A new year, a new slew of events happening and planners planning

By Terry Catchpole, Executive Chairman of the executive visibility strategy consultancy of the same name. Visit http://www.catchpole.com

You know how some hotels and other buildings skip the thirteenth floor so as not to spook the superstitious amongst us? Well, guess what? Nobody is skipping the year twenty-thirteen. It’s here and that’s that! So let’s all go open a few umbrellas indoors and walk under a few ladders while we’re at it!! And watch out for these important upcoming conferences as well.

Foremost forums upcoming 

•  Horasis Annual Meeting (January 22 – 23; Zurich). Event has a goal “to be the foremost annual gathering of business leaders from emerging and developed markets” and a mission to “advance solutions to the most critical challenges facing corporations today.” The operating concept, according to founder Frank Richter, is “to provide a platform for emerging countries to meet with international business leaders.”

•  World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (January 23 – 27; Davos-Klosters, Switzerland). has increasingly come to focus on ecological, cultural, and socio-political issues, as well as its traditional concerns of economics, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility issues. Event is self-described as “the foremost creative force for engaging leaders in collaborative activities focused on shaping the global, regional and industry agendas,” and has a mission to “remain committed to improving the state of the world.” 2013 theme: Resilient Dynamism. Read more.

• Rushlight Clean Technologies Show (January 31; London). Show brings together cleantech investors, adopters, and consultants to focus on current developments in “energy, waste, water and environmental solutions for [a] future low resource society.” Program consists of three discrete components: The Cleantech Developers Conference focusing on the “direction that the environment for cleantech development is likely to take”; the Cleantech Sustainability Conference focusing on “the latest clean technology solutions…[and companies’] experience in reducing their environmental footprint”; and the Cleantech Growth Company Conference, “designed to be of direct relevance to established cleantech companies that are seeking to grow their businesses”

Noteworthy conferences beginning agenda planning this month

• Louise T. Blouin Foundation will begin developing the agenda for its Blouin Creative Leadership Summit being held September 23 – 24, 2013 in New York. Event is an event for senior executives that is self-described as bringing together “leading figures in the areas of science, technology, culture, business, and politics” to focus on “the critical threats and opportunities presented by globalization at the local and global levels.” Program addresses such topics as globalizing the mind; political leadership in the twenty first century; and partnerships, power and potential. Read more.

• Conference Board will begin agenda development for the next Change Management Conference, scheduled for June 27 – 28, 2013 in New York. Conference examines best practices for executives in managing organizational change, with emphasis on leadership, effectiveness, communication, and engagement at all corporate levels. Program covers topics such as embedding real behavior change by managing both the “hard and soft” (operational and people) sides of change; understanding company culture and how change must be anchored to achieve the business strategy; and getting the timing right for change messages – matching communication strategies to the audience and the media to the message. Read more.

• Nikkei will begin solidifying the agenda for its Global Management Forum taking place October 21 – 22, 2013 in Tokyo. Event focuses on global business and management issues, with an emphasis on their Asian application, including management strategies for realizing global competitiveness; socially responsible paths toward corporate success; corporate culture and branding; and sustainable growth through strategic leadership. Read more.