I have just returned from Canon Tech Expo 2005 in Paris. It was in effect also the crescendo in a year long effort for me in designing and executing a prestigious three day keynote programme for Canon Europe. The featured speakers included the world class authority on competitive strategy
Professor Michael Porter, and regional strategy statesman
Lord Chris Patten.
The Keynote Programme centred on world class strategic thinking and competitive execution of strategy. In addition to Professor Porter and Lord Patten, VIPs where also able to listen to the witty and exciting call to arms by
Dr. Jonas Ridderstråle co-author of the bestseller
Karaoke Capitalism and to Professor W Chan Kim co-author of the phenomenally hot selling book
Blue Ocean Strategy. French TV-personality and new anchor Mme Christine Ockrent acted as master of ceremony and moderator. No wonder Canon’s VIPs attending the keynotes were excited and impressed!
Canon Expo is a major event arranged every fifth year with some 14 000+ VIP customers & partners from around the EMEA region. The main attraction was a large exhibition focusing on some very cool future technology and solutions, as well as the very latest commercially available offerings from Canon.
Canon Expo also marks the starting point for the next phase in Canon’s “Global Excellence Group Corporation Plan” and Canon’s strategic moves to realize the plan. That’s why Canon asked me to design a keynote programme to put Canon’s ambitions for the coming years and Canon’s past achievements into a broader perspective.
Arranging keynote programmes is not exactly in line with my core business these days, but having the experience and the fact that Canon and I go a long way back in history, it was really a challenge I could not resist. The fact that the programme would focus on strategy also played a part in this. For a strategy advisor and strategy development facilitator it arranging this kind of seminar is something to be inspired and excited about.
