“Conversations with the Future” Epilogue: Events Can Create the Future

Now that some time has passed since our first post-pandemic Conversations with the Future live event, I’ve had the opportunity to step back, hear the comments, digest feedback, and distill some truths that I believe are fundamental from our time spent together on January 22^nd in Toronto..

Events have always & will always have the power to change the world:

Look at any moment in history where people were galvanized towards a cause greater than themselves. We would be hard-pressed to find an example of gatherings that didn’t play a critical role in changing the course of our human story. Conversations & community are a requirement for transformation (for better or worse). Perhaps in an exponential computational environment of bots / fake news / siloed perspectives / + billionaires with a megaphone, we NEED events now more than ever before to bridge understanding or risk very dark futures &, heaven forbid, complete dystopia.

People want to meet in person:

There is an energy that is simply irreplaceable when we are face-to-face. While virtual & hybrid solutions have been brilliant in opening up access to participation in ways we had always hoped, when we forgo physically being inside a room, we are opting out of critical communication cues that are easily missed or disregarded altogether online (body language / minor tone variances/ eye contact / other indicators are lost in “ZOOM”  translation.) It’s so unnatural to stare at oneself during a conversation (which is what we do when we are online). Our most repeated piece of feedback from the event surveys was as follows: “When can we do this again?” & “Please put me on the list for the next one!”

Events are ESSENTIAL for building connective tissue, expanding understanding, and accessing compassion for alternative viewpoints:

With enough investigating, polarizing opinions can be dialed down several notches for meaningful dialogue to occur around the question of “why?” Gatherings expand possibilities for those open to new ways of thinking and alternative perspectives—“I never thought of it that way” can be normalized and celebrated rather than shamed. Some of our biggest “unlocks” can happen in this kind of environment.

Events are arguably the very BEST marketing tool on planet Earth today:

People do business with people they know, like, trust. Period. The TikTok generation is exactly that; “a generation” and not representative of everyone everywhere. If people don’t care for social media or understand your capabilities/body of work /or scope of expertise, then how could you ever hope to partner with them? As someone who has run a business in the events space for over 15 years – i.e., Cirque Revolution Events Inc, I’ve personally found the best way for people to know what you do is for them to SEE & EXPERIENCE what you do. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a live experience must be worth a million!

Take-aways aside, the event on January 22^nd was a non-profit endeavor, designed intentionally from the beginning to beta-test this kind of forum in a post-pandemic world and see where we landed (Sold out/ max capacity achieved on the front end and overwhelmingly positive reviews on the back end.)

The symposium would not have been possible without the generosity of our co-producer & speaker Eric Boyd,  the kindness & care of our moderator & MC Trevor Haldenby, and our museums specialist Maggie Greyson. Your collective volunteerism & dedication to this project was truly exceptional.

Please See the Full Event Gallery Here

Special thanks to our invaluable event helpers:

Dad, JUNO-Award Winner Bob DeAngelis

Mom, chef & hospitality lead  Joni DeAngelis

Sister, Samantha McDonald for expert on-site assistance

Huge Gratitude to our outstanding vendors:

Sarah Locke, Yorkshire Pudding Catering

Vito Amati, Photography

Massive THANK YOU to our friends, neighbors, peers, clients, and colleagues who attended, bought tickets, shared the information with their networks, and championed the event from near and far. We are forever grateful for you!

About the Author:

Julie Danaylov was the creative engine and event coordinator behind this edition of “Conversations with the Future” Evening Symposium. She is also the Business Manager of keynote speaker Nikola Danaylov.

Julie is a passionate event professional with over 15 years in the industry. She is the lead Event Coordinator with Singularity Media Inc., Co-Founder of Cirque Revolution Inc., a proud direct sales & network marketing professional representing Arbonne International, and an active Volunteer with MPI Toronto Chapter.

Julie has received many awards for envelope-pushing work within the performing arts, events & entertainment industry and loves working alongside her husband Nikola as his biggest champion & loving advocate 😉