CASE, TDO plan new event

SYRACUSE — The CASE Center at Syracuse University and the Central New York Technology Development Organization (TDO) are planning a new conference for this fall that organizers hope will spark more innovation among attendees.

NEXT will take place Nov. 8 at the Holiday Inn Syracuse-Liverpool. Organizers are expecting 300 to 400 people will attend.

The conference is the latest event launched through the collaboration between TDO and CASE. The organizations previously ran the AccelerateCNY event for several years.

The goals for NEXT are to focus narrowly on what the two groups’ constituencies need and to attract higher-profile speakers, says Laura Welch, deputy director at the CASE Center. The event’s two keynotes will be delivered by Jeremy Rifkin, president at the Foundation on Economic Trends, and Robert Tucker, president at The Innovation Resource.

Both are noted authors. Rifkin has vast expertise in energy policy, alternative and renewable power, and leveraging built environments to create new energy infrastructures, says Robert Trachtenberg, TDO president and CEO.

Tucker is an expert in innovation and growth, particularly in the area of manufacturing, he adds.

“There’s no fluff in this conference,” Trachtenberg says. “This conference is focused on education and new ideas.”

Rifkin advised the government of France during its presidency of the European Union and has also served as an adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Jose Socrates of Portugal, and Prime Minister Janez Jansa of Slovenia, during their respective European Council Presidencies on issues related to the economy, climate change, and energy security, according to NEXT. He has testified before Congress numerous times and been a fellow at the Wharton School’s Executive Education Program since 1994.

Tucker, a former adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been a consultant and keynote speaker since 1986. His books include “Winning the Innovation Game” and the bestseller “Managing the Future: 10 Driving Forces of Change for the New Century”.

Organizers are hopeful that the speakers will challenge audience members to think in new ways. They expect some ideas discussed by the speakers will be somewhat controversial, Welch says.

“We really want to inspire dialogue that will move conversations forward,” she says. “It’s a work day. People will come, they’ll be inspired by the keynotes, but they’ll leave smarter.”

Participants will walk away with ideas they can take home and apply in their businesses immediately, Welch adds.

Trachtenberg says the keynotes will challenge participants. They’ll hear ideas they haven’t heard before, he says.

NEXT will also feature smaller workshop sessions in four tracks including innovation and commercialization, technology trends, manufacturing excellence, and business growth.

The conference aims to inspire attendees to grow their companies, Trachtenberg says.

“We recognize the need for growth in the business community,” he says. “We understand people need to know where technology is going and what’s out there that they’ll be able to make use of.”

Welch and Trachtenberg say they want NEXT to become an annual event with consistently high-quality speakers that will draw hundreds regularly.

For more information, visit http://next-syr.com.       

Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com