Travels from California, USA
Michael Tchong's speaking fee falls within range: $10,000 to $15,000
Described by The Daily Telegraph as “America’s most influential trend spotter,” Michael Tchong has been at the forefront of internet, social media and computer innovation throughout his career. His start-up companies have been at the cutting edge of now pervasive trends including desktop publishing, personal information management, Internet research and online marketing.
Michael’s unique insights into the future have made him much in demand in the media, and he has appeared on or in Access Hollywood, Advertising Age, Bloomberg TV, BusinessWeek, CNET, CNN, The Independent (UK), the New York Times, PBS San Francisco Chronicle San Jose Mercury News, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and Wired. His book Social Engagement Marketing is a guide to the world of social media and how to use it for marketing purposes.
Michael’s career began in advertising, enjoying considerable success with prestigious agencies Chiat/Day and Doyle Dane & Dernbach. He went on to establish five major brands: Trendscape, ICONOCAST, CyberAtlas, Hello and MacWEEK. He currently runs the branded entertainment start-up Ubercool and shares his insights into emerging trends with audiences around the world.
Michael Tchong’s unique approach to decoding the future, his entrepreneurial success, renowned trend-spotting abilities, and dedication to teaching and sharing knowledge position him as an influential figure at the forefront of trends and innovation. A distinctive passion for staying ahead of emerging waves led him to establish four successful startups, each leaving an indelible mark on their respective industries.
Michael Tchong is an unwavering advocate of seamless digital tools and exceptional customer experiences, continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation. His deep understanding of technology and its rapid growth has positioned him as a trend-spotter and a catalyst for progress within various ecosystems. His exceptional ability to observe and understand people has garnered recognition from esteemed publications like the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph, which called him “America’s most influential trend-spotter.”
Beyond his entrepreneurial endeavors, Michael shares his wealth of knowledge as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco. Here, he imparts invaluable lessons on accurately interpreting the dynamics of ubertrends and the boundless opportunities they present for innovation. His third book, “Ubertrends — How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future,” further solidifies his expertise in this fast-moving field.
Michael Tchong looks at the changes in attitudes to innovation over his career. He asks his audience, “Do you know that in 1991, 6 out of 10 top managers wanted to be sheep? Only 37% of top managers at the time wanted to be category innovation leaders. By 1999, that number had soared to 95%."
Discussing the reasons for this change, he says, “I'm sure you can guess what happened, right? The Internet, global competition, thought leader books… all changed the mindset dramatically, and that was good."
Moving into the present, he looks at the current scene: “Now today, the floodgates have opened: it made the Wall Street Journal search through all SEC documents and it found that the word innovation had been used 33,258 times in one year."
Michael Tchong offers high-energy presentations that contain penetrating insights into the latest market trends. He not only points audiences in the right direction but having got them there he motivates them to take the next step for success. All of his presentations can be specifically customized to specific industries.
Michael is particularly expert in the areas of social media, looking into the “Ubertrends” – tech trend waves so powerful that if you don’t catch them, you will be left stranded.
Michael offers interactive half-day workshops on social engagement marketing that will revolutionize the ways in which audiences will approach the future.
Lessons on Navigating Change, Leadership and Innovation
This interactive discourse offers practical strategies for business growth and organizational excellence. Michael will present a blend of traditional and technology-driven approaches to navigate today’s dynamic business landscape, encouraging you to apply these insights to your specific context.
This discussion explores the challenges of change readiness. The rapid ascendance of generative AI, which continues to evolve and permeate every facet of business, presents new opportunities for innovation and poses obstacles that must be solved. The exploration will include predictions on AI’s potential and likely impact on business processes, productivity, and workforce dynamics. It will also address ethical considerations, including data privacy and security concerns in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.
Michael will provide expert analysis of how market leaders use generative AI to accelerate innovation and offer strategic guidance on leveraging this technology for growth and success. This in-depth conversation also examines the acute need to create a culture of innovation. Michael will equip you with practical ideation strategies, a crucial set of knowledge given AI’s transformative power to accelerate innovation further.
A renowned adjunct professor of innovation at the University of San Francisco and the author of “Ubertrends — How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future,” Michael is a leading authority on understanding these disruptive waves and their implications for the future.
Through Michael’s compelling storytelling, attendees will learn:
– Gaining an understanding of the current landscape of generative AI apps. – How to create a culture of innovation within your organization. – Innovation strategies that leverage AI’s transformative power.
Transformative Strategies for Future-Proofing Your Business (or Career)
In an era where change is the only constant, the ability to anticipate and adapt to future trends is crucial for the longevity of any business or career. This session, designed for forward-thinking individuals, delves into the art and science of future-proofing. We will explore how to harness the power of trends, ignite the spark of innovation, and master the digital wave to elevate your business or career to unprecedented heights.
In his trademark rollercoaster ride through the landscape of now, Michael Tchong will illuminate the opportunities and challenges generative AI presents for businesses, sparking excitement about the potential for growth and efficiency. He will discuss pragmatic strategies for ensuring your organization’s longevity in an AI-imbued world, instilling a sense of optimism about the future of your business.
In this talk, Michael, a prominent global futurist and founder of four disruptive startups, will leverage his current AI startup experience to examine state-of-the-art AI tools and their potential impact across industry sectors, from technology to consumer goods to healthcare and finance. He will identify AI adoption’s key drivers, including efficiency improvements, cost reductions, and enhanced customer experiences.
Michael, a renowned adjunct professor of innovation at the University of San Francisco and the author of “Ubertrends — How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future,” will offer a treasure trove of insights on Ubertrends and use these predictions to transform disruption and change into benefits and opportunities.
– How to use AI tools to reduce costs, enhance speed, and spur growth. – Investing in training to prepare employees for the future of work. – Ways to use Ubertrends to expedite exponential innovation with lower risk.
SPEAKING.COM: What do you want people to learn/take away from your presentations?
TCHONG: First and foremost, I want them to be excited about the future. These are exciting times, and the future will abound with simply incredible things. Just 25 years ago, we had no web. Ten years ago we had no smartphone. Just imagine what we’ll have 20 years from now. It will be mind-boggling. So, it’s an ideal time to be alive and to be able to participate in this massive societal revolution.
Secondly, I want them to experience first-hand some of the incredible developments that have already taken place and those that are happening as we speak. To see the big picture, you need to have a bird’s eye view of today’s morphing landscape, and that’s what I do; I connect the dots. My talks take you on a roller-coaster ride through the landscape of now that you will not soon forget. You will learn how society is evolving and why, and you will see the remarkable platforms for disruptive innovation that Ubertrend waves offer.
SPEAKING.COM: What kind of special prep work do you do prior to an event? How do you prepare for your speaking engagements?
TCHONG: I research endlessly. I spend three to four hours each day reading and researching. I’m currently writing two books simultaneously so you can imagine my workload. Each talk requires 12 to 16 hours of dedicated research and each presentation I give is tailored to a client’s market. I just spoke at a sustainability conference, where I dug up their challenges from two years ago and gave them my cutting-edge POV. You can imagine how happy the client was with this effort above and beyond the call of duty.
SPEAKING.COM: Have you had any particularly memorable speaking engagements/unusual situations arise while on the road?
TCHONG: In 2006, I gave a presentation in the employee cafeteria of Diageo in New York. It went well, but I would not recommend a casual venue for an important message. My most exciting presentation was interviewing Dennis Rodman in front of a large digital marketing crowd at my own conference during the dotcom boom. Another adrenalin-pumping gig was a presentation to 1,500 realtors at the National Association of REALTORS Leadership Summit and one for Carlson Hotels at Disneyland Paris. Suffice it to say it was not a Mickey Mouse talk!
SPEAKING.COM: What types of audiences would most benefit from your message?
TCHONG: In general, my best audiences are stakeholders who are vested in quickly propelling their careers or organizations by better grasping how humanity is evolving and why, and why innovation is key to success. My talks are mission-critical for attendees who seek a decided advantage in business development or the reinvention of a company trajectory.
SPEAKING.COM: Which of your keynote speaking topics are your favorites and why?
TCHONG: My current favorite is “Unbox Your Thinking to Create Innovation Breakthroughs,” because innovation has become paramount due to increased global competition, China, the Internet, and Apple. But I’m also very proud of having been the first speaker on the circuit dissecting “The Changing Social Dialog” in 2007, way before anyone was aware of Facebook, let alone Twitter. That evolved into “I’m Going To Tweet You Up” in 2009, the same year Twitter started scooping our world of news.
SPEAKING.COM: What inspired you to start doing speaking engagements?
TCHONG: It happened purely by happenstance. A colleague, Steve Roth – the entrepreneur responsible for Adobe desktop publishing courses under the Thunder Lizard brand – and I were brainstorming a new internet advertising conference, so we came up with “Web Advertising,” where I keynoted. That one exposure immediately landed me a paid engagement at Canon USA and before you know it I was doing 30 presentations a year.
SPEAKING.COM: How do you keep your audience engaged and actively listening during your keynotes? Do you use case studies or personal stories in your speeches?
TCHONG: I’m a story teller. From three-year-old Jennifer who tells her father that it takes too long to develop photographs to that Indiana man who walked off a San Diego cliff this past Christmas, my presentations are full of vivid illustrations of our changing scenario. I also add a big dose of humor to my observations, including funny cartoons, videos, animated GIFs plus humorous quizzes, which keep audiences glued to their seats. I then rivet them with innovation case studies like that of Joy Mangano, a divorced mother raising three children, who went from a rainy parking lot selling the Miracle Mop to a 14-bedroom house. Stories like these emphasize that anyone has the ability to identify a known pain point and the power to do something about it. As a final push, if time permits, I offer a review of my favorite digital tools, which attendees can use to boost their productivity and innovation quotient or “IQ.”
SPEAKING.COM: What are some of the successes you’ve helped clients achieve?
TCHONG: I frequently hear that I inspired attendees’ digital marketing, social media, cloud or mobile application initiatives. Or galvanized their innovation efforts to improve their competitive edge materially. For example, Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh came up with the concept of reinventing Downtown Las Vegas after one of my talks at Zappos University and a story in Vegas Seven.
In my innovation workshops at the University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley, I’ve helped students brainstorm breakthrough products. In fact, I can say without braggadocio that workshop students helped develop a next-generation social network – one that would engage users and reward them for their engagement by increasing their social currency.
Take that, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter!
Edie Okamoto
March 22, 2019
Michael Tchong is one of the best and engaging speakers around the world. He is knowledgeble, yet witty. He engages his audience and leaves a life-long impression. He inspires the audience to reflect, assess, and change their professional and personal lives for the better. He is fun. The word "impactful" takes on a new meaning after experiencing him at one of his events.
Speaker rating 10/10
“Make no mistake, Michael Tchong is the original visionary, the guru, the beta digital anthropologist.”MARK BORKOWSKI, BORKOWSKI.CO.UK “Michael Tchong was knowledgeable, engaging, fun and effective. The audience was pleased and informed. He was very easy to work with.”Cardinal Stritch University Leadership Center (Event Booked by Speakers Platform. Received 7s out of 7s for presentation content, appearance, enthusiasm, presentation styles, professionalism and overall impression. Speech customization received a 5.)
“Michael was entertaining and engaging and brought a lot of substance to our meeting. He truly connected with the group and made us pause for a moment and look at things in a different light.” Jon Luther, Chairman and CEO Dunkin’ Donuts
“Michael not only grabs you from the beginning with his entertain- ing and energetic style, but he brings insight about the future consumer landscape like no one else I have ever heard.” Clayton Reid, President and Manag- ing Partner MMG Worldwide (organizer of The Vail Summit)
“Michael offered compelling insights into the trends of global society, challenging our think- ing about how to serve tomorrow’s customers. His style is entertaining and engaging.” Jay Witzel, President and CEO Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Regent
“Spot-on, funny and occasionally irreverent, Michael Tchong was easily the highest rated speaker at our 2007 Leadership Summit. As a ‘futurist,’ Michael has a way of delivering high-impact information in a low-key manner that makes people listen and learn, and laugh, through the whole program. I’m sure we’ll bring him back to NAR again, as I look forward to hearing him a third time!” Janet Branton, Senior Vice Presi- dent, National Assoc. of REALTORS
“Michael has a way of grabbing the attention of conference participants in a way that really engages them and makes them think about the implications of the customer of the future.” Robert Gilbert, President & CEO, Hospitality Sales & Marketing Asso- ciation International
“You have a gift for waking up an audience — not only in print, but in person.” “Michael′s ability to rivet audiences is due to an articulate command of trends and data, which help anchor his visions in a pointed manner.” Andrew Jaffe, Clio Awards Executive Director
“It′s rare that any speaker can move such a large percentage of the audience, particularly a group that crafts messages and advertising strategy for a living.” Allie Shaw, UNICAST Vice President of Worldwide Marketing
“Your willingness to engage in frank and open discussion made the [Congressional] tour exceptional.” Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
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Generative AI – Navigating the Artificial Intelligence Revolution
Michael Tchong’s Generative AI White Paper is your key to unlocking the vast potential of this revolutionary technology. Stay ahead of the curve and navigate this fast-changing market with expert insights and 28 generative AI tool reviews.
Ubertrends — How Trends and Innovation Are Transforming Our Future
Ubertrends — How Trends And Innovation Are Transforming Our Future is a visual, eye-opening exploration of eight massive waves that are reshaping humanity, accentuated by the forces of innovation. An Ubertrend is a gigantic wave, think tsunami, that cascades through society leaving many subtrends in its turbulent wake. What sets Ubertrends apart? An Ubertrend causes fundamental changes in societal attitudes and values. Most trends merely skim the social surface. Besides population changes, Ubertrends open doors for disruptive innovations while propelling game-changing new business trends. The world s permanently altered consumer behavior provides immediate context for how our future is evolving, setting the stage for new waves of breakthrough innovations that further recast it. In nine riveting chapters, you will learn more about these unique life forces:
Digital Lifestyle — Marriage of Man and Machine; Fountain of Youth — Rejuvenating Body, Spirit and Environment; Generation X-tasy — Been There, Done That; Time Compression — The Acceleration of Life; Unwired — Untethered and Unfettered; Casual Living — The Evaporation of Decorum; Voyeurgasm — I Like to Watch; WAF (Woman’s Acceptance Factor) — Ascent of Woman; Innovation — Reinventing Business and Life.
The most significant wave is the Digital Lifestyle, Marriage of Man and Machine. The computer is mimicking us, and we’re becoming the computer. Don’t believe it? When you tire you crash. Another growing consumer trend is Time Compression, The Acceleration of Life. Time Compression has made life a blur, turning our state of mind into a state of time. This Ubertrend traces its roots to 1940s Massachusetts with the invention of the Polaroid camera and Raytheon microwave oven. These Ubertrends are described in data-based detail, providing an unadulterated look at current trends in consumer behavior against a remarkable backdrop of today’s fastest-growing consumer and technology trends.
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