I’m Uber It
AS A professional MC and compulsive conference goer, I’m in a fairly good position to make the following claim. The most uttered phrase at conferences in 2015 was “digital disruption”. I genuinely believe that in 2015 at every conference in the country, there was at least one session that discussed the issue.
Financial services conferences, medical conferences, insurance, retail, government - you name it - they all just couldn’t get enough of the ubiquitous “DD” theme.
In years gone by it was trends like “Social Media”, “Putting the customer at the centre of everything” or “The Global Economy” which dominated conference presentations.
But for my mind 2015 was all about the latest digital companies challenging and disrupting traditional business models aka ‘digital disruption’. Sure old business models being replaced by newer ones is nothing new ( just ask the horse about the Ford Motor Car company) but the proliferation of social media sites and Apps in recent years has seen the rise of companies like AirBnB, Spotify and Netflix etc. And these are the very companies constantly used as examples by conference presenters as a way of challenging audiences that their industry may be the next to be challenged.
I have no issue with this DD issue being discussed at conferences. It’s a thought-provoking and relevant topic for most businesses in this current age. Top conference speakers like Anders Sorman-Nilsson, Rachel Botsman and Chris Riddell each have their fascinating take on the DD issue. Get them along to your conference if you haven’t already.
What I have an issue with is that in almost every presentation on the DD topic, the same example is cited, ad infinitum. I’m referring of course to the big one, the Doyen, the Don, the Managing Director of Digital Disruption - Uber.
In 2015 Uber seems to have overtaken Apple as the go-to example for any business presentation. Steve Jobs and Apple products were the ubiquitous examples cited in endless conference presentations for the last 10 years or so. But these days Uber seems to have taxi’d (sorry!) its way onto the conference circuit and kicked the i-thing examples off their throne.
“Could your business be made redundant by an Uber?” “Look what Uber has done to the taxi industry in just a few years”. “Let’s look at Uber as an example of what can happen to a complacent industry”. Uber Uber Uber. It’s totally over-used, dare I say it uber-used. And as someone who sits through countless presentations each year, I’m totally uber it.
Yes, it’s a current, telling example. But let’s try and give some other examples and as the afore-mentioned speakers will tell you, there are many.
So as the sun soon sets on a digitally disrupted 2015, I look forward to a sexier, fresher example digitally disrupting or shall we say uber-taking Uber to dominate conference hearts and minds in 2016.
Although if my MC profession gets digitally disrupted by something like hologram MC’s, then I won’t be at enough conferences in 2016 to even know. Uber and out.
If you are looking for an MC for your next conference or a speaker/trainer on presentation skills or pitching skills, email andrew@lunch.com.au or visit his website at www.andrewklein.com.au.