Get the year off to a proactive start

• Kellogg School of Management Marketing Conference (January 20–21; Chicago and Evanston). Event brings together senior marketing executives from businesses headquartered and doing business in the Chicago area, as well as Kellogg School students and alumni. Speakers share their perspectives on current marketing challenges and best practices. Program addresses such topics as what a market-driving organization looks like, the brand lifecycle, and the benefits of nontraditional marketing. The theme for 2012: “Closing the Loop: From Conversation to Value Co-Creation.”

• Global Competitiveness Forum (January 21–24; Riyadh). GCF is self-described as “an annual meeting of top business executives, international political leaders, selected intellectuals, and academics who share an interest in global competitiveness,” and aims to be “a global platform that raises awareness and enthusiasm around competitiveness challenges, and critically evaluates the state of competitiveness theory and practice as they relate to international trade, regional development, FDI, the environment, innovation, human resources development, globalization and the micro- and macroeconomic requirements for becoming globally competitive.”

• World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (January 25–29; Davos). Event 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; or, as Financial Times media editor Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson described it, “a confident mission of improving the state of the world.” The theme for 2012 is “The Great Transformation–Shaping New Models.” Program will feature solo and concurrent sessions grouped under four sub-themes and exploring their global, regional, and industry implications: Growth and Employment Models; Leadership and Innovation Models; Sustainability and Resource Models; and Social and Technological Models. Read more.

Noteworthy conferences beginning agenda planning this month

• Corporate Eco Forum (CEF) will begin agenda development for its Annual Meeting, scheduled for June 24–25, 2012 in New York. Meeting aims to bring together senior business leaders from across business functions “to synthesize the most important actionable, best-practice insights on eco-strategy execution and green ROI.” Program addresses such topics as supply chain carbon management; designing eco measurement systems; reporting; and brand positioning. Read more.

• European Commission will begin solidifying the agenda for its Green Week being held May 22–25, 2012 in Brussels. Event, which is self-described as “the biggest annual conference on European environment policy,” presents “a unique opportunity for debate and exchanges of experience and best practices.” Program addresses such topics as resource efficiency; becoming a recycling society; and financing eco-innovation. 2012 theme: “Water.”

• World Investment Conference will begin agenda development for its Europe conference, which is scheduled for June 20–22, 2012 in La Baule, France. Event aims to provide “a unique opportunity to discuss with economic leaders, officials, politicians, and the most innovative companies in the world.” Conference addresses such topics as benchmarking economic and social policies; understanding international investors’ needs; and ways to make Europe more attractive and more competitive.”

• TED Global agenda development will begin for the forum to take place June 25–29, 2012 in Edinburgh, UK. Event is a variation on the venerable US-based TED Conference, and is self-described as “like TED, but with an even stronger focus on really big world-changing ideas.” Program focuses on “dreams from the intersecting worlds of science, business, globalization, invention, and creativity.” The theme of the 2012 event is “Radical Openness.” Read more.