What We Do

IFTF Events
Institute for the Future brings people together to make the future—today. Whether you’re a strategic leader in a large organization, a practicing foresight professional, a community leader, or simply interested in learning more about futures thinking, IFTF events can help you turn foresight into critical insights that lead to action.
Explore the list of upcoming events below and check back regularly for new additions and other updates!
Webinar
IFTF FORESIGHT TALKS: THE INITIATIVE FOR INDIGENOUS FUTURES
Thu, Jan 14, 2021 • 9am PST | 12pm EST | 17:00 UTC
60 minutes | Public | Free
Interested in the intersections between art, technology futures, and indigenous knowledge? Join Institute for the Future for a conversation between IFTF Executive Director Marina Gorbis and digital media artist Jason Edward Lewis, followed by plenty of time for your questions. We'll learn what Jason is currently working on and what he recommends for other foresight practitioners to expand our minds, work practices, and imaginations.
REGISTER »
Webinar
IFTF ASK A FUTURIST: OPTIMISTIC FUTURES
Tue, Jan 19, 2021 • 9am PST | 12pm EST | 17:00 UTC
60 minutes | Public | Free
Join us for a conversation exploring optimistic futures with award-winning journalist, author, and futurist Jacques Barcia, hosted by IFTF Vantage Research Director Vanessa Mason. Don't miss this opportunity to have your questions addressed in real time by expert futurists!
REGISTER »
Meet-up
IFTF CERTIFIED PRACTITIONER MEET-UP
Wed, Jan 27, 2021 • 8am PST | 11am EST | 16:00 UTC
60 minutes | IFTF Foresight Essentials alumni only
IFTF Certified Practitioner Meet-Ups are hour-long open conversations exclusively for those who have attended an IFTF Foresight Essentials training. The goal of the online alumni meetings is to provide a platform to connect, share knowledge, and learn from one another, and to support a more robust, diverse community of foresight practitioners. Few things are more inspiring than hearing concrete stories about how we are all refining our foresight practices.
Webinar
IFTF FORESIGHT TALKS: THE THINGS WE DID NEXT: COLLABORATIVELY ENVISIONING MULTIPLE FUTURES
Mon, Feb 22, 2021 • 2pm PST | 5pm EST | 22:00 UTC
60 minutes | Public | Free
Institute for the Future will host Alex Kelly and David Pledger, co-creators of The Things We Did Next, a collaborative practice that generates a series of interconnected artworks and projects based on collectively imagining multiple futures. Please join us as we explore how they work with artists and cultural operators to generate bold, positive, and transformative visions of the future. We'll also discuss how Covid has impacted their work & the lessons they have learnt by bringing creative approaches to online futuring.
REGISTER »
Training
IFTF FORESIGHT ESSENTIALS
Feb 9-23, 2021 • 5am PST | 8am EST | 13:00pm UTC
6 sessions (4 hrs each & 90 min orientation) | Public | Paid (Space is limited; Early registration recommended)
IFTF Foresight Essentials' flagship training is a one-of-a-kind course designed to help individuals and organizations develop their skills in the art and science of foresight. Learn a comprehensive set of tools and frameworks for a complete professional foresight practice.
LEARN MORE »
Expert Convening
WHAT'S NEXT: A NEW CLIMATE OF IDEAS HOSTED BY IFTF VANTAGE
Wed, Feb 10, 2021 • 1pm PST | 4pm EST | 21:00 UTC
Thu, Feb 11, 2021 • 8am PST | 11am EST | 16:00 UTC
2 sessions (3 hours each) | Public | Free with registration | Limited availability
Join world-class experts and your peers from across industries for a deep-dive into a new climate of ideas for driving climate action.
REGISTER »
Webinar
DEMO POWERFUL FUTURES PLATFORMS FROM IFTF VANTAGE
Wed, Mar 3, 2021 • 8:00am PST | 11:00am EST | 16:00 UTC
30 minutes | Public | Free
Join us for 30 minutes on March 3 at 8:00 am PST / 16:00 UTC and learn how IFTF Vantage helps prepare organizations to navigate the future using powerful tools and expert strategic foresight research. This demo will cover two new online tools exclusive to IFTF Vantage partners: 1) Future Factors collaborative emerging signals platform, and 2) Vantage Point cutting-edge strategic foresight research and networking hub.
REGISTER »
Training
IFTF SCENARIO BUILDING
Mar 24-26, 2021 • 9am PDT | 12pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
3 sessions (3 hours each) | Public | Paid
Learn the art and science of crafting alternative futures scenarios and develop an action plan around them. Join Executive Director Marina Gorbis in this in-depth training on scenario building, where we will introduce the mythic underpinnings of the alternative futures method as practiced at IFTF.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF FORESIGHT ESSENTIALS
Apr 7-May 7, 2021 • 8am PDT | 11am EDT | 15:00pm UTC
6 sessions (4 hrs each & 90 min orientation) | Public | Paid (Space is limited; Early registration recommended)
IFTF Foresight Essentials' flagship training is a one-of-a-kind course designed to help individuals and organizations develop their skills in the art and science of foresight. Learn a comprehensive set of tools and frameworks for a complete professional foresight practice.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF DESIGN FUTURES
May 11-25, 2021 • 9am PDT | 12pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
6 sessions (6 hrs each & 90 min orientation) | Public | Paid | Space is limited; Early registration recommended
Learn to make the future come alive in the present. Design Futures is a practice that uses design principles, media, and immersive experiences in combination with provocative insights about the future, to help your audience better understand what the future could be.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF FORESIGHT ESSENTIALS
May 25-Jun 17, 2021 • 8am PDT | 11am EDT | 15:00 UTC
6 sessions (4 hrs each & 90 min orientation) | Public | Paid (Space is limited; Early registration recommended)
IFTF Foresight Essentials' flagship training is a one-of-a-kind course designed to help individuals and organizations develop their skills in the art and science of foresight. Learn a comprehensive set of tools and frameworks for a complete professional foresight practice.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF FORESIGHT ESSENTIALS
Jul 13-Aug 5, 2021 • 5pm PDT | 10am AEST | 8am CST/HKT/SGT
6 sessions (4 hrs each & 90 min orientation) | Public | Paid (Space is limited; Early registration recommended)
IFTF Foresight Essentials' flagship training is a one-of-a-kind course designed to help individuals and organizations develop their skills in the art and science of foresight. Learn a comprehensive set of tools and frameworks for a complete professional foresight practice.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF SCENARIO BUILDING
Sep 13-17, 2021 • 9am PDT | 12pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
3 sessions (3 hours each) | Public | Paid
Learn the art and science of crafting alternative futures scenarios and develop an action plan around them. Join Executive Director Marina Gorbis in this in-depth training on scenario building, where we will introduce the mythic underpinnings of the alternative futures method as practiced at IFTF.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF FORESIGHT ESSENTIALS
Oct 6-Nov 10, 2021 • 5am PDT | 8am EDT | 12:00 UTC
6 sessions (4 hrs each & 90 min orientation) | Public | Paid (Space is limited; Early registration recommended)
IFTF Foresight Essentials' flagship training is a one-of-a-kind course designed to help individuals and organizations develop their skills in the art and science of foresight. Learn a comprehensive set of tools and frameworks for a complete professional foresight practice.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF DESIGN FUTURES
Nov 11-12, 2021 • 9am PDT (Palo Alto, California)
2 days | Public | Paid | Space is limited; Early registration recommended
Learn to make the future come alive in the present. Design Futures is a practice that uses design principles, media, and immersive experiences in combination with provocative insights about the future, to help your audience better understand what the future could be.
LEARN MORE »
Training
IFTF FORESIGHT ESSENTIALS
Nov 30-Dec 14, 2021 • 8am PST | 11am EST | 14:00 UTC
6 sessions (4 hrs each & 90 min orientation) | Public | Paid (Space is limited; Early registration recommended)
IFTF Foresight Essentials' flagship training is a one-of-a-kind course designed to help individuals and organizations develop their skills in the art and science of foresight. Learn a comprehensive set of tools and frameworks for a complete professional foresight practice.
LEARN MORE »