GS1 Connect 2015 Keynote Speakers Announced

Three keynote speakers will headline the 15th annual GS1 Connect 2015 conference themed “Innovate. Collaborate. Transform.” Hosted by GS1 US, the conference will take place May 31 – June 4, 2015 at the JW Marriott Austin in Austin, Texas.

The keynote lineup includes: Guy Kawasaki, chief evangelist of Canva, bestselling author and former chief evangelist of Apple; Jennifer Golbeck, professor and director of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland; and Luke Williams, professor of marketing at NYU Stern School of Business and executive director of the Berkley Entrepreneurship Center for Innovation at New York University.

The descriptions of the keynotes are as follows:

Opening Keynote: June 2, 2015 Kawasaki will open the conference with a keynote speech titled, “The Art of Innovation.” He will discuss how companies and their employees need to take chances and not be afraid to fail in order to compete in today’s business world. He will share how inspiring people to take risks and innovate can change the world. Calling upon his experience with Apple, as well as his study of dozens of world-class companies, Kawasaki will lay out the strategic steps for creating an innovative culture that drives business success and transforms industry. Middle Keynote: June 3, 2015 In her keynote session, “Going Big: Transforming Business with Quality Data,” Golbeck will offer lessons for how companies can use data to gain significant insights about customers to drive meaningful business strategies. With big data transforming the way organizations do business, companies no longer need to rely on high-level demographic clues to understand potential customers. Golbeck will share how quality data can help businesses understand people, relationships and behaviors on an individual, more personal level and will dive into the challenges and considerations that organizations will face in their quest for intelligence. Closing Keynote: June 4, 2015 Williams will present “The Disruptive Age: Thriving in an Era of Constant Change.” According to Williams, winning organizations in the next decade will be those that discard old business decisions and remake the market landscape by implementing ideas that are not easily conceived of or replicated by a competitor. During the closing keynote, he will discuss why it is essential for any business leader—from a small start-up to a global corporation—to transform organizational processes and behaviors. He will also show how companies can combine fluid creativity with analytical rigor to transform disruptive ideas from conception to breakthrough business strategy. “Attendees will learn from top influencers best practices for adapting and thriving in today’s rapidly changing business environment and how new approaches to innovation can transform industry,” says Bob Carpenter, president and CEO of GS1 US. “We hope that attendees can be inspired by these sessions and come away from the conference with new ideas for growing their own businesses.” In addition to the keynote speakers, experts from the retail, healthcare, foodservice and grocery industries will examine drivers for change at GS1 Connect 2015, with the goal of improving business processes to enhance industry’s ability to innovate. More than 1,200 industry professionals attend the conference each year to learn how GS1 Standards can improve product traceability, operational efficiency, supply chain management, data quality, growth and collaboration.