What’s Next – DNA’s inaugural conference is here

• Focus on business impact of disruptive technology on large companies
• Targeted at executives responsible for corporate strategy, innovation

IT is finally here, the day when Digital News Asia (DNA) organises its first conference. What’s Next: The Business Impact of Disruptive Technology is a business conference, focused on the impact technology is having, and will have, the business of established brick-and-mortar companies.
 
Just look at the top 100 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. Eighty six of them have revenues of over RM1 billion.
 
While no company, certainly not any listed one, is content with multibillion-dollar revenues, you do wonder if their strong revenue streams and entrenched positions could make them complacent.
 
Or perhaps they’re gearing up to face not just attacks from fresh competitors, but also from existing competitors who have quickly recognised that changing market behaviour caused by rapid technology adoption has created opportunities to seize market share.
 
And that is really key, especially for consumer-facing businesses. How has technology adoption changed, or is changing, consumer behaviour and their expectations of the companies that serve them, be it banking, insurance, healthcare, media or others.
 
Indeed in crafting the content for What’s Next, we were guided by what Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Inc, told us last year in an exclusive interview when he was in Malaysia for a lightning visit:
 
“The technologists trying to predict change actually missed the creativity of the users in combining technology that created the bigger change than the ingredients themselves.”
 
And that is really what we are aiming for What’s Next to become in Malaysia, an annual business conference where those responsible for corporate strategy and innovation can come together and learn from the early adopters in various industries and the top consultants on what kinds of technologies are disrupting industries because of changing consumer behaviour.
 
Or what technologies are causing a change in consumer behaviour.
 
And of course, we will have some Internet entrepreneurs who are hoping to be the agents of this disruption.

In recognition of the rising corporate interest in startups, we will also have a special 40-minute session where 40 attendees can participate in a ‘Getting Under the Skin’ interactive dialogue with a leading venture capitalist, on understanding what makes startups tick and what lessons corporates can possibly take away from them.
 
And to make it real, speakers will be identifying specific verticals they see as being disrupted or are about to be, and share what some of the early movers are doing to capture new customers when this happens.
 
With the rapid pace of technology adoption today, speakers will be looking at a two-year time frame in identifying any disruptions they see or predict. With time-to-market cycles becoming shorter across many industries, looking at a longer timeframe just does not make sense for most consumer-facing industries trying to get a grip on the rapid changes in the market.
 
To make things more interesting, we will also have C-level executives who will adopt the role of Provocateurs, listening to and giving their opinions about what they agree or disagree with, on the points shared by our speakers.

And who are our speakers and provocateurs and moderators? For that you can check out our microsite. The What’s Next conference will feature eight (with a ninth to confirm) impactful speakers, five provocateurs, and one panel session consisting of three CEOs.
 
Speakers will be limited to 18-20 minutes each, followed immediately by a 20-minute Q&A session where conference participants can further engage with the speakers, to help expand on certain key points.
 
The What’s Next: The Business Impact of Disruptive Technology conference (#WhatsNextDNA) will take place on Tuesday, Sept 29, from 9am-5:30pm at the Cyberview Resort & Spa. Tickets will cost RM980, with a group rate of RM730 (for three or more). To book your tickets, go here.
 
I believe this will be a fun conference, both instructive and informative. I hope you will join us there.