Last week’s Lift Conference 2011 in Geneva started with a few great keynote speakers giving their view on different topics. The difference with past editions of Lift was that general subjects and more indepth cases were mixed.
The event started with Don Tapscott, author of the book Marcowikinomics, who pointed at the four drivers of change in recent revolutions going on in the world; being Web 2.0, the economic revolution, the social revolution and the next revolution. These are the basis for innovation, wealth and sustainability.
Hublot watches or the need for innovation and experiences
Don was followed by Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot watches in Switzerland. Hublot got some attention with a nice ad for Hublot watches using Bernie Ecclestone in one of its campaigns. In his organisation, Biver puts the emphasis on innovation. In these times, people do not buy a watch just to tell time, it’s all about innovation and experience. If people just want to know the time, they look at their iPhone or their computer. Designers have to make new kinds of watches that people find worth wearing and not for just for telling time.
The innovation is in the use of the watch, in the creativity. And that creativity leads to the possibility that employees can make mistakes. Biver also underligned making mistakes is necessary for innovation. So let people make mistakes. Even reward them for making mistakes. So you can create knowledge. And from that knowledge you can build more innovation and creativity.
Introducing Twiplomacy
Each keynote session was closed by an open stage where someone shares some thoughts, and the rule is no pitching and no commercials. So, the first session was closed by Matthias Lüfkens, social media architect at the World Economic Forum.
As the World Economic Forum was the week before in Davos, he had a very clear view on how Twitter and other social media, are adapted and used in politics and amongst world leaders.
I can tell you all in text how he explained this ‘Twiplomacy’, but it’s better to see him live on stage so check out the video here and watch the slideshare below.