By Mary Tucker
CEIR Blog Manager

As CEIR gears up for its fourth annual exhibition industry outlook conference: Predict on 11 September at the Intercontinental Hotel Chicago, Marina Gorbis has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the program. Gorbis brings an interesting perspective to the information share at Predict because of her background in research related to global economies and social structures.

Gorbis is the executive director of the Institute for the Future (IFTF), a nonprofit research and consulting organization based in Silicon Valley. In her 14 years with IFTF, she has helped hundreds of organizations in business, education, government, and philanthropy to improve innovation capacity, develop strategies, and design new products and services. Her current research focuses on how social production is changing the face of major industries — the subject of her book, The Nature of the Future: Dispatches from the Socialstructed World.

Gorbis’ global approach to research teamed with Predict’s main focal point, the 2014 CEIR Index Report: 2013 Results, and new, journalistic format will provide attendees with a well-rounded picture of what’s predicted for the exhibition industry. More details are available at the Predict website at www.ceir.org/predict. Registration is now open with early bird registration ending 11 August.