Richard Neville

Richard Neville has been a futurist since 1963, when he launched a magazine that widened the boundaries of free speech on two continents. In some cases regarded as Australia's Most Controversial Futurist in the 70's and 80's, both as an author and social commentator, his discussions of trends, innovation, the new consumer, info-tech and globalisation reached a mass TV audience. In the 90's, Richard Neville became a full time futurist, both in print and on conference stages.
Since then Richard Neville has delivered over 350 keynote addresses. While the content is widely varied, depending on the needs of clients, his aim is to empower audiences to contemplate a range of possible futures. Is there a pattern behind the blur? What are the driving forces of change? How will our lives be affected? Richard looks at work, learning, lifestyle, cities, shopping, tomorrow's tech, the new economics, weather and the seven deadly threats facing the world. As well as dealing with the perils and promise of what lies ahead, Richard offers his audience a range of take-away tools for decoding the future.
It's also fire-side chats for boards of directors, brainstorming sessions for brand managers (Pizza 2030?), salon-style dinner parties for change agents, an edgy briefing for "Kaos Pilots". It can be a half-day seminar on "info age leadership skills", or "how to incubate creativity". It can be a rigorous multi-week journey into scenario planning, a public meeting in an ailing town, or a two week road show for a photocopier firm. Richard has addressed the travel industry in Delhi, the Rotary Club in Cochin, an Alumni Association in Kuching, a Pharmaceutical company in Kuala Lumpur, an academic conference in Bangkok, a Hotel's "partnership breakfast" in Vanuatu
Richard Neville's latest take on things to come, draws from the farthest reaches of social and scientific research, as well as wild cards and weak signals.
For over a decade Richard Neville has been helping audiences get a sense of what's coming down the line, bringing into focus key issues long before they hit the mainstream: Peak Oil, Peak Water, Resource Wars, Renewable Energy, Rising Sea Levels, Post Carbon Lifestyles, etc. But now it is time to look further ahead.
In his updated 'Future Show', supported by striking visuals, Richard Neville takes the audience on a fast paced journey from Socrates to the Sixties to the outer reaches of the 21st Century, to reveal how innovation and bright ideas spark paradigm shifts and new economies. Despite today's threats, opportunities abound. Each of Richard Neville’s presentation is tailored to inform, inspire and connect with the concerns of its audience.
The future leaves its 'footprints on the sand', says Richard, who offers ways to detect these 'weak signals' and track their escalation. The road ahead is 'paved with perils and promise', so he urges his audience to engage the future and to cultivate the knack of 'living in three times zones'- past, present and future. It's not as hard as it sounds. In this age of acceleration, getting a grip on the future is a vital tool of empowerment. And it's fun.

Speaker Topics Include:

Wars without end
Wealth gap
Bio mimicry
Steady state economics
Leaderless terror
Mass media as a false refection of the future
Cities on the edge
Tomorrow’s tech
Delusional leadership
Chasing utopia
Planetary ethics