EBU Members gathered in Brussels today (31/5) for the Vision2020 Trends Conference, where the focus is on developing a roadmap for the future of public service media (PSM).

Futurists Gerd Leonhard, Ben Hammersley and Alan Moore each gave keynote addresses that set a visionary tone in an opening session threaded by the theme of constant change.

Gerd Leonhard–who founded the think tank Green Futurist–challenged conference goers to devote ten per cent of their time to reflect on change. "Dealing with transformation should be everyone's job," he said.  

He said the disruption PSM face stems from external forces, with an estimated 40 per cent of audiences engaging in second-screen viewing, utilizing, for example, social media while watching TV.

"PSM need to stop thinking of themselves as just broadcasters,” he said. “They have the potential to offer much more. Be assured that where there is value, people will pay. Learn to embrace what consumers really want.”

Author and innovator Ben Hammersley, who followed, spoke of “unpredictable forces shaping media's technological future”.

“No one can tell you what the world will be like in five years, just as five years ago it was impossible to imagine the platforms and tools that are at our disposal today. This uncertainty need not be a source of fear; indeed, the risk is not under-reacting, it is overreacting."

Mr Hammersley cited three qualities that make PSM indispensable: they produce enduring cultural artefacts of value; they reflect national culture, inwardly and outwardly; and they produce content that can be measured in terms of quality rather than ratings.

The final keynote speaker, Alan Moore, from the Freedom Lab think tank, urged PSM to “listen deeply to what is being said” and pay attention to the links between commerce, culture, community and connectivity.

"PSM have an important role to play," he said. "Fear of the unknown is natural, but it should be replaced by curiosity. The capacity to adapt, to be open, to neutralize disruptive forces and think the unthinkable: these are the navigational tools that will see PSM into the next decade."

The afternoon session of the Trends Conference will take a hands-on approach, as participants engage in a series of exercises using practical tools and creative thinking.

Keynote speakers at the Vision2020 Trends Conference

GERD LEONHARD – Media Convergence & Disruption – View the video

Gerd Leonhard is a prominent futurist, author of five books, keynote speaker, think-tank leader and advisor, and the founder of Green Futurist. With a background in the music industry, and as a digital media entrepreneur and start-up internet CEO, his presence at conferences and events is highly sought. Gerd also serves as Visiting Professor at the Fundação Dom Cabral, São Paulo, Brazil.

BEN HAMMERSLEY – The Value of PSM to Democracies in the Digital Age – View the video

Ben Hammersley helps people understand the modern world and where it's taking us. In his book “Approaching the future – 64 Things You Need To Know For Then”, he discusses the internet’s effect on society, foreign policy, business and culture. Hammersley is the British Prime Minister’s Ambassador to TechCity, Innovator in Residence at the University of London, a non-resident fellow of the 21st Century Defense Initiative, at the Brookings Institute in Washington, DC, a member of the European Commission High Level Group on Media Freedom, a fellow of the European Policy Centre in Brussels and a contributing editor of the UK edition of WIRED magazine.

ALAN MOORE – Adapting to a Fast-Moving Digital Society – View the video

Alan Moore is a designer for innovative businesses and an international keynote speaker on innovation and transformation. He has taught at MIT, Cambridge Judge Business School, Saïd Business School, and INSEAD. Alan is on the board of the Freedom Lab think tank. He acts as “Head of Vision” for the Grow Venture Community, is a board director of the crisis management NGO Ushahidi, and is special advisor to innovative companies and organizations in publishing, mobile, theatre and finance.