Save the date! More information is coming soon! Highlights from the Kick-off session: The kick-off session featured short practitioner journeys shared by Diana and Bülent, followed by collaborative breakout talks where participants share struggles, challenges, learnings, and practical tricks around the business of foresight. Diana shared five key learnings from her journey with foresight: 1. Foresight was a language problem before it was a business model. “If your society doesn't even have the words (In Romanian language “futures” is an archaism!), how do you create the conversation?” 2. Foresight grew in the cracks. It rarely entered through the front door. “I found my way in through strategy, innovation, design thinking projects, trend studies, and hybrids. Displaying enthusiasm helped!” 3. Building a foresight practice takes patience and strategy. Consistent in positioning, from "vitamin" to "pill". 4. Education is both investment and differentiation. “Solid training gave me credibility in a market where foresight wasn't known - and continues to set me apart.” 5. Community amplifies practice. ”Being part of APF and the global foresight community opened doors: learning what projects others do, collaborating, and bringing international foresight voices into Romania (and myself abroad).” Then, Bülent shared five ways he found for weaving foresight into his practice: 1. B2B: Embedding Foresight activities in Strategy projects 2. B2B: Embedding Foresight in Leadership Development programs 3. B2B: Productized service - Keynote speech 4. B2B: Embedding Foresight activities in Product/Platform projects 5. And, finally B2C: Open workshops for practicing Foresight tools

The United Nations is a leader in doing foresight within its operations and promoting foresight and the foresight ecosystem among Member States. The UN led the world's largest government foresight effort in history, with its vision and agenda-setting processes leading to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN Secretary-General’s Office established the UN Futures Lab with widespread efforts to promote the use and coherence of futures thinking and strategic foresight initiatives across the UN, UN Global Pulse supports the transformation of the UN through strengthening innovation capabilities, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) work includes building anticipatory capabilities to better respond to risk, uncertainty and opportunities in the future. Other UN bodies such as UNESCO and the regional Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean promote foresight in agencies and Parliaments. The December 4 session will feature UN officials discussing such topics as: an overview of the evolution and current status of the exciting foresight developments in the UN System as well as specific examples of foresight-related activities. Officials from the UN Futures Lab, UNDP and UN Global Pulse will enhance your understanding of how the UN works to enable dynamic vision and strategy development.

Join the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) for a special APF Connects session — an informal networking gathering designed to bring together members and friends of APF ahead of the Dubai Future Forum 2025. ​This pre-event meetup is a chance to connect with some of the most inspiring futures thinkers and practitioners from around the world. As we gather in Dubai, we’ll take a moment to meet and exchange, nurturing the meaningful relationships and collaborations that fuel our shared work in shaping better futures. ​Whether you’re attending the Forum for the first time or returning to reconnect with colleagues, APF Connects offers a space for conversation, curiosity, and community before the big event begins.

We’re excited to invite all members of our global community to an informal virtual meet & greet — a relaxed space to connect, exchange ideas, and get to know the people behind the profiles. Board members will also join to welcome everyone, share a bit about current initiatives, and engage in open conversation.

Join us for the first-ever APF MENA Townhall. This is a welcoming session to introduce our regional vision and hear from APF MENA members about their community needs and expectations. This is a space for MENA Members to connect, contribute, and shape how we grow as a regional community. The event is hosted by Heba Alhadyian, APF MENA Regional Developer.

The Association of Professional Futurists (APF) is strengthening its European footprint through a new series of regional gatherings. Our aim is to build a vibrant, Europe-flavored community of foresight practitioners: from business, public policy, academia, and beyond. Europe has a long and diverse tradition of futures work, with strong practices across countries and sectors. Yet there is still a need to connect these communities, share learnings, and address the professionalization of foresight as a discipline. Our first series of events is dedicated to the Business of Foresight - exploring how practitioners create, explain, and sustain foresight work. Future sessions will bring in diverse voices and themes relevant to the European context. This new series - created and hosted by Diana Stafie (APF Board Member) and Bülent Duagi (APF member, Reading Club lead) - will over time bring in the voices and contributions of various experts in the field. The kick-off session will feature short practitioner journeys, followed by collaborative breakout labs where participants share struggles, challenges, learnings, and practical tricks — and co-create a living guide to the business of foresight. We invite all APF members and foresight practitioners considering joining APF to take part in shaping this community.

Join us for a special gathering of APF members across Oceania! This townhall will be a great time to connect with fellow Oceania members, share ideas, and help us strenghten the Oceania regional connection. This event will be hosted by Steve Tighe, James Balzer & Huong Nguyen.

The Association of Professional Futurists (APF) is delighted to partner with OCAD University in The Futures of Creativity and Compassion. This is the first APF event in Toronto since 2010 and will gather together practitioners working at the intersection of futures, design, system change to explore transformational futures. The program will feature a dynamic blend of engaging panels, interactive workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. Attendees can look forward to thought-provoking experiential futures performances and unconference sessions for emergent conversations. These elements will provide a platform for participants to explore innovative approaches to creativity and compassion in future scenarios. The event will leverage OCAD University's expertise in art, design, and media education, as well as its commitment to fostering innovation across various disciplines.

This interactive dialogue will invite participants to use Zen and Daoism to peel the philosophical layers of the facilitation of uncertainty in organizations, and thus to peel the layers of our “self” as facilitators. Together, we will ground ourselves in the present to meditate on the most foundational yet hidden tenets behind the investigation of our futures. We may or may not call this practice foresight.

John Blackburn will share insights from his extensive work on Australia's national resilience and security in the face of climate change, pandemics, economic crises, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical instability. Drawing on his leadership roles within prominent Institutes and the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, he will highlights the complex, interconnected nature of modern risks and the urgent need for comprehensive national risk assessments. John will outline the challenges posed by disinformation, declining public trust, and fragmented governmental approaches, emphasising the necessity for transparent, coordinated strategies at federal and state levels. Through real-world examples, including Australia’s recent experiences with bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic, he underscores the importance of proactive preparedness rather than reactive measures. John aims to galvanise collective action, reinforcing that resilience is achievable through coordinated efforts and strategic foresight—even in the most chaotic of environments.

Mike will demonstrate PreEmpt.life's unique, market leading, participative and democratic, Strategic Foresight system that can deliver full futures studies in hours compared to the many team months required today, and where he sees AI going in futures thinking. He will show how PreEmpt's system ensures humans are in control and capable of making far more robust, cost effective, and agile decisions than ever before and how futurists can considerably up their game with clients.

To accommodate members across different time zones, we will be holding two separate sessions: - Session 1: July 21st at 10:00 a.m. CET - Session 2: July 23rd at 3:00 p.m. CET Please choose the session that best suits your location and availability. Curious about volunteering with the APF? Have questions about what to expect, how to get started, or where you can make the biggest impact? Join us for an open Q&A session where our team will answer(collect) your questions about volunteering — from available roles and time commitments to the values that drive our mission. Whether you're a new member, thinking about getting involved, or just want to learn more, this is a great chance to connect & ask questions.