New Methods to Greet the ‘New Economy’

An innovative presentation model to simultaneously brief Melbourne and Sydney participants about the ‘new economy’ will be used at an upcoming conference – with a special discount for Pro Bono Australia readers.

3 Pillars Network will host The Australian New Economy Summit on Wednesday August 21st, utilising video conferencing to ‘co-locate’ the event, reducing its environmental footprint.

‘New economy’ describes an economy that is environmentally, socially and financially sustainable, transformed by technology and emerging systems.

Fast-paced technology and social media, rapid global urbanisation, depressed or negative GDP in most of the developed world and widespread understanding of the finite natural resources available to us on planet earth have combined to create a shift in the balance of power from institutions and governments to individuals.

Driven by an increasing assessment of global financial models as both dysfunctional and inequitable, the new economy seeks to institute fundamental, systemic changes. With the wider goal of establishing a more democratic system, the movement highlights the social and ecological costs of corporate practice that are not accounted for in dominant economic measurements.

Governments, Not for Profits and especially businesses are asked to re-imagine their role in society.

Danny Almagor, founder of Small Giants, Australia's first B-Corporation frames the transition that businesses need to make as follows. "The role of business is not just to add value to the shareholder, it is to add value to society. That has to include all the stakeholders – employees, shareholders, customers, the community and even the environment."

The event will feature prominent local and international speakers, including keynotes James Slezak, an expert on social movements, consumer activism and the new economy based in New York and Mark Pesce, an inventor, futurist and author.

The co-location approach will provide all participants with access to the full line-up of presenters, with half the audience and speakers expected to be located in each city.

The summit will signpost the megatrends changing the Australian business environment, allowing participants to understand the opportunities and threats posed by the new economy.

Major topics to be explored include Breakthrough Capitalism, Collaborative Consumption, Hyperconnectivity and Alternative financing, trends driving the shift from an industrial to knowledge-driven economy.

B-Corporations and B-Business, Impact Investing, Activist Shareholders and Alternative Measure of Success are also among the factors shaping the new economy that will be addressed.

Research undertaken by the 3 Pillars Network suggested that the strong interest in issues captured by the new economy in Australia was not matched by an understanding of ‘new economy’ as a term, a key gap in knowledge the event will seek to fill.

In line with the event’s innovative approach to presentation, the business, government and Not for Profit leaders in attendance will be equipped to establish their own-forward thinking approaches, tailored to the new economic environment.

The new economy concept has been globally embraced, with the summit following on from comparable events held overseas, including the Landmark Strategies for a New Economy Forum in the US and the Breakthrough Capitalism Forum in the .

The event will be held in collaboration with partners Telstra, Volans and NetBalance.

Additional speakers include:

Lindsay Tanner, corporate advisor and former Australian finance minister.

Wolfgang Lehmacher, international business leader, speaker and entrepreneur

Maria Atkinson AM, non-executive director and internationally recognised sustainability expert

Lauren Anderson, Chief Knowledge Officer, Collaborative Consumption

Monique Conheady, Co-founder and CEO, Flexicar and TedxMelbourne Speaker

Stephen Richards, CEO, Ability Capital.

Charles Macek, non-executive director, Wesfarmers and a board member and director to various major organisations.

Rosemary Addis, Social Innovation Strategist, Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)

Danny Almagor, CEO and Co-founder, Small Giants – Australia’s first BCorporation

Les Hems, Director of Research and Development, Tomorrow’s Agenda Research Institute

The Australian New Economy Summit will be held on Wednesday August 21 in Sydney and Melbourne.  Click here for more information.

Readers of Pro Bono News can receive a 20% discount by registering their interest in an email to Phoebe at 3 Pillars Network.  Please quote ‘PBA News Discount’ in the subject line.

There are also two tickets up for grabs in both Melbourne and Sydney.