005 een wetenschappelijk verantwoorde formule zou hebben bedacht waaruit zou blijken dat de maandag van de laatste volle week van januari de dag is waarop de meeste mensen zich treurig, neerslachtig of weemoedig voelen. Geef toe, de formule heeft wel iets: [W + (D-d)] x TQ M x Na Maar wat is er nu van aan? Specialisten schrijven het radicaal af als pseudowetenschap. Meer nog, het hele concept zou bedacht zijn door een PR-bureau in opdracht van Sky Travel om het aantal vakantieboekingen te boosten. We weten hoe vindingrijk reclamejongens kunnen zijn en het was duidelijk een geniale zet waar vandaag nog dankbaar gebruik van gemaakt wordt. Laat me nu net op een advertentie van Tui zijn gebotst die met zijn bye bye Blue Monday deals uitpakt. Inmiddels zijn er tal van artikels gepubliceerd die brandhout maken van Arnalls formule en ook de universiteit van Cardiff distantieerde zich publiekelijk van Arnall. Moeten we dan het hele concept overboord gooien? Ik zou een pleidooi willen houden om het concept te gaan omdenken. Laat ons Blue Monday vooral gebruiken om extra aandachtig te zijn voor mensen die te kampen hebben met depressieve gevoelens. We mogen hun aantal niet onderschatten en de COVID-pandemie heeft de cijfers alleen maar doen stijgen. Volgens een studie van het Federaal Planbureau gaat het door de COVID-crisis slecht met de geestelijke gezondheid van de Belgen. Bovendien was ze voordien al zorgwekkend te noemen. Psychologische ontreddering was tussen 2004 en 2018 fors gestegen, net zoals het aantal depressies. COVID deed daar nog een schep bovenop en had een duidelijk negatieve impact op de fysieke, psychologische en cognitieve weerstand van de bevolking. En dat voelen we ook op de werkvloer. Psychische aandoeningen verklaren sterk de stijgende trend in de langdurige arbeidsongeschiktheid. In 2019 waren meer dan 11% van de werknemers in de privé-sector meer dan een jaar werkonbekwaam. Een kleine 36% daarvan was toe te schrijven aan aandoeningen gerelateerd aan de geestelijke gezondheid. Dit alles remt de mogelijkheden van werkgelegenheids- en productiviteitsgroei af en veroorzaakt aanzienlijke directe en indirecte economische kosten. Redenen genoeg toch om daar als HR-verantwoordelijke of leidinggevende iets aan te doen? Laat ons op Blue Monday extra aandachtig zijn voor onze werknemers die het moeilijk hebben. Een vriendelijk woord doet veel, maar stop daar niet en bied hun ook de nodige ondersteuning. Met Speakersbase hebben we een hele categorie aan keynotes die inzetten op resilience en mental wellbeing. Sommige zijn gericht op werknemers, bij andere hebben leidinggevenden meer baat. Of ga nog een stap verder: nodig ons uit om te participeren tijdens een workshop met het directiecomité. Schakel ons in om trainingen over het onderwerp te organiseren. Het maakt niet uit wat je doet, zolang je maar iets doet. Samen kunnen we de zorgwekkende trend ombuigen en onnodig menselijk leed verlichten. Blue Monday was toch al fictie. Laat ons ook radicaal komaf maken met het stijgend aantal medewerkers die te kampen hebben met hun mentale gezondheid. Bronnen Federaal Planbureau: Geestelijke gezondheid in België: de verborgen kosten van COVID-19 Forbes: Blue Monday Isn't Real So Why Still Talk About It? Tui: Bye bye Blue Monday Sciensano, Belgium COVID-19 Epidemiological Situation: mental health studies Campaign aims to help ease January blues British public urged to ‘Beat Blue Monday’ (archived)

The metaverse, will have an impact on everyone in the years to come. Like the Internet and smartphones in the 1990s and 2000s, it will soon become the new normal. Even more than previous innovations, this development will affect people, society and the economy like an unstoppable tsunami. Understanding what this exciting immersive world has to offer and understanding some of the wrong assumptions will give you an edge in the future. Misconception #1: The metaverse is new October 2021 , Marc Zuckerberg announced ‘his’ Meta with much noise. According to him, the new Internet would not only be entered through shiny square screens, but it would become an immersive and embodied platform where you would enter the experience and not just look at it. For many of us, that was a futuristic statement, but in reality it was mainly a promo stunt to revive the decay of Facebook. Zucherberg was nothing more than a copycat, cleverly capitalising on a trend started decades earlier by Neal Stephenson, who introduced the Metaverse in his 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. Facebook, now Meta, is also far from unique as a provider. Many other companies have been building the Metaverse for years and they are often much further ahead. Already in 2003, Linden Lab launched Second Live, where users can create virtual representations of themselves in a 3D world. In Second Live a virtual economy exists with its own virtual currency, the Linden Dollar, which is exchangeable with real world currency. Today Second Live is perhaps less popular than the game developer Epic Games of Fortnite and other Meta worlds like Roblox, Microsoft and Upland. These hyper-real alternative worlds offer opportunities to combine living, working and learning with technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D holographic avatars and video with NFLs and blockchain. Bringing these new digital innovations together creates unprecedented combinations that offer possibilities beyond our imagination. Misconception #2: The metaverse is real today Virtual worlds that we enter through advanced VR and AR glasses or a Hololens are indeed nothing new. Yet these immersive worlds are not the Metaverse everyone is suddenly talking about. At the heart of the Metaverse is the vision of an immersive Internet as a vast, unified, persistent, and shared realm. It is a new and radically transformative medium, enabled by major innovations in hardware, human-computer interface, network infrastructure, creator tools and digital economies. While the worlds and access to them may be in distant development, the connecting universe is still in its infancy. To create a truly connected and attractive universe, or Metaverse, we need quantum computing, mature blockchain technology, stable cryptocurrencies and protocols around NFTs. Building a complete, decentralised virtual world, one with its own economic systems, takes time and risks that we must take into account. This Metaverse will become far more pervasive and powerful than anything else. If one central corporation gains control of this, they will become more powerful than any government and be a god on Earth. Tim Sweeney, CEO Epic Games If the above seems confusing, you can understand it by comparing the Metaverse to the Internet and worlds, such as Roblox, with sites. These sites are currently often referred to as worlds, spaces, environments, nodes or zones. So the sites are already there, but connecting the internet to surf from one site to another is the challenge. Misconception #3: The metaverse will not replace the real world From the above, it seems that the Metaverse mainly lives in the world of gamers and that a game cannot replace the real world. I may not have a crystal ball, but I like to make the comparison with the e-commerce business, which is increasingly replacing physical shops, and that those who do not go along with these new worlds may be making a big mistake. Since 2020, there has been much more appeal to the promises of the Metaverse. That this was triggered by the worldwide successive lockdowns should come as no surprise. More and more people started looking for immersive experiences to compensate for the lack of 'real' experiences. Social games like Fortnite quickly became the 'meeting place' for millions. In 2020, artists such as Ariana Grande and Travis Scott swapped concert halls for a virtual stage in Fortnite, with enormous success. The latter managed to attract 48.5 million visitors with five concerts, and deals were made with major fashion brands such as Balenciaga and Nike Jordan's. Yes, even in the virtual world you get into skins (clothes) of famous brands to get noticed. And make no mistake, some of these NFT (non-fungible tokens) are more expensive than the real thing in the shop. Not only 'trendy' sectors are keeping their eyes open for the new possibilities that Metaworlds have to offer. For example, there are opportunities for the logistics and agriculture sectors that are looking at combinations of Upland (real estate as NFT) and Earth Map for efficiency and new business models. These opportunities may not have applications for the general public, but meetings and communications will look very different with the promises of new immersive experiences such as Microsoft Mesh. This new experience, although not a sustainable metaworld due to its temporary nature, will be launched in 2022. It will combine mixed-reality capabilities, allowing people in different physical locations to participate in collaborative and shared holographic experiences. Combine the above technological innovations with more permanent worlds, which may one day transform into a single Metaverse, and learning in the future may become a totally new experience. For example, consider blockchain for the validation of Roblox University. This unofficial university is dedicated to building the next generation of great game developers. Students from all over the world are already finding their way to create digital experiences. An interesting development when you know that over 50% of all children under 16 in the US are already creators in the virtual world of Roblox. With the speed of innovation we have seen since 2020, the Metaverse is no longer just a hype. Connecting the worlds is the next big step and companies and policy makers around the world will now have to prepare or be left behind to pick up the pieces. Want to know more? Katja Schipperheijn, the author of this post, gives interesting keynotes on this topic.

It's the title of one of Cindy Lauper's hits and she's right. So is the English proverb all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Though Speakersbase lives by its credo "inspire, learn and grow", we strongly believe there is also a place and time for recharging our batteries. Queen Elisabeth referred to 2020 as annus horribilis and 2021 wasn't any better. We are advocates of inserting some fun in the professional context. Your employees are craving for it. That's why we give you an overview of the more entertaining section in our offering. Trust us, it's gonna be worth your while. In these times of social distancing, laughing together is as close as you can get to a hug without touching. Fun Teambuilding, based on improvisational theatre. Charlotte helps your team to relax and laugh together and feel connected. You don't play scenes and no one is put under pressure. It's just fun, bonding and spending feel-good time with the team! How to boost cohesion in a hybrid team? Julie takes you on a journey to boost the cohesion on your phygital workfloor, with very practical tips and tricks. Expect a workshop full of interactivity for your team cohesion. Perfect for crafting a better employee experience! No more boring webinars! In 99 minutes, you will get 21,5 interactive methods to boost the engagement during your own webinars. Most methods that he will share are very simple (you don't have to be a technical wizard), easy to implement and requires between 1-5 minutes of your 'valuable' meeting time but will boost the attention span of your audience. Healthy Online Teambuilding! Cook together and learn what you can do to reset your body after the end of year festivities. During this very practical (online) workshop, Goedele will explain how to detox your body ànd how to prepare detoxing meals and juices!

JustBite, scale-up for healthy and tasty snacks, and Speakersbase, booking agency for speakers, moderators and hosts, are joining forces to provide even better and broader services to their clients. Both companies share the same values and given the complementarity of their offerings, the added value of a partnership is not far off. For its (online) events, Speakersbase will offer the possibility to have a snack box delivered to all participants. For JustBite, it's a great opportunity to offer clients who are advocates of healthy eating keynotes that cover a broader spectrum of wellbeing in the workplace. "Keynotes are so much more than just content. It's also about the way it's conveyed and the overall experience. That's where JustBite's concept fits in perfectly. It's walking the talk. On top of that our clients also succeed in pleasantly surprising their participants at an (online) event," says Florence Pérès of Speakersbase. Anja Cappelle continues: "Especially for all new year celebrations that now have shifted to an online format it gives just that extra touch. From an employee engagement perspective it truly makes a difference." Aitor Somers of JustBite adds: "This collaboration makes perfect sense. All parties benefit from it. It strengthens our mission and our clients can bring their healthy lifestyle plans more easily into practice thanks to Speakersbase's interesting network."

Start to meditate together with your team! Let meditation help you and your colleagues to navigate through these challenging times. Hosted & guided by Goedele Leyssen, well-known yoga & meditation trainer. Now that teleworking is obligatory again, HR departments and team leaders try to support their coworkers as well as they can. An often heard piece of advice is: meditate to reduce stress and find your balance. However, that's easier said than done. How do you do this on your own? True, there are a lot of apps that try to assist you incorporating it in your daily life, but we find that after a couple of days, enthusiasm is dwindling and users give up. That's why Speakersbase came up with an initiative that helps teams and companies to successfully implement it the daily routine. The advantages can't be denied: Doing it as a team creates a sense of togetherness. As we rarely see our colleagues this improves the sense of belonging and stimulates connecting with colleagues again. In this fourth Corona wave, this is more important than ever before. Participating in group motivates you not to abandon the good resolutions and stick to it. This collective initiative avoids the pitfall to give up before one picks the fruits of it. And if you wonder what the fruits are. We limit ourselves to this list of advantages: more control over your emotions a calmer mind less worrying more self-confidence a clearer mind and more strategic thinking less stress more resilience better concentration more productivity better health more mental and physical energy