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​PATRICK SCHWERDTFEGER

Futurist and leading authority on technology trends including big data, artificial intelligence and social media

Meet ​Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Patrick has been a full-time professional speaker since 2007. He got his start after his podcast (focused on mortgages and the real estate industry) gained popularity in 2006. During the ‘mortgage meltdown’ and ensuing financial crisis, he was interviewed regularly on the mainstream media and soon began speaking at business events and conferences. He covered developments in the collapsing real estate market and, before long, spoke about the burgeoning field of podcasting and social media as well.

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign gained traction in 2007. It was the first presidential campaign driven by social media, and Patrick began covering that topic with increasing frequency. His “Social Media Victories: Real Businesses, Real Campaigns, Real Results” program would end up taking him to hundreds of events all around the world. He became best known for his tactical and energizing keynotes about technology and digital marketing.
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Today, Patrick is a futurist specializing in technology trends. He’s the founder of Trend Mastery Inc. and host of the Strategic Business Insights video blog. Trend Mastery is a strategic consulting agency, identifying a world of transformational opportunities, and Strategic Business Insights has over 20,000 subscribers and four million views on YouTube. Patrick works as an independent business analyst, following technology trends and sharing his insights with clients around the world.

Suggested Speaking Topics

Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
The explosion of big data technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) have led to dramatic advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies are fueling innovation in predictive analytics, autonomous vehicles, virtual reality and countless other fields. Patrick has accumulated dozens of case histories and success stories in a variety of different industries, allowing him to explain the trends in a way that people understand. His technology keynotes don’t get into technical specifications. Instead, they highlight trends and strategies for executive and managerial audiences.

Blockchain Protocol and Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin was the first application of blockchain protocol. Since 2009 when it was officially launched, the bitcoin blockchain has never been hacked. This distributed public ledger technology is now finding its way into hundreds of different applications. Its popularity is part of a larger trend from centralized to decentralized structures. Ironically, the industries that are most threatened by blockchain technology (banks, insurance companies and other financial services) are the ones investing in it most aggressively. Patrick explains the risks as well as the opportunities that today’s executives need to know.

Embracing Disruptive Innovation
Disruptive innovation invalidates existing business models. That’s why it’s become so important for executives around the world. Technology is evolving along an exponential curve. Entire industries are collapsing as new (mostly digital) business models provide better outcomes for fewer dollars. Disruptive innovation generally comes from the edges of industries, not the center. It comes from ‘adjacent markets’ often catching executives by surprise. Patrick dissects the topic and leaves attendees with a series of questions they can use to spot possible threats and also opportunities within their business models.

Marketing Strategy and Social Media
Marketing has been forever changed by the Internet and social media, but online channels are converging with offline channels. The secret to successful marketing is to convey compelling stories on both online and offline channels simultaneously. This is done with (1) event-based ‘launch’ campaigns or (2) ongoing ‘drip’ campaigns. Patrick has dozens of fascinating and entertaining success stories for each strategy. His programs leave attendees inspired to revolutionize their businesses with cutting-edge marketing techniques.