When I first began blogging I had no idea that my journey would take me to Amsterdam within six months as a guest blogger for the Front End of Innovation Europe 2010, an event sponsored by the (IIR) International Institute of Research.

Although I had vast experience selling emerging technologies and I represented internationally renowned thought leaders in the world of creative thinking and innovation, I was a novice at blogging. 

I had signed up for a social networking class with Sabrina Gibson.  We received our first assignment and we created a blogging strategy plan.

Now six months later, I responded to a bid to be a guest blogger for the Front End of Innovation Europe.  Imagine my delight and surprise when I was selected.  I was notified of my acceptance five days before the event would begin in Amsterdam. 

My assignment is to blog LIVE and post during the sessions while the speaker is actually speaking.  I also had to produce ten tweets each day of the conference and post on two websites, the website of Front End of Innovation Europe 2010 and my own website, Develop Your Creative Thinking.  I am up for the challenge.

Over the next three days, I worked 15 hours per day and generated 22 blogs within that time frame.  When I first arrived, I was asked if I had brought my camera.  I was taken by surprise.  I do not travel with my camera because I typically do not take photos.  Fortunately, I did have my iPhone with me and it has the ability to take photos.  Now, I realize not only am I to blog but I have to hop up and take photos as well.

When I returned home, I redid all of my blog posts.  Now they read much better and make more sense.  Despite many challenges, I am incredibly pleased with myself.  

Remember, it was only six months ago that I began blogging.  I am quite proud of what I have accomplished.  I assure you if I can learn to be this productive with social media and social networking due to the superb training from my incredible teacher, Sabrina Gibson, than you can also learn these same skills.  

I just want to express my deep gratitude to Sabrina Gibson for giving me the necessary skill set to prepare me to blog at a major international design thinking and innovation conference.  Thank you, Sabrina Gibson!

By Connie Harryman, Applied Concepts Creativity
Guest Blogger IIR USA

Do you ever wonder if our current business models are serving our need to innovate? One of the keynote speakers at the Front End of Innovation Europe is Josephine Green, Senior Director of Trends and Strategy, Philips Design, Royal Philips Electronics.

Her background includes international sales and marketing. She is an acknowledged thought leader for future trends using social research for advanced strategy.

Josephine takes into consideration the complexity and interconnectedness of our socio-cultural values with emerging technologies. She acknowledges the benefits of creating new business models.

She reminds us that current management structures were set up to accommodate the needs of mass markets. Their primary focus is managing logistics. This has nothing to do with innovation. Current management is about command, control, and distribution.

For creativity and innovation to flourish, we have to create spaces where people can experiment. We must create an innovative environment where we can feel free to create a future that considers our complex and connected world.

Factors to consider include the need to introduce new thinking around our business models while considering the human element. We must consider the sustainability of development in our culture. We must be knowledgeable about the impact of processes we implement.

She asks us to imagine viewing the universe with childlike wonder with a willingness to explore new possibilities. We might go beyond our current notions of time and space.

This means engagement with artists, scientists, and academics. This allows us to explore the space between the creative and scientific disciplines.  Perhaps you can learn to trust in your own subjectivity and that of others as much as you do in objectivity.

In Josephine Green’s e-book, Democratizing the future, Towards a new era of creativity and growth, she tells us there are new ways to create value by transforming our worldview of social models.

We can create a transformation of new approaches with new tools, new research and innovation, new leaders, new networks and new partnerships. This all involves cross-disciplinary, cross-industry, cross-border and public/private collaborations that will create the industries and markets of the future.

I am pleased to announce that I have been selected to be a guest blogger for the Front End of Innovation Europe.  

I will be sharing many more posts with you about some of the most outstanding thought leaders in the field of creativity and innovation. They will be sharing leading edge ideas with us at the Front End of Innovation Europe on how to create a better future.
#FEIEUROPE