Cyprus Mail 29 August 2020 - by Alix Norman
At the start of 2020, it was all ‘new decade, high hopes, great future’, wasn’t it? And then: corona!
Over the last few months, everything has come to a standstill. Our lives, once free-flowing rivers, glittering with possibility, are now murky ponds of muddied uncertainty. We feel stagnated; life has become less about joy and more about survival. So what we need, more than anything, is a good dose of revitalisation: we need to find the energy, the passion, to move forward into a brighter future. In short, we need to refresh, recharge, and Reflect!
Taking place annually, Reflect is the region’s largest ‘future casting festival’: a two-day event showcasing the expertise of skilled futurists from all over the world – the people who know not only what changes will come, but also when, and how we can best prepare. It’s a festival that’s all about moving forward – about rediscovering our dreams, and building our skills for a better, brighter future.
“Reflect Festival paints a holistic picture of our severely disrupted future, be it technological advancements, the next steps after the crisis, or the environment around us,” say the organising team, led by Stylianos and Andria Lambrou (founders of the Heart Group of companies, which cover technology, innovation, media, hospitality, real estate and future-casting events), and Dusan Duffek (a partner at O100 Ventures and a venture builder responsible for a multinational co-working space, international VC conferences, and innovation consulting).
What that means is two days jam-packed with reinvigoration: inspiring workshops, a unique startup competition, fascinating panel discussions, and more than 60 top notch speakers, amongst them Claude Silver, a globally renowned coach, manager, and mentor (and the very first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, a digital agency which works with Shell, Toyota, and Unilever!); Bryony Cole, the world’s leading authority on sextech; Petr Ludwig, founder and CEO of the company Procrastination.com, which applies the latest scientific findings in neuroscience and behavioural economics to help individuals and companies in their growth; and Adam Bonnifield, VP of Artificial Intelligence at Airbus and former leader of technology projects for the Obama White House.
Tackling topics such as future society, money and the economy, and the future of business (as well as more ‘human’ topics, including happiness and self-development, the future of relationships, and productivity), the presenters will act as a catalyst – helping us refresh and rejuvenate our lives, inspiring and motivating us to move forward into the future.
“All we want is to remind people that the only way is forward. The main mission of this edition of Reflect is to connect those eager to be a part of the inevitable reset of the way we live and conduct business,” say organisers who, in the three short years since the Festival’s inception, have taken Reflect from a boutique happening of 350 attendees, to a globally renowned event which attracts the best of the best in terms of speakers, participants and tech (including, in 2019, the world’s first human Android citizen, Sophia the Robot, Hanson Robotics’ most advanced human-like robot!).
Held in Limassol – “arguably a business hub of the region, complete with numerous internationally renowned companies” – at the Carob Mill, Reflect will be taking place on October 8 and 9: a clever amalgam of the physical and the digital. “Reflect Festival’s core driving force has always been a deep appreciation of Cyprus and its people,” acknowledges co-founder Stylianos Lambrou. “We founded Reflect with the aim of connecting inspirational people from all around the world for the sake of Cyprus and its development. But with the coronavirus outbreak threatening lives of the most vulnerable among us, Reflect Festival will have a digital version for the first time, tailored for those who are not ready to travel this year.”
Always adaptable, always moving forward, Reflect is now taking place in both a physical and virtual format, and expects to see more than 3000 attendees. Half that number will be able to physically attend the festival, while the rest will be digitally present but certainly not missing out – “digital pass holders will be able to watch the presentations in real-time, ask questions, and interact with other attendees and enjoy special virtual experiences and events,” organisers reveal.
It’s a format which not only ensures safety, but has also allowed organisers to “deliver on our promise of the best and biggest Reflect yet: enhancing our existing programme, sourcing more world-class speakers and helpful partners, and inviting an interesting mix of both local and international attendees.”
Working in close partnership with the Festival’s Platinum Sponsors (the Research Promotion Centre and the Cyprus Government), Reflect 2020 aims to challenge our new reality, helping us adapt to a future that’s now more uncertain than ever, but not without possibility. Our world may change, and we must adapt. How? By Reflecting on the past and Moving Forward into a better, brighter, future!
Reflect Festival takes place on October 8 and 9. Participants can attend either physically or digitally. For more information and bookings, visit https://reflectfest.com/
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