PLENARY SESSION

Thursday Morning, Welcome and Introduction, 8:45 am - 9:00 am

Opening by:

Elizabeth P. Salett, MSW, President and Founder

National MultiCultural Institute

Thursday Morning, Keynote Address, 9:00 am - 10:15 am

Keynote Address by:

Margaret Regan, MA, President and CEO

The FutureWork Institute

Diversity 2018: What Does the Future Hold?

Journey into the future, examine the impact of the national election and witness the workforce and workplace changes in the year 2018.  Experience the new organizational structures, the challenges to your industry, and the impact of technology on the workforce as work is time driven but no longer time bound.  Examine the impact of grey ceilings in a post-mortal society and a new set of diversity issues—generational conflicts, career diversity and a my-job my-way work preference.

As members and free agents work in temporary hierarchies in global virtual teams, watch their career paths meander across different organizations, assignments and locations.  See how the e-business transformation causes the wired workforce to take over, as loyalty to the profession, rather than the organization cause employers to offer a new “employer of choice” contract.        

Ms. Regan, Vice Chair of NMCI and the President and CEO of The FutureWork Institute, is an internationally-known keynote speaker and consultant on the future workplace and marketplace. She has worked with human resource practices in Japan, keynoted generational diversity conferences in Asia, worked in Paris on French-American mergers, educated executive teams on cross-cultural differences, conducted women’sstudies in Germany, France, the UK and the US. She has led Institute projects which conducted employee research and focus groups in Hong Kong, Bangalore, Tokyo, Mexico, Chile, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and other major cities.

Ms. Regan was formerly a Principal and the Global Diversity Practice Leader for Towers Perrin, and the first woman executive at two organizations: the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Con Edison in NYC. She has appeared on NBC-TV’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, and CNN, to comment on emerging workforce trends. 

Currently, she is featured on Close-Up TV as the CEO of “one of the most innovative businesses in the U.S.,” in the Diversity Journal as a pioneer of the profession, in CNN/Money Magazine as the expert on future workplace trends and in a special feature in Business Week on  FutureWork’s creative approach to “my-job my-way, “my-business our way” and “my perks my-way.” As a result, in 2008, she was awarded the Diversity Innovation Award by the American Institute for Managing Diversity.

Thursday Morning, Scenario Planning Exercise, 10:15 am -12:00 pm

This interactive exercise, facilitated by The FutureWork Institute consultants, will enable participants to team up with other people from their industry and look at the implications of the Diversity 2018 presentation. The driving forces to be examined include: social/demographic, economic, technology and political issues. Participants will look at how these forces will change the way we respond to diversity and inclusion over the next 10 years.

The purpose of scenario planning is not to predict the future, but to show how different forces can manipulate the future in different directions. The exercise has been used for 30 years to help organizations anticipate the future in order to better respond to both current and future events. Participants will also leave with the tools to conduct this exercise in their own organizations.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Thursday Lunch, Ten Lenses Event, 12:00 pm - 1:45 pm

The10 Lenses: How Are These Lenses Playing Out on the National Stage in Campaign 2008?

The 10 Lenses is a book, an educational framework, and an exciting live training event that
changes the way people think about race, ethnicity and cultural differences. Join Mark Williams and
his unforgettable cast of 10 Lenses characters at a live event focused on understanding these lenses trough the dynamics of the national elections!

Mr. Williams is the Chief Creative Officer for IdentityHoldings and Founder of MarkusWorks. He is a dynamic speaker and entertainer who seamlessly blends his original multimedia elements and frameworks to produce unforgettable live events. He will bring the power of his Lenses frameworks, research, diagnostics and multimedia to life to inspire participants to spark self-examination, challenge preexisting
world views and uncover belief systems that may be unconsciously embedded into their organizational culture and systems.

Thursday Evening, "Class Acts" Interactive Theater Session, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

ClassActs is presented by DeValk Associates, Inc. and FWI. It combines state-of- the-art human dynamics content with the drama of live theatre. The theatre vignettes are followed by highly interactive discussions led by experienced facilitator, Steve De Valk. During the discussions, actor-trainers remain in character so participants can problem solve and practice
skills. In keeping with the conference theme, the focus will be on race, gender, and generational diversity issues.

Steve De Valk is a FutureWork Institute senior affiliate, consultant and a partner.  He is the founder of De Valk Associates, Inc. (DVA), a training and staff consulting organization specializing in diversity and change management. Steve established DVA in 1990 to respond to the changing workforce and to equip organizations with the necessary tools to develop their most valuable resource—people. Steve is published in Training and Development Magazine and Insights Magazine, and has worked extensively throughout the US and Canada, and the UK and Australia.

Friday Lunchtime, Visit the CyberCafe Demos, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Explore further the CyberCafe Demos:

Four Levels of E-Learning: Web 1.0 and 2.0

Participants can experience and try out four different types of e-learning which will be demonstrated by TMA, IdentityHoldings and The FutureWork Institute. In order to determine which approach would work in their organization, they can also take a readiness assessment to help point them in the right direction. The four approaches include:

Web-Based E-Learning
1) Basic—Web-Based TMA and Copia; Worldprism Profiler
2) Advanced—Web-Based Identity Holdings “My Identity” and
“KnowMeNow”

3D Virtual Reality E-Learning
3) Basic—Virtual Reality Immersion—ProtoSphere
4) Advanced—Virtual Reality Immersion: FutureWork Island on Second
Life

Friday Evening, Wine and Cheese Reception, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm