FUTURE FESTIVAL - CHICAGO
Nov 3, 2026
TREND HUNTER
EVENTS

FUTURE FESTIVAL
CHICAGO

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TRUSTED BY
PROVEN INNOVATORS

Session Lineup

Here’s a look at what you can expect.
Session times and speakers are subject to change.

Worklife Meetings (at THE MART) 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #250, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
Nov 3, 2026
Jonathon Brown

Human Innovation, AI Enabled

Explore how innovators can use AI as a "second brain" — not as a replacement for human intelligence, but as a tool to strengthen creativity, judgment, and strategic decision-making. Learn practical frameworks for pairing human insight with AI to identify stronger opportunities and accelerate innovation.
Jonathon Brown & Jennifer Kang

Utopia / Dystopia: Choosing Where Innovation Matters Most

In this interactive workshop, you'll explore both the opportunities and unintended consequences of emerging trends. Through guided exercises, you'll identify where innovation has the greatest potential to create meaningful value and determine which signals deserve your attention.
Sean Watson

Co-Create with AI: Pairing Human Creativity with New Tools

This keynote introduces a practical framework to pair human creativity with AI technology in the innovation process. Building on Trend Hunter's adoption methodology, discover how your team can use new tools to explore signals, generate possibilities, and validate stronger ideas — all while keeping the human advantage of judgment, intuition, and strategic context at the centre.
Armida Ascano

Trend Intelligence Showcase: The Signals Shaping What Comes Next

Discover the emerging trends and weak signals shaping the future of business, consumer behavior, and culture. Learn how Trend Hunter's Trend Intelligence Engine identifies meaningful opportunities and helps organizations separate lasting shifts from short-lived hype.
Jennifer Kang

The 6 Patterns of Opportunity: Turning Signals into Strategy

Move beyond identifying trends and learn how to turn them into actionable business opportunities. This session introduces Trend Hunter's six opportunity patterns, providing a practical framework for evaluating signals, uncovering whitespace opportunities, and building stronger innovation strategies.
VENUE
SPACE

CONFERENCE VENUE

Venue

Worklife Meetings (at THE MART)

222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #250, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Happy Hour

Marshall's Landing (at THE MART)

222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Inclusion General Pro VIP
Full Conference Programming
Networking Experiences
Meals & Refreshments
Digital Take-Home Resources
1:1 Trend Hunter Advisor Meeting
Innovation Assessment Overview
Horizon Demo & Extended Trial
Priority Networking
VIP Lunch with Speakers & Team
TREND HUNTER
TEAM

MEET OUR
FUTURISTS

THANK YOU TO OUR
SPONSORS

Future Festival Partner Itonics
Future Festival Partner DSM-Firmenich
Future Festival Partner Diageo
Future Festival Partner Goodwill
Future Festival Partner PepsiCo
Future Festival Partner Shnucks
Future Festival Partner IFF
Future Festival Partner Brand Imagination Group
Future Festival Partner Newell Brands
Future Festival Partner Itonics
Future Festival Partner DSM-Firmenich
Future Festival Partner Diageo
Future Festival Partner Goodwill
Future Festival Partner PepsiCo
Future Festival Partner Shnucks
Future Festival Partner IFF
Future Festival Partner Brand Imagination Group
Future Festival Partner Newell Brands
GOT A QUESTION?
WE GOT YOU

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Future Festival is an innovation conference designed for industry leaders who are ready to break through chaos. Content is aimed at Managers, Directors, VPs, and C-Level executives from all industries who lead innovation, strategy, marketing, R&D, insights, and transformation initiatives.

Whether you're driving growth at a global brand, steering change within a fast-growing startup, or guiding strategy at a non-profit or government agency, the content is curated to provide high-impact ideas and tools you can immediately apply.

Yes! Many of the activities are designed for teams, leading you to specific outputs for your own brand. At Future Festival, you will be excited by trends and undiscovered opportunities—you'll get the most out of the event by sharing this experience and building ideas with your team in the room.

Expect engaging keynote programming from our team of renowned futurists, alongside workshops and networking events tailored for meaningful connection and hands-on learning. Check out our event recap to learn more.

Future Festival is led by Trend Hunter's team of Futurists, and we also invite guest speakers who are leaders in their fields. Check out each individual event page to see who will be appearing.

World Summit in Toronto is our premier event where we introduce new ideas that will shape the year ahead. It takes place over two days as we go beyond our keynotes and create an immersive experience for attendees.

Check out the event page for World Summit in Toronto to learn more.

Each Future Festival event boasts its own unique schedule. Check out the event page you're interested in attending to see which speakers and topics will be covered.

Start by taking our Innovation Assessment to identify your unique innovation archetype. Discover tailored strategies to help you realize your potential faster, and see how you and your organization compare to the world's top innovators.

Yes! Your ticket can be transferred to a colleague—just email futurefestival@trendhunter.com to make the change. Please note that transfers will only be accepted up to one week before the event.