By Al Cervero, AEM Senior Vice President of Technology, Content and Revenue Creation

Polarity… Diversity in all aspects… Advancements in technology… Significant risk associated with innovation… A global pandemic… The parallels that exist between the 1920s and 2020s are remarkable, and they serve as a helpful reminder to us that – every 80-100 years or so – history has a way of repeating itself.

Even more so, however, the core trends impacting our lives are changing now as they did in the 1920s. How this change will present itself and impact society has yet to unfold. But if one thing’s for certain, it’s this: it will be transformational.

It’s becoming increasingly clear the 2020s will be life-changing decade, and that presents a uniquely valuable opportunity for us all to gain better understanding of emerging trends associated with communications, brand heroes, influencers, core work and workforce, among other notable aspects of modern-day life.

Without disruption and reinvention, progress is not possible. That’s why AEM spent three days last month bringing together a pair of industry think-tanks to plot the history-changing moments that have impacted agriculture and building, as well as examine the drivers poised to change the course of both in the near and distant future. Work then began, and remains underway, to chart the path of probable scenarios for each driver. Those efforts, led by AEM’s Futures Council and Vision Teams, will be highlighted in a panel discussion and – more importantly, confirmed or dispelled by our members – during the AEM Annual Conference this fall.

We’re also excited to share this year’s Annual Conference will deliver:

• Professional research on trends for the next 10 years
• Farmers in agriculture and contractors in construction telling you how they will change and where they will invest in the future
• Industry members, who are leading their new technology applications, discussing how, why and when
• Tesla’s past CIO discussing how they moved to direct e-commerce, and now how the auto industry is changing customer satisfaction
• A discussion on changing policies in government and the ramifications to you and your business
• An industry CEO willing to tell all on why his organization is leading the charge on sustainability and workforce, and how he is building a culture to succeed in the critical 2020’s environment
• A discussion on how you can use “Space, the Final Frontier” to innovate and test your theories reasonably
• A presentation on how the music industry broke the tradition of how to go to market, and how you can leverage your customers voice to do the same thing
• Economic forecasts in construction and agriculture
• Two hours of one-on-one discussions on workforce, sustainability, e-commerce, the future trending for the industry, the future of work and more.
• Polling of 350 peers to benchmark your opinion

If you agree we are at a juncture of change and embarking on a truly transformational decade, ask yourself:

• Where will you find the trends?
• Where can you engage with your peers and discuss these trends?
• Where can you find the knowledge and motivation to build strategies – one for yourself and one for your company – in response to these trends?

You need to be the pivot point, and there’s no better environment for that to occur than the AEM Annual Conference. This year, we are pleased to announce that we’ve formulated the conference to afford you the opportunity to ask and answer 40 questions aimed at advancing your understanding of the trends associated with the transformational decade of the 2020s.

The opportunity exists to understand these new trends if you take the time, listen, discuss and accept various points of view.  Think about it… If you could ask multiple people within the industry 40 questions over two days, do you think you could plot your personal and your company’s strategy?  We at AEM did, and you can, too. (P.S. I guarantee – and that’s a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied – that the descriptions and implications above are accurate, and that you will have fun participating in the AEM Annual Conference.)  

There’s no overstating the importance of the work being done by the thought leaders who desire to shape the world of tomorrow and impact how we build our cities and feed our world. After all, the future of food impacts everyone, and the future of building must be choreographed. And it’s your input that will help make that happen, as only you know our industry and what it will take to ensure a bright future for equipment manufacturers and the markets it serves.

LEARN MORE

Set to be held Nov. 10-12, 2021 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona, AEM’s Annual Conference is the ideal setting to prepare for the challenges and opportunities facing the equipment manufacturing industry of tomorrow and learn the cutting-edge trends and technologies of today. REGISTER NOW.

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