Recent history has proven that business disruption via new technology can be rapid and unforgiving. You only have to look at the way industries like music and the media have been totally transformed over the last decade or so.
Even titans such as Apple, who disrupted the music industry with iTunes is now facing disruption from music streaming services.
Meanwhile, startups and entrepreneurs around the world are dreaming of new ways to address old businesses; Uber and the taxi industry, AirBnB for hotels, even local examples such as Camplify for caravans and motorhomes.
The problem is that many organisations are not evolving their business models to adapt to such a rapidly changing world. Many are still in the relatively early stages of transitioning from industrially driven to digitally driven strategies and operational models. And they risk being left behind or becoming redundant.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Hunter Region where businesses are really lagging in the adoption of new technology to the point that, almost 25 years after the arrival of the internet, only 57 per cent of Hunter companies have a dedicated website, while just 37 per cent of companies use social media to market their business, according to a recent survey conducted by the Hunter Research Foundation.
The threat of disruption is very real and should no longer be ignored by Hunter businesses, but the opportunity and potential is significant for those who embrace change and reject the status quo.
That is why “Digital Disruption and Transformation” is the theme for DiG Festival 2015. This year’s event will feature leading experts from around the world and will provide attendees with a framework to navigate change, not only to survive, but to thrive in the new economy.
Topics include:
- To disrupt or be disrupted: New thinking for digital success
- Go Disrupt Yourself. The Seven Unbelievable Rules for Survival
- Is work a place? Creating a company & culture without an office
- Innovation through Inclusion
- Working with Millennials: Should we adapt business practices for them?
- When Social Media Erupts
- How Crowdsourcing Can Transform Your Business
- Throw Away Your Servers: Finding An Affordable IT Infrastructure In The Cloud
- Blogging for Business
This is information that no small business owner or manager can afford to miss if they want to stay competitive and relevant in a rapidly changing business world.
