TFI SPEAKER
JOHN H. VANSTON, Ph.D.
Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc.
Award-Winning Author of MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends
Chair: MiniTrends 2012: A Conference on Translating Emerging Trends into Business Opportunities, Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, October 17-18, 2012, Austin, Texas.
Focus Areas: Minitrends and Technology Forecasting and Management
Biography
Dr. John H. Vanston, Ph.D., Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc. (TFI), is an internationally renowned consultant, educator, speaker, and author in the fields of trend analysis, technology forecasting, technology/market integration, and technology management in uncertain environments. His MiniTrends concept, designed to increase creativity, innovation, and success, is summarized in MINITRENDS: How Entrepreneurs & Innovators Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends, written in collaboration with Carrie Vanston. The book has received several Best Business Book awards, as well as excellent reviews and endorsements from the media and industry leaders. Dr. Vanston also Chairs TFI's popular MiniTrends Conference.
Dr. Vanston founded TFI in 1978, building the Austin, Texas-based company into a leading authority in custom research, forecasting, and emerging trend analysis . He has worked with a wide range of organizations including Chevron Chemical, Kodak, Boeing, Nortel, National Security Agency, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Texas State Technical College System and many more.
Dr. Vanston has given presentations, workshops, and seminars to organizations all over the world including the World Future Society, the Industrial Research Institute, the Association of Strategic Planners, the University of Houston Futures Studies Program, the Society of Association Executives, and many more.
Dr. Vanston’s Minitrends presentations and workshops provide individuals and businesses of all sizes a way to find and profit from emerging trends–Minitrends–that will become significantly important in 2-5 years, but that are not yet widely recognized or appreciated. The presentations encourage the adoption of a mindset that opens our imagination, creativity, and curiosity in order to make the most of our circumstances and distinguish ourselves from others.
Dr. Vanston's Technology Forecasting presentation and workshops provide audiences with an understanding of the technology development process, teaches participants to conduct valid technology/market forecasts, and shows how to utilize these forecasts to to identify and evaluate emerging market needs and improve organizational planning.
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MINITRENDS: How to Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends
In this presentation, Dr. John Vanston introduces a new concept—Minitrends—that offers very attractive possibilities to individuals and businesses that learn its principles and apply those principles in a practical business environment. This concept provides a new approach for finding and taking advantage of emerging trends that will become significant in 2-5 years, but are not yet widely recognized or appreciated.The presentation is based on John’s 30 years of experience in identifying and applying technical, social, and business trends and his new book MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends authored by Dr. Vanston with his daughter Carrie Vanston.
- Individual entrepreneurs will learn how to identify, assess, and exploit new business opportunities.
- Decision makers in small and mid-size businesses will learn how to gain advantage by recognizing and utilizing emerging trends.
- Innovative thinkers in large businesses will learn how to distinguish themselves by their special perceptiveness.
- Investors will learn how to uncover attractive new investment opportunities.
Initiating a Minitrend Exploitation Program
There is much discussion in the business world today of Megatrends, i.e, very large-sale trends define the nature of our society. However, recognizing these Megatrends provides little guidance to businesses about specific strategies. Minitrends — trends that promise to be of significant importance within two to five years, but are not generally recognized or appreciated by the public or most businesses — on the other hand, are of a scope and importance to provide attractive business opportunities.
Although most businesses try to stay alert to trends that might impact their markets, financial status, and operations, few have specific programs to identify, assess, and exploit such trends. Given the complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change in the New World business environment, including a formal Minitrend Exploitation Program in the strategic planning process will provide companies with important competitive advantages. In this presentation Dr. Vanston demonstrates the basic principles involved in initiating and conducting a Minitrend Exploitation Program and presents examples of how such programs have been successfully employed.
The presentation is based on John’s 30 years of conducting analyses of emerging technologies for a wide range of commercial, government, and academic organizations and his new book MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends authored by Dr. Vanston with his daughter Carrie Vanston.
The Five Views of the Future™
Dr. Vanston provides an overview of the philosophy and methods behind Technology Futures' Five Views of the Future™ Strategic Framework for planning and forecasting. This framework allows the consideration of both tangibles and intangibles, and has resulted in accurate forecasts by Technology Futures over 30 years in fields such as communications, information technology, and consumer electronics. Representative quantitative and qualitative tools are reviewed, with emphasis on practical understanding and practical examples, rather than on theory. Strategic and planning implications of forecasting models are also stressed.
The presentation is based on Dr. Vanston's long career promoting and targeting innovation activities in a wide variety of organizations and his development of TFI’s popular technology forecasting framework Five Views of the Future™.
The Future as a Strategic Asset
Experience has shown that strategies based on credible projections of future market opportunities, social trends, the competitive environment, and new technologies are superior to those based on guesses, hunches, or vague suppositions. The ability to make sound projections in each of these areas can provide your organization with a major strategic advantage over less adept competitors. Dr. Vanston demonstrates in this presentation how you can use a mixture of practical, proven forecasting techniques to develop a valid, comprehensive picture of the business environment in which your strategy will be tested.
Dr. Vanston can tailor these and similar Minitrends and Forecasting presentations, seminars, and workshops to individual audiences.
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What Audiences Say
"Excellent presentation, well thought out and I hope highly motivating.”
—Minitrends Presentation, World Future Society"On behalf of all of us, thank you for a wonderful evening last night in Los Angeles. The large and enthusiastic crowd was totally involved in your cogent and concise treatise. We appreciate your taking the time and effort to share your time and perspective.
—Technology Forecasting Presentation, Association for Strategic Planning"Your presentation last week was outstanding! The time and effort involved in preparation, and your willingness to share so many valuable insights were greatly appreciated. On behalf of the program committee and everyone who was with us, I want to thank you for helping to make the meeting a tremendous success! We hope to have you with us again at a future meeting."
—Five Views of the Future™ Presentation, Industrial Research Institute, Inc.back to the top"You have educated the members of this group about a subject we need to know more about and we are grateful for your time and expertise. A larger percent of Wednesday's audience came up to me and thanked me for getting you as the speaker than has occurred at any previous meeting."
—Nuclear Weapons Presentation, Foreign Service Group
Sampling of Presentations
2013
2012 Master Course: ”"Succeeding in a New Normal World"
- Dr. John Vanston, David Snyder, and Carrie Vanston, World Future 2013, World Future Society, Chicago, IL (July 19, 2013)
“MiniTrends: How Innovators and Entrepreneurs Discover and Profit from Business and Technology Trends”
- Dr. John Vanston, Military Officers Association of America (April 17, 2013)
2012
Minitrends 2012: Translating Emerging Trends Into Business Opportunities
- Sponsored by Technology Futures, Inc., Conference Chair, Dr. John H. Vanston, Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, Austin, Texas (October 17-18, 2012).
John Vanston talks on “Minitrends: How Innovators and Entrepreneurs Discover and Profit from Business and Technology Trends”
- International Foresight Forum, Helsinki, Finland (September 20, 2012).
John Vanston conducts “Succeeding in the InfoMagination Age Using Minitrends”
- Product Camp, Austin, TX (August 11, 2012)
John Vanston conducts Master Course: Weak Signals and Minitrends: Foundations for Truly Innovative Organizations" and speaks at the conference on "Succeeding in the Age of Imagination."
- World Future Society Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada (July 27 and July 29, 2012, respectively)
John Vanston speaks on "MINITRENDS: How to Find & Profit From Emerging Trends"
- Metropolitan Breakfast Club in Austin, Texas (May 2, 2012).
John Vanston speaks on "MINITRENDS: How to Discover & Profit From Emerging Trends"
- RISE Conference in Austin, Texas (March 27, 2012).
- Beyond 50 Radio interviews Dr. John Vanston and Carrie Vanston on how individuals can find and profit from Minitrends."
- "Minitrends: Finding and Profiting from Business & Technology Trends" (January 13, 2012).
2011
John Vanston speaks on "Minitrends: A Foundation For An Innovative Organization ."
- Austin-Silicon Hills Rotary Club in Austin, Texas (October 26, 2011).
- Beyond 50 Radio interviews Dr. John Vanston on the Minitrends concept and book."
- "Minitrends: A Study on Tracking Emerging Trends" (July 21, 2011).
- World Future Society Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada (July 8-10, 2011)
John Vanston speaks on "Mentoring/Coaching New Consultant: Individual or Team."
- IEEE Central Texas Consultants Network (June 15, 2011).
- North Austin Rotary Club in Austin, Texas (June 6, 2011).
- RISE Conference in Austin, Texas (March 8, 2011).
John Vanston speaks on "Initiating a Minitrend Exploitation Program."
- Creating High Performance Organizations for the New World Conference, Association of Strategic Planners in Dallas, Texas (February 28-March 2, 2011).
2010
John Vanston with Carrie Vanston presents series "MINITRENDS: Winning Big by Thinking Small."
- University of Texas in Austin SAGE Group (Seminars for Adult Growth and Enrichment) (Fall Session, 2010).
John Vanston speaks on "MINITRENDS: Seizing the Future Before It's Defined."
- Wilco Entrepreneurs Community in Austin, Texas (October 14, 2010).
- IEEE Central Texas Consultants Network (September 22, 2010).
John Vanston speaks on "Minitrends."
- West Point Society in Austin, Texas (May 12, 2010).
- Northwest Austin Rotary Club in Austin, Texas (April 23, 2010).
John Vanston speaks on "Minitrends."
- Joint Service Academy Network of Austin, Austin, TX, April 15, 2010
John Vanston speaks on "Minitrends."
- Bradley-Morris, Inc., April 11, 2010, Austin, TX
- Austin University Area Rotary Club in Austin, Texas (March 15, 2010).
- World Future Society in Austin, Texas (February 16, 2010).
John Vanston speaks on "Minitrends."
- Web Analytics Wednesday in Austin, Texas (February 10, 2010).
John Vanston speaks on "Minitrends: Winning Big by Thinking Small"
- "Fifth Annual TFI Asset Valuation Conference" in Austin, Texas, January 15, 2010..
- North Austin Rotary Club in Austin, TX January 4, 2010
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- John Vanston presents "Overview of Technology Forecasting."
- Technology Forecasting for Depreciation and Valuation Seminar in Austin, Texas (January 13, 2009).
- John Vanston speaks on "Nuclear Genie Gnawing at Stopper."
- Foreign Service Group in Austin, Texas (April 30, 2008).
- John Vanston presents "Five Views of the Future™," "Pattern Analyst Techniques," and "Counter Puncher Techniques."
- Technology Forecasting Mini-Seminar™ in Austin, Texas (February 6, 2008).
- John Vanston speaks on "Nuclear Weapons Experiences."
- Central Texas West Point Society in Austin, Texas (December 5, 2007).
- John Vanston presents "Five Views of the Future™," "Pattern Analyst Techniques," and "Counter Puncher Techniques."
- Technology Forecasting Mini-Seminar™ in Austin, Texas (February 5, 2007).
- John Vanston is Panel Chair for "Superpower Panel: Where Do Great Ideas Come From?" and speaks on "The Five Views of the Future™."
- Emerging Technologies, New Product Development and Marketing Innovations 2006, sponsored by Frost & Sullivan in San Diego, California (June 19, 2006).
- John Vanston conducts one-day executive symposium on "Technical Intelligence for Smarter Decision Making."
- Medical Industry 2006 sponsored by Frost & Sullivan in San Francisco, California (March 16, 2006).
- John Vanston presents "Five Views of the Future™," "Pattern Analyst Techniques," and "Counter Puncher Techniques."
- Technology Forecasting Mini-Seminar™ in Austin , Texas (February 6, 2006 ).
- John Vanston speaks on "The Role of Biotechnology in New Curricula Development."
- Steering Committee of the Texas State Leadership Consortium for Curricula Development in Austin, Texas (September 13, 2005).
- John Vanston presents "Five Views of the Future™," "Nominal Group Analysis," "Scenarios," and "Technology Trends."
- Product and Technology Roadmapping: Linking Market, Products and Technology in conjunction with The Management Roundtable in Chicago , Illinois (August 8-9, 2005).
- John Vanston speaks on "Biotechnology: The Role of Community and Technical Colleges."
- Texas Leadership Consortium for Curriculum Development in Austin, Texas (August 3, 2005).
- John Vanston presents results of TFI authored reports on Nanotechnology, Fuel Cells, and Homeland Security.
- Seamless Transition Conference in Dallas, Texas (March 9, 2004). Participants include 2-year college deans and other educational leaders.
- John Vanston speaks on "The Future as YOU See It."
- Austin Chapter of the World Future Society in Austin, Texas (June 16, 2005).
- John Vanston speaks on "The Future & Its Impact On Small Cities."
- Tyler Economic Development Council in Tyler, Texas (June 17, 2004).
- John Vanston presents insights on and results of TFI/TSTC's Programs for Emerging Technologies (PET).
- Annual Conference of the National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development (NISOD) in Austin, Texas (May 25, 2004).
- John Vanston gives presentation reviewing recent studies by TFI in Homeland Security Technologies.
- Homestarrs Society in Dallas, Texas (February 20, 2004). Studies include a technology forecast in the area conducted by TFI for the Texas State Technical College System. Contact info@tfi.com for more information.
- John Vanston presents award and reads winner's paper at the Writing Austin's Lives Awards Ceremony.
- Sponsored by The University of Texas Humanities Institute in Austin, Texas (November 16, 2003).
- John Vanston speaks about founding TFI and the importance of its top-notch employees to its success.
- TFI's 25th Anniversary Celebration in Austin, Texas (July 23, 2003).
- John Vanston speaks on “Five Views of the Future™,” TFI's strategic analysis framework.
- Creating Business Growth-Implementing the Plan Conference sponsored by the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (May 18-21, 2003)
- John Vanston speaks on “Nanotechnology: A Technology Forecast.”
- Nanotechnology Colloquium sponsored by Winstad Sechrest & Minick Law Firm in Austin, Texas and video-conferenced to several Texas cities. (April 28, 2003)
- John Vanston speaks on “The Five Views of the Future,” TFI's strategic analysis framework.
- Futures Studies Group at the University of Houston at Clearlake in Clearlake, Texas. (October 14, 2002)
- John Vanston speaks on “The Role of Technology Forecasting in New Curricula Development.”
- Steering Committee of the Texas State Leadership Consortium for Curricula Development in Dallas, Texas. (July 23, 2002)
- John Vanston speaks on “The Future as a Strategic Asset.”
- Association of Strategic Planners in Los Angeles, California. (July 9, 2002)
- John Vanston is seminar director and presenter for TFI's Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar
- The Role of Technology in Today’s Business Environment," "An Overview of Technology/Market Forecasting," "Projecting the Rate of New Technology Adoption," "Planning and Conducting a Technology/Market Forecast," and "Gaining Commitment to the Plan."
- Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar in Arlington, Virginia ( June 18-20, 2001).
- John Vanston is Seminar Director and presents several sessions at TFI's two-day seminar entitled Forecasting and Planning Technology™.
- Executive MBA Program, Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. (June 1-2, 2001)
- John Vanston is seminar director and presenter at TFI's Forecasting and Planning Technology
- The Role of Technology in Today’s Business Environment," "An Overview of Technology/Market Forecasting Methods and Techniques," "Identifying Emerging Market Opportunities," "Projecting the Rate of New Technology Adoption," "Planning & Conducting a Technology/Market Forecasts," and "Gaining Commitment to the Plan."
- Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar in Austin, Texas (March 5-9, 2001).
- John Vanston is seminar director and presenter for TFI's Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar
- "The Role of Technology in Today’s Business Environment," "An Overview of Technoloogy/Market Forecasting Methods and Techniques," "Identifying Emerging Market Opportunities," "Practical Application of Previously Presented Material," "Projecting the Rate of New Technology Adoption," "Planning & Conducting a Technology/Market Forecast," and "Gaining Commitment to the Plan."
- Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar in Austin, Texas (November 13-15, 2000).
- John Vanston develops and presents “Technology Forecasting, Planning, and Management” segment.
- Masters of Technology Commercialization Program at IC2 Institute, The University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas. (Summer 2000)
- John Vanston is Seminar Director and presents several sessions at TFI's three-day in-house seminar entitled Technology Forecasting, Planning, and Management Workshop.
- National Imagery and Mapping Agency in St. Louis, Missouri. (September 25-27, 2000)
- John Vanston speaks on "Enhancing Communications Between Technologies and Business Managers."
- World Future Society Annual Conference, FutureFocus 2000: Changes, Challenges & Choices in Houston, Texas. (July 23-25, 2000)
- John Vanston is seminar director and presenter for TFI's Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar.
- The Role of Technology in Today’s Business Environment," "An Overview of Technoloogy/Market Forecasting Methods and Techniques," "Identifying Emerging Market Opportunities," "Practical Application of Previously Presented Material," "Projecting the Rate of New Technology Adoption," "Planning & Conducting a Technology/Market Forecast," and "Gaining Commitment to the Plan."
- Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar in Austin, Texas (May 8-10, 2000).
- John Vanston is seminar director and presenter for TFI's Forecasting and Planning Technology Seminar.
- "Principles of Technology Forecasting, Planning & Management," "Identifying Emerging Market Opportunities," "Projecting the Rate of Market Takeover: Simple Substitution Analysis," "Adding Flexibility to the Plan," "Practical Applications of FPMT Techniques in Your Organization," "Projecting Breakthrough Innovations" and "Gaining Acceptance of the Plan."
- Forecasting, Planning, and Managing Technology Seminar in Redondo Beach, California (January 24-26, 2000).
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Speaker ContactFor more information on Dr. Vanston's speaking services, please contact Carrie Vanston at (800) TEK-FUTR, (512) 258-8898, cvanston@tfi.com, or fill out contact TFI. We appreciate your interest and welcome your inquiries.
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Attend the Conference!Minitrends 2012: A Conference on Translating Trends Into Business Opportunities
MiniTrends 2013 Coming at You in Fall 2013! Stay Tuned!!
Austin, TexasDiscover, Evaluate, Profit! Find what trends are on the horizon and how you can find profit from them.
Buy the Award-Winning Book!MINITRENDS:
How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends
By John H. Vanston, Ph.D. with Carrie VanstonThe Pinnacle Book Achievement Best Business Book Winner
An Eric Hoffer Business Book of the Year Winner
ForeWord Reviews’ Book of Year Finalist
USA Book News Book of the Year Finalist
Dan Poynter’s Global Business eBook of the Year Finalist
BY
DR. JOHN H. VANSTON
2012: Translating Emerging Trends Into Business Opportunities
Austin, Texas
(October 17-18, 2012)
Helsinki, Finland
September 20, 2012
Austin, TX (August 11, 2012)
Toronto, Canada
July 27-29, 2012
Austin, Texas
March 27, 2012
RISE Conference
Austin, Texas
March 8, 2012
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MINITRENDS BLOG
Recieve information, insights, and suggestions on how minitrends can materially improve your life.