Thank you to all who attended Forward to the Future: Design & Production! The event was full of energy, enthusiasm, and insights on the latest technology and its impact on our industry. Both new and old friends had a lot to contribute to the productive atmosphere. A demo of Adobe’s new generative AI tool, Firefly, was put to the test as guests created printable images using text prompts of their choice.

While our expert panelists provided tips on navigating the future of tech, our tarot reader gave folks a glimpse into their own futures. The highlight of the evening was a panel discussion about the future of production relating to AI and other technological advancements that have been shaping the future of marketing, advertising, design, and sales. Below are some key takeaways from our panelists…

“ We can’t hide as designers and marketers anymore. There is an analytic that is attached to everything… If we’re not doing our job, if something is not working, the numbers show that…we’re making those investments in those technologies that make the dollars go further and further for our clients.”
Debra Rizzi

Partner/President, Rizco • Brand-led Marketing + Partner at Plum Practicewear

“ I think a lot of new technologies are really great as a jumping off point for the ideation process…[from there, its about] taking it to the next level with our own thoughts and tailoring it with your voice for the audience that you’re speaking with”

Sarah Arnold

Commercial Sales Manager, NY/NJ Metro at Neenah

“AI is going to do a lot of good things. It’s going to cause a lot of panic right now but over time it’s going to take away the things that are mundane to us in terms of setup, in terms of going in and checking files, we’re going to get to learn and do the things that are going to take a job from end to end…it’s going to take away the tasks that are just tedious.”

Paul Thorogood

CEO & Founder of Kaleidoscope

“It’s about identifying what is the intention [of your customer], and what do we want the technology to do for us. If you can identify the intention that you need to better the experience, that’s really the opportunity in picking your tool, your vendor, your partner, your platform. I think it’s knowing that you don’t need everything, you just need the right thing.”
Esme Hovekamp

Vice President Marketing of abc carpet & home

A Special Thank You to Our Event Sponsors and Partners!

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