A futurist looking at trends & traditions

Trends Detected

If you want the future to work for you, then you should work with futurist David Zach. He pays attention to what's going on in our world to design fascinating and funny talks about trends, change and traditions to audiences from all across the planet. In the past 20 years he's delivered keynote speeches to over 1200 satisfied clients and, as one of few people on the planet with a master's degree in Future Studies, he's uniquely qualified to help you to understand the strategic trends shaping our future. (See this pdf handout to learn more about how Dave helps clients look at the future.)

The links to the left of this paragraph give more of an introduction to Dave's work. After that, click on the links at the top of the page to find video clips, handouts, podcasts and more. If you want find out if Dave is the right

speaker for your event, give him a call or send an email.

Implications Identified

Spotting the trends is not enough. Knowing what they mean is what people really need from a futurist. With Dave's degree in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, he's got the credentials to spot the trends along with their long and short–term implications for your work, life, and community.

But he's not one of these futurists stuck in Tomorrow Land. He spends a lot of his time looking back to find and share the traditions that have proven themselves over time. This helps his audiences think in across time so they can learn how to choose between change and tradition. When they do that they can even start to see the implications of the implications. That goes beyond just strategies and tactics to help build a sense of mission and vision.

Changes Evaluated

Not all change is progress. It’s when change is balanced and guided by the lessons of history that it becomes progress. Dave can help your change agents learn to work with your agents of tradition.

Assumptions Challenged

Do you work with too many people who are prematurely disappointed in the future? This futurist helps them reconsider what they think they already know and turns that into grounded, workable optimism.

Audiences Entertained

Anyone who knows Dave knows that he doesn’t take the future or himself too seriously. Combining a professional–level wit with some small town, Midwestern charm, he takes an important subject and gets your audience to laugh, talk, and reflect. This makes for great programs, lasting conversations, and lots of compliments for the meeting planners.

Clients Quoted

Your ability to grasp an audience from the beginning and hold them on your words was extremely impressive.
—Major General Stephen P. Cortright,
Oklahoma National Guard

Your keynote speech was by far our clients’ highest rated session during our event. You made us look great!
—Nancy D. Vick,
Marsh USA

It was apparent from their laughter, silence, note taking and rush to thank you that your keynote was the highlight of the day.
—James Boniface,
American Institute of Architects, N. Carolina

For more client quotes, click here.

For a list of clients, click here.

Ideas Connected

The future isn’t what it used to be. The more uncertain we are about today, the more opportunities there are for explorations, innovations, and commitments. Times like these are ideal for remembering, connecting, and asking the question, “Where do we go from here?”

The wealth is in the connection. Our ability to connect people, things, and ideas, especially if at first we didn’t think they were connectable, is the real source of wealth and innovation in the future.

Paying attention. We’re no longer paid for our time, we’re paid for our attention. So how come we don’t take attention management classes?

Play with fads, work with trends, live by principles. Without grounding and perspective, many are distracted by the articulate incompetents, who dazzle them with the fast and flashy, drawing them away from that which has lasting, proven value. Can your people tell the difference?

Questions Explored

Which is easier to automate, nurses or doctors?

How come teenagers can do 10 things at once and still be, like, bored?

What are the things that help innovation and what hurts it?

Why is the Concierge the best model for knowing how to deliver tomorrow’s great customer service?

Why should you be skeptical of any forecast, or for that matter, any forecaster?

Is this the Age of Design or the Age of the Technician?

How is the real world going to compete with all this virtual reality stuff they keep telling us about?

Answers Revealed

How can you make your next meeting a success? Explore Dave’s website and watch his video clips to see great meetings accomplished. Read the impressive list of your peers and their comments on his work. Link to Dave’s articles, interviews, and free downloads to understand the breadth and depth of his thinking.

Whether it’s his interactive keynotes or his warm and humorous style, Dave’s the one who can help you take ownership of the future. Contact him to learn how he can design a talk for your audience.