The Future is a live design and innovation festival, celebrating the innovators in design, media, creativity and culture, and the role they play in the future of society, business and the spaces in between. The Future is a festival of art, a festival of ideas, a festival of creativity.

Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the upcoming festival:

FRIDAY, 3 NOVEMBER

THE FUTURE STAGE will see the best innovators in advertising, media, engineering, interior design, fashion, experiential, future trend forecasting and more take to the stage.

On Friday, 3 November, you will have the chance to hear Stefan Sagmeister, Co-Founder of Sagmeister & Walsh. Stefan is a New York-based graphic designer, storyteller, and typographer. He has worked for the Rolling Stones, The Talking Heads, Lou Reed, Jay-Z, OK GO and The Guggenheim Museum, among many others. He also co-directed a documentary The Happy Film, which recently premiered at Tribeca Film Festival.

Dr Nelly Ben Hayoun has been dubbed the Willy Wonka of Design and Science, and is an award-winning director. She is the Designer of Experiences at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, Head of Experiences at We Transfer, and a member of the Space Outreach and Education committee at the International Astronautical Federation. She was nominated in 2013 by Icon Magazine as one of the 50 international designers “shaping the future”.

Scott Dadich, former Editor in Chief of WIRED and Patrick Godfrey, former CEO of Godfrey Q, are the founders of Godfrey Dadich Partners. Godfrey Dadich are a pioneering design firm, building strategies, experiences and stories for brands, organisations, anyone looking to connect with an audience. Scott Dadich is the Creator and Executive Producer of ‘Abstract: The Art of Design’, the 2017 Netflix original documentary series.

William Rowe is the Founder and CEO of Protein. Protein is an insight platform that collects the best there is in global trends in a digestible feed. Protein help brands understand and connect with Influential audiences. The Protein networks includes a branding agency responsible for several campaigns with companies such as Nike, Absolut, Samsung, Range Rover and Burberry.
Also taking to The Future Stage on Friday will be Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara (Grafton Architects), Leila Fataar (Platform 13), Trevor Hardy (The Future Laboratory) Jonathan Forrest (In the Company of Huskies), Patrick Meade (Boys & Girls) and Alan Cox (Core Media)

THE STUDIO STAGE brings together the best modern agencies to look at how they work, how they’re adapting and preparing for the future, proving that even with the rise of robots, AI, programmatic and more, humans will always have much better ideas, as long as we get up and care to create a better result.

On Friday, 3 November, we have It’s Nice That / Anyways taking to the stage. It’s Nice That champions the most exciting and engaging work online, reaching over one million people each month through their website, magazine, a summer symposium and the monthly talks series. Anyways are a creative agency that helps brands like Google, Uniqlo, BBC, Unilever, Nike, Converse, Metro, ASOS be more adventurous and meaningful. They’ve regenerated local parks, written comedic billboards and commissioned digital stickers and plenty more.

Aprova Baxi and Simon Dixon are DixonBaxi, a branding and creative agency. For DixonBaxi it’s about effect and relevance. Increased awareness, audience engagement, internal culture and business growth matters. Their clients include Nike, Eurosport, Sony, CNBC & Telemundo.. Ouchhh is an Istanbul based independent creative new media agency with cross-discipline expertise in Art, Science and Technology.

Lorna Ross is the Group Director at Fjord. Fjord combine design, strategy, and development to achieve innovation for their clients. Lorna was one of the pioneering researchers to focus on wearable technologies and built a reputation for research activity in this arena. She later identified the theme of health as an emerging arena for design to thrive. She founded and led the Human Wellbeing Group at the MIT Media Lab. She recently returned to Ireland from the USA to take up the position as the Group Design Director at Fjord in Dublin.

Also speaking on The Studio Stage on Friday are Karl Toomey (Aad) Brian Nolan and Paul McBride (Detail), Charlotte Barker (Dynamo) Sean Perkins (North Design) James Hurst (DesignStudio) Marcus Wendt ( FIELD) David Smith (Atelier) Colin Harmon and David Wall (WorkGroup)

THE VISION STAGE sees us take a different take on what the future has to offer, and the opportunities being made in different ways. People who are reimagining craft from the outside in, people creating and fostering communities, those who choose the analogue way, and individuals who push their skills into ever bolder spaces, and collaborate brilliantly with like-minded people.

Speaking on Friday will be Elva Carri, founder of GirlCrew, an exciting and innovative platform for women to make new friends. Sharon Greene is the Creative Director of Queens of Neon, a multi-dimensional Dublin based creative collective. Past clients include Absolut, Body & Soul Festival, Guinness, Nokia, Jameson & Squarespace.

Emer O’Daly is the CEO of Love & Robots, an interactive design brand that offers customers personalized 3D printed and locally-made accessories. It enables customers to influence, re-design, and personalize products such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, bow ties, coasters, wall art, and phone cases. Kaave Pour is the Creative Director for SPACE10, IKEA's new future living lab and was also the driving force behind Trailerpark I/O, a festival where thousands of Scandinavians meet to explore the intersection between art, design and technology in the heart of Copenhagen. Jonathan Legge is co-founder of Makers & Brothers, an online retail venture founded on a belief in the simple things; the handmade, objects of integrity, contemporary vernaculars, a curation of everyday design and craft.

Also speaking on The Vision Stage on Friday are Aisling Farinella, Danielle Pender (Riposte Magazine) Johnny Costello (Adult Art Club) and Frankie Ratford (The Design Kids)

SATURDAY, 4 NOVEMBER

On Saturday’s THE FUTURE STAGE you’ll be inspired by Adrian Newey OBE. He is a Formula One Engineer and Chief Technical Officer of the Red Bull Racing Formula One Team.

Ilse Crawford is the founder of the Man and Well-Being Department at the Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands. She was the Launch Editor of ELLE Decoration and established the interiors firm Studio Ilse, which designed the Soho House club in New York, Babington House, the Electric Cinema, and the Hong Kong restaurant Duddell’s, as well as pieces for Georg Jensen and IKEA. Crawford was profiled in the first season of Abstract: The Art of Design, the 2017 Netflix original docu-series highlighting artists in the field of design.

Rob Alderson is the Editor-in-chief at WeTransfer, a cloud-based computer file transfer service, with its core service being free. Rob was the former Editor-in-Chief at London-based creative spotlight publication It's Nice That.

Johnny Vulkan is the Founding Partner at Anomaly. Anomaly develop their own intellectual property, which they license to clients, who include the likes of Apple's Beats by Dre, Campbell Soup, Sonos, Coty and Coca-Cola Co. ‘The ad world is changing and Anomaly's model is set-up to lead that change.’(AdWeek) Anomaly is Ad Age's A-list 2017 Agency of the Year.

Also speaking on Saturday are Paul Kemp-Robertson (Contagious), Darius Pasalar and Catherine Shaw-Halford (Guns or Knives), Bernie Martin (Rothco), Jonny Boyle (Modern Green), Jane McDaid and Kevin Goss Ross (THINKHOUSE), Ger Roe and Jimmy Murphy (Publicis Dublin)

On THE STUDIO STAGE, American graphic designer, painter and art educator in design, and the first female principal at Pentagram, Paula Scher will be welcomed. At the forefront of graphic design for four decades, her clients include, among others, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Bausch + Lomb, Coca-Cola, Shake Shack, Perry Ellis, the Museum of Modern Art, the Sundance Institute, the High Line, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Scher is featured in Netflix documentary “Abstract: The Art of Design”

Chris Nurko and Guests will also take to the stage. Chris (FutureBrand) has worked over the past 25 years across all sectors in the area of Brand Strategy and Marketing for Corporate, Consumer, Country and NGO Brands around the world.
A passionate innovator, Chris believes in the power of creativity to define the future through branding. His specialist subjects include Travel & Hospitality, luxury goods, consumer goods and retail experiences.

Michael Horsham comes from Tomato, a group made up of artists, designers, musicians and writers. Tomato creates and delivers cross platform, multi-media art and design projects: both commercial and research based, for national and international clients. They also publish books and artwork, create exhibitions, gives live performances, and host workshops & lectures. Clients include: Absolut, CNN, Channel 4, MTV & Nikon.

Pfadfinderei are Berlin-based design and motion graphics studio specializing in creative services for stage entertainment, large-format media installations, tradeshows and events. Going beyond screen work, they apply innovative ideas to fusing light, video and spatial design. Pfadfinderei also sport a hot roster of patented fonts and design publications.
Pfadfinderei aim to produce timeless original design ideas and apply their creative hearts and minds to any and all of their work.

Also speaking on Saturday are Bleed, Ian Slater and Kathryn Wilson (Slater Design), Bob Gray (Red & Grey Design), Thierry Brunfaut (Base Design), Lara Hanlon (IBM Studios) Astrid Stavro (Atlas) David Heasty ( Triboro Design) and Ueno

THE VISION STAGE will welcome Steve Powers (ESPO). An artist born and raised in Philadelphia, he began writing the name ESPO around his neighbourhood and soon it spread around the world. A fulbright scholar in 2007, with the grant he painted the streets of Dublin and Belfast. He lives and works in New York, where he creates and sells his work from his store 'ESPO's Art World' in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill. Powers has published five books, including his newest publication, compiling the last six years of global public Art projects, A Love Letter to the City.

Slow: Series; an idea put together by food writer and creative events planner, Aoife McElwain. The idea formulated into a series of talks and events, with the aim to bring together people who crave a bit of slowness and to find out what we can learn from each other, through our experiences so far & our hopes for the future.

Technology Will Save Us was founded by Bethany Koby and Daniel Hirschmann. Bethany is a mum, CEO designer, educator and art director interested in creating brands, businesses and experiences that help imagining a more positive and collaborative future. Bethany has been selected as one of the Designer's that Matter by Wired Magazine, one of the Top 50 Creative Leaders by Creative Review and has spoken at TED Kids, Resonate and Maker Faire, to name a few. Daniel is a dad, artist, educator and entrepreneur who uses technology as a vehicle for delivering human centred learning experiences.

Renny Ramakers is the co-founder and creative director of Droog design. In 1993 she and Gijs Bakker started Droog as an anti-statement; a down to earth design mentality with a human touch that opposed the high style and form-based world of design. Today Ramakers creates projects, curates interactive design festivals, and lectures worldwide. As a critic, she has contributed to international magazines, books and catalogues, and authored several books. In 2014 she initiated Design+Desires, a program which explores how the dreams, passions and needs of city dwellers can shape the city of the 21st century. Design+Desires aims to tackle existing problems in the city and create new opportunities, both in theory and practice, with the goal of creating an alternative model for urban planning.

Johnny Kelly is an Irish Animator, Director living in London. His work spans from illustration, to stop frame animation, CGI and everything in between. His stop motion film that he directed for Chipotle entitled 'Back to the Start', won the Film Grand Prix at the Cannes Advertising Festival. Some of Johnny’s clients include Facebook, Google, Apple, BMW, The New York Times, and Coca Cola.

Also speaking on Saturday are Shelley Fox, What Design Can Do and James Earley

THE VILLAGE is where we take everything that is happening across the three stages and distill it down into a series of interviews, discussions, conversations and themed debates on the issues and topics affecting or set to influence in the future. Hosted by This Greedy Pig, in collaboration with various creative organisations, we’ll be looking at topics including Curating Cities, The Gender Gap & Balance, Future Branding, The Rise and Impact of Influence, Cultivating Communities, Challenging Content and lots more besides.

Inspired equally by music festivals and creative conferences, we are working hard to bring a fresh vibe and fun atmosphere to The Future, with surprises around every corner! We’re delighted to welcome 72+ speakers, who will present across the 4 stages, all which will run in parallel, so expect to be surprised over the two days.

All stages will run in parallel from 9.30am to 8.30pm both days, creating an event which will feel like a mix of both creative conference and festival.

All stages will be easily accessible during breaks, creating a dynamic flow to the proceedings over the two action packed days. The presentations will not be filmed or shared afterwards, meaning what happens in The Future stays in the rooms and on the stages, but hopefully resonating long after in the minds of those who invest their time, energy and interest in the event.

We will wrap after the two days with a big city centre party, in preparation for the future we can all create together. One that is full of positive potential, collaborative opportunities, innovation that impacts, and fun for all to enjoy.

The Future is curated and presented by Richard Seabrooke (Creative Director of ModernGreen).

Ticket Information

Tickets on-sale on NOW via Ticketmaster and usual outlets.

2-day Early Bird: €149
2-day General Sale: €179
Day Ticket: €89

Student Tickets
2-day Student Early Bird: €79
2-day Student General Sale: €99
Student Day Ticket: €59