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: PARTICIPATORY FUTURES: HOW TO DEMOCRATIZE THE FUTURE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA THEATRE
Tue, Jun 22, 2021 • 9:00am PDT | 12:00pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
60 minutes | Public | Free
Come behind the scenes with Resilience 2032—when an indigenous woman is running for President—and learn about how to design and implement a participatory futures project from start to finish. Futurist Nour Batyne will take us on a journey of the principles and practice behind inclusive and participatory futures through her project Resilience 2032. The project received the Next Generation Foresight Practitioners Award (North America) for its aim to democratize and scale futures thinking, leveraging social media theatre to inspire widespread civic engagement with a focus on climate change, data-driven technologies and systemic inequality.
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Meeting
IFTF CERTIFIED PRACTITIONER MEET-UP: Raiders of the Lost Artifact: How to Capture the Future on Film
Tue, Jun 29 2021 • 9am PDT | 12pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
(exclusive to IFTF alumni - look for the email invitation)
Join us for a special meet-up when IFTF Research Director Dr. Jake Dunagan will provide a deep dive into creative and practical tips for producing a film from the future. We'll examine the entire process all the way from idea inception and script, to storyboard and the final video, which we'll watch together (bring your own popcorn). Dr. Dunagan is a pioneer of design futures and has been at the forefront of the field's practice and pedagogy for the last 15 years. We'll also have time for your questions and group reflections.
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Webinar
ASK A FUTURIST: Future of Work and Its Impact on Health
Tue, Jun 29, 2021 • 10am PDT | 1pm EST | 17:00 UTC
60 minutes | Public | Free
On Tuesday, June 29, 2021, join IFTF Research Director Rachel Maguire and Blue Shield of California Foundation Senior Program Officer Rachel Wick, for a conversation about a two year foresight collaboration between IFTF and BSCF to explore how present and future work conditions will impact the health of workers, their families, and their communities.
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Webinar
LEARN WITH IFTF: FORESIGHT ESSENTIALS
Tue, Jul 13, 2021 • 9am PDT | 12pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
30 minutes | Public | Free
Join Institute for the Future’s renowned foresight learning experts Lyn Jeffery and Sara Skvirsky on Tuesday, July 13th at 9am PDT for a live 30-minute introductory webinar to see for yourself how IFTF Foresight Essentials builds world-ready, future-ready skills and mindsets. We can help you build foresight and foresight leadership into your daily work and practices! Please visit www.iftf.org/foresightessentials for more information.
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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 »
Webinar
IFTF FORSIGHT TALKS: Using Virtual Reality to Immerse the U.S. Air Force in Alternative Futures Scenarios
Tue, Jul 20, 2021 • 9am PDT | 12pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
60 minutes | Public | Free
Have you ever pre-experienced alternative futures scenarios in virtual reality? Join IFTF's conversation with Lt. Col. Jake Sotiriadis, Chief of the Strategic Foresight and Futures Branch at the U.S. Air Force, when we look at how he led a project to turn a futures report into a VR experience (teaser here) for stakeholders in the U.S. armed forces and beyond. We'll also discuss the lessons he's learned in making futures thinking a part of a bureaucratic organizational culture, why he fought so hard to make the VR scenarios unclassified, and how he believes the future of communication is moving toward VR.
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Training
IFTF SCENARIO BUILDING
Sep 10-20, 2021 • 9am PDT | 12pm EDT | 16:00 UTC
5sessions (3 hrs each) | Public | Paid | Limited seats available; early registration recommended
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.
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Summit
IFTF TEN-YEAR FORECAST 2021
Sep 27-Oct 1, 2021
Details forthcoming | Tickets included with IFTF Vantage partnership
Save the date for our annual thought-provoking gathering on the future of society, economy, work, organizations, and technology, with exclusive sessions for IFTF Vantage partners. The Ten-Year Forecast Summit provides experiences, tools, and networks to empower attendees to find the signals amongst the noise and build better futures for all.
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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.
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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 »