Planning for 2025? Talk to a futurist

Tom Cheesewright and Nadine Dereza on stage at the Adare SEC conference at Salford’s Lowry Theatre, taken by Kat Toft.

"So first Tom, can you tell me, what does a futurist actually do?"

This has become the second most common question I get asked again recently*. It’s been a while since I’ve done this here (and to my email recipients), so I figured I ought to have a go at explaining, but through the lens of what I can do for you.

A lot of you are probably starting to think about 2025 already. And there are lots of ways that I, as a futurist might be able to help.

1. Talks that inspire and engage staff, customers, or prospects

A lot of my work is public speaking. The future is always a fascinating subject - especially if what the person on stage is speaking about is *your* future.

That's what I do. I create tailored talks for every audience, whether it's the opening keynote, a staff away day, or a customer dinner - or for that matter, a webinar. I aim to leave every audience with a tool they can take away, and three or four provocations to think differently when they go back to their day job.

If you're organising an event for 2025 and you're looking for a speaker, then drop me a line. Even if I'm not the right fit, one of my fellow Pomona Partners speakers might be.

2. Campaigns that capture the imagination

I work with brands and marketing agencies to tell exciting stories of the future. From campaign inception, to content, and delivery, I've worked with loads of big brands from Deliveroo to HSBC. From comments for a press release, through to in-depth extended research papers, video content and spokesperson duties. With more than 2000 broadcast interviews behind me, I'm a safe pair of hands on air!

If you're planning PR and marketing campaigns for 2025 and want to do something a bit different and future-focused then give me a shout.

3. Foresight and strategy consulting

Brands seek my input when they're thinking about the future. I give trends input at the early stages of new product development. I teach executives how to use foresight tools as part of their planning. And I research, write, and present to boards and leadership teams to give them a different perspective.

If you're coming up to a big strategy event, and want some input, or some new tools to use, drop me a line and we can talk.

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*The most common question is still: “What should I teach my kids to prepare them for tomorrow’s world?“ or some variation on that.