Inspiring lecture

The future of retail

The future of retail is in the hands of ‘extreme digital’. Virtual reality and 3D printers will enable the fusing of perception, personalisation and on-the-spot production. Intelligent systems will take the place of cashiers and more and more smart products will independently find their way to the consumer. Offline and online shopping will merge into a captivating world of immersive experiences.

Topics

Below you will find an overview of the topics within this keynote lecture.

The store of the future

What will the store of the future look like? Will we only buy online and cause physical stores to disappear altogether? Or will shops turn into multi-purpose, multi-experiential spaces that use VR/AR to wow customers into buying their products? Most likely, the shopping experience of the future will be a combination of all of the above – and more.

Hyper-personalisation

Shopping will become increasingly personalised. Think in-store VR/AR promotions, interactive displays, smart mirrors in fitting rooms, and AR-overlaid product information. Smart systems will recognise and greet you by name as you enter the store, guiding you to all the things they know you will like. A 3D-printer will print your perfect, tailor-made product while you wait.

Chatbots and holograms

Online, you will likely come across interactive, conversational chatbots that know all your likes and dislikes and make spot-on suggestions. Browsing will become increasingly voice-empowered. You’ll be able to visit virtual showrooms, where VR/AR tech will enable you to try and experience whatever you’re interested in buying. Hologram prototypes will show you the progress of your product being created.

Ultra-channel marketing

Marketing will become increasingly personalised and immersive, reaching potential customers in mind-blowing ways. Think VR, AR, interactive signage, and chatbots. You’ll receive tailor-made offers via an app, smart TV, e-mail, or your smartwatch. ERA – Emotion Response Analysis – will use EEG tech to measure your emotional response to online products or digital advertising.

The future of payments

In the future, we will pay with a swipe or a smile. In the background, business systems will automatically carry out all kinds of processes. We will also be able to pay with our self-driving cars or personal wearables. Smart contracts will be finalised as soon as a job is marked ‘complete’ on the blockchain.

Logistics and delivery

In the world of tomorrow, drones deliver within hours and if you want, 3D printers provide real-time delivery. Blockchain-driven platforms provide insight into the origin of products and the authenticity of luxury items. Warehouses are increasingly automated. Packages are equipped with sensor technology and GPS so that their location is known at all times.

Ethics

In many ways, people are no longer separate from technology. It is, therefore, important to keep an eye on the moral side of technological developments, consider the implications for the world of tomorrow, and ensure we take important ethical considerations into account. We need to determine our boundaries and voice our opinions about how people and machines should work together.

New skills & roles

The merging of technology and retail is changing existing roles and skills. Many cash register and store employees are replaced by a digital colleague. Retailers hire people as brand ambassadors, marketing analysts and AI and VR/AR specialists, social media experts. But also people who develop engaging interactive content for real-time digital stores and online shopping platforms.

The future of leadership

The future of work requires a new type of manager, who challenges the status quo and is willing to abandon entrenched ‘best practices’. There will be a move to flatter hierarchies as millennials are great team players and see traditional hierarchies as outdated. The managers of the future will offer employees opportunities to develop new skills and explore new positions.

Organisation of the future

The company of the future is hyper connected. It closely monitors new developments and collaborates with startups, scientists, and universities. It uses smart algorithms to analyse the world and employs a flexible workforce capable of rapidly developing new products and services. The company of the future requires accessible, inspiring leaders who are not afraid to veer off the beaten track.

All the topics mentioned can be presented in a comprehensive, compact way or, if required, omitted. Topics from other lectures or your own suggestions can also be added. We will gladly discuss this with you.

I am interested in this lecture!

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Performances

Below you will find some videos of various performances and interviews. More videos can be viewed here

Our customers

This futurist has chips in his body

“You can’t really talk about the future without also being part of it”, says Richard van Hooijdonk. So he put his money where his mouth is. To date, he’s had several RFID chips injected into his body that perform various tasks for him. Van Hooijdonk is planning to have a number of additional chips implanted in 2020 and 2021.

You gave us all honest, inspired and entertaining insights. Your performance was highly appreciated by the conference participants and EU members.

Manfred Graf

DIRECTOR- GENERAL EC

Enthusiastic speaker, a good and versatile story. Everyone was ‘wowed’ by the lecture.

Maarten Buikhuisen

CEO GLOBAL SOLUTIONS

Your contribution was particularly dynamic and inspiring! The participants experienced recognition, awareness and certainly, a wake-up call. In short, an excellent contribution through a highly professional performance.

Jan Struijs

COMMANDANT NEDERLANDSE POLITIE

A dazzling journey through new technology. The enthusiasm and energy during his presentation, combined with the visuals, provided a successful kick- off to our event.

Patrick Steemers

PARTNER DELOITTE

An impressive and noteworthy presentation for our employees and customers. The rate at which change is happening - which you eloquently brought across in your energetic speech - requires a disruptive approach. To be continued!

Rob Pols

CEO ATOS

The symposium ‘Airpower in the Information Age’ was a great success. Nothing but positive feedback from the participants. In no small part thanks to your commitment and dedication, we were able to achieve this result.

Alexander Schnitger

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL ROYAL AIRFORCE

Great keynote that really opened our eyes. Sparkling and energetic, from beginning to end. Thanks Richard, for showing us this different view of the fitness market and its future.

Arjan van Dijk

DIRECTOR

With your presentation you awakened the customs organisation. At the end of the day it turned out that your presentation had made the biggest impression. You made sure the issues were put on Strategic Management’s radar.

Alex Drost

DIRECTOR DUTCH CUSTOMS

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