Gala Dinner

Thursday 28th November 7.00-11.00pm
Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, Grand Ballroom
25 Collins Street, Melbourne

The Gala Dinner will take place at the Grand Ballroom of Sofitel Melbourne On Collins and will feature fine food and wine, networking, world class entertainment (to be revealed) and a Grand Debate on “The Year 2050: Optimists v. Pessimists” featuring environmental futurist Bjorn Lomborg (Czech Republic), sustainability and China expert Peggy Liu (China), global educator Professor Stephen Heppell (UK), innovation expert Scott Anthony (Singapore), Monash chancellor Dr Alan Finkel AM, corporate leader & non-executive director Steve Vamos and social entrepreneur and soprano Tania de Jong (Australia), the dinner guests and others to be revealed. A number of the Ci2013 keynote speakers will attend the event as guests and host tables.

Tickets may be purchased separately and there are opportunities to book a limited number of VIP tables of 10 seated in a premium position with one of the keynote speakers as your special guest for the night.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS

GRAND DEBATE

Scenario: The Year 2050: Optimists v. Pessimists

Pessimistic

• Mining boom is over.
• Energy is shifting from carbon and coal to green technologies, but too slowly.  As a result, weather patterns have continued to worsen, with extremes of hot and cold, wet and dry, more storms, more droughts.
• The politics of climate change is leading to conflict, over water, land ownership and climate migration.  China has bought most of the farms and food processing plants in Australia.
• Around the world governments are running scared – mega-corporations control the economy and angry populations are raising their collective voice on the streets and through social media.
• Greed and ethics are in extreme competition with each other.  Advertising restrictions were removed in 2023 so that now fat food and sugary drinks are advertised incessantly throughout every children’s activity, and banks advertise loans without advising of hidden costs and risks.
• Advertising hasn’t gone away.
• Media power has shifted to the individual in vast numbers and everybody is exposed to public scrutiny through instant dissemination of unverified criticism that can destroy the reputations of  individuals, companies or governments in an instant.
• The workforce and taxpayer base is 50% smaller than in 2013.
• Overnight brain reprogramming is a reality, but not always used with the best of intent.
• More than 75% of newborns were genetically programmed in utero.

Optimistic

• Women are in leadership positions.
• The next boom arrives…  Asians and South Americans become the new tourist middle class, with 20 million visiting Australia each year.
• 50% of Australian-born people have Asian ancestry.
• The average longevity of Australians is approaching 100 years.
• 3D, touch feely, aromatised telepresence conferencing replaces the need for business travel.
• We have a highly educated workforce (90% of people have a Master’s degree) working fulltime at 17.5 hours per week. All repetitive work, anything boring and anything dangerous is done by robots.
• Stunningly high quality education is ubiquitous, provided through a mixture of online courses delivered via implanted chips and nanotech devices.
• The singularity has arrived: computers are vastly smarter than human beings.
• Nimble entrepreneurs are creating innovative, productive, new futures.
• Most adults have either regenerated organs, synthetic limbs or powerful exoskeletons to overcome illnesses or perceived limitations of their natural bodies. The word “cyborg” applies.
• Every person has a chauffeur. Not a human being, but the brains behind the autonomously driven vehicle.
• Every guest at every cocktail party knows everybody else’s name and background and where they last met. How? Through their knowledge implants.

It’s a real battle between the optimists and the pessimists. Which scenario will win the hearts and minds of the people and save the planet in the race to the future?

MODERATOR

Professor Russell McGregor from the University of Aberdeen wrote the bible on shaping the future: “Enunciate Or Die.”, otherwise known as E1. The most powerful E.

How can we survive as a species if we can’t talk properly?  A graduate of Eton, where he was the public speaking and tongue twister champion, and the University of Edinburgh, with a PHD in Elocution & Ethical Etiquette, Professor McGregor is our elegant, eloquent moderator, who will ensure that equanimity prevails in the face of egregious eruptions in the exciting debate at the gala dinner.