TBT Events: How Gen Z influences business behaviour

Top Business Tech’s September webinar will discuss the evolution of technology, how this has impacted Gen Z, and in turn, the modern workplace. 

Top Business Tech is back with another webinar, How the digital nomad generation influences business behaviour. The event will take place on Tuesday 28 September 2021, 10:00 – 11:00 BST.

Click here to register for the virtual event

For so many of us, we can still recall a life where technology was not so heavily interlaced into our everyday. But, while many of us can remember the days of a dial-up connection, floppy disks, and flip phones, a generation of digital nomads are rising, who have spent infancy with smartphones in their hands.

As we pair the digital fluency of Generation Z and its subsequent generations with the acceleration of digital transformation across all sectors in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it is no surprise that the standard working model has given way to remote and hybrid work. 

With new benefits come new challenges

While the benefits are considerable, a new set of security concerns has been added to the plate of technology decision-makers, who must contend with cloud security threats; the lack of firewalls and blacklisted IP addresses, and bring your own device (BYOD) considerations. In our latest webinar, Top Business Tech will catch up with several thought leaders who provide their thoughts on the shifting landscape.

Our panel
Connor Blakley, Entrepreneur and Gen Z specialist

Connor Blakley is a 21-year-old entrepreneur from Cleveland, Ohio. Blakley created and pioneered the Gen-Z-led youth marketing industry by founding his first company YouthLogic (Acquired 19′).

Blakley started his speaking career by having his friends drive him to events and across state lines to speak for free when he was 15. Since then, Blakley has taken the stage as a keynote speaker or panellist for many of the top brands, governments, conferences, non-profits, and associations like T-Mobile, Viacom, Association of National Advertisers, PepsiCo, Darden, Mccormick, The National Hockey League and more. In addition, he enjoys talking about youth culture, trends, Gen Z, Influencers, and entrepreneurship.

Blakley was named the #1 Gen Z expert by Forbes, and is the youngest person named Adweek Young Influential. He has also been seen in Wired, Mashable, The Washington Post, BBC, and more.

Julia Robson, Founder and CEO of DNMK Esports. Brand Ambassador at Acer Africa & Predator Gaming 

Julia Robson founded the first female-owned Esports Organization in South Africa, DNMK Esports, in May 2020. It is currently ranked amongst the top three organizations in the country.

Julia currently represents Acer Africa, Predator Gaming, and Epos Gaming Audio as a local gaming brand ambassador and professional esports competitor, which Adidas ZA sponsors.

Roberson is a former Oral Health undergraduate student at the University of Western Cape with a passion for Esports, technology, and business.

Previously affiliated partners include MSI & LG Electronics South Africa.

Josephine Hansom, Managing Director: Insight, YouthSight

Josephine Hansom heads up the Insight side of YouthSight, namely the Brand and Higher Education market research teams. She joined the company in 2013 and immediately hit the ground running, winning over clients such as Sky, Channel 4, Sport England, Ofcom, and Endsleigh.  In 2014/5, Josephine launched State of the Youth Nation, a subscription-based tracking study providing clients access to the most up-to-date youth trends and data.

Josephine began her market research career in 2001.  Her first five years were in social research, managing evaluation projects for clients such as the Home Office, DECC, DCLG, Ofsted, and BIS. In 2006 she joined GfK and started providing market research to clients including BMW, Google, Facebook, BT and BBC.

 Josephine is a regular on the research and youth marketing conference circuits, having presented at the MRS Conference, the SRA Conference, ESOMAR 3D, the YMS Youth Marketing Strategy Conferences. She has also attended and contributed to regular press interviews, including guesting on Radio 4’s The Bottom Line on ‘Selling to Millennials.’ 

Josephine holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from King’s College London and a BSc in Social Psychology from Loughborough University. She is a Certified Member of the Market Research Society.

Dr Paul Redmond, Director of Student Experience and Enhancement, University of Liverpool

Dr Paul Redmond, author, keynote speaker, employment guru, is one of the UK’s leading experts on generational change and the future of work.

As one of the UK’s leading experts on employment markets, the impact of artificial intelligence and the changing world of work, Paul has presented at hundreds of conferences and events worldwide. In addition to writing regularly for national newspapers and other publications, he is a frequent guest on both radio and TV, appearing on numerous BBC and independent news and current affairs programmes.

As the Director of Student Experience and Enhancement at the University of Liverpool, Paul has held visiting lectureships at various other leading universities. Paul’s research into ‘Generation Y’ (aka ‘Millennials’) and their ‘Helicopter Parents’ has garnered him praise and respect from various national and international organisations. He provides consultancy on how to manage, motivate and engage with today’s five working generations.

Paul is the author of numerous books, reports and studies, including the best-selling ‘The Graduate Jobs Formula.’ In recognition of his writing and research, in 2010, Paul was awarded a Fellowship of the British Royal Society of Arts.

Click here to register for the virtual event

READ MORE:

We welcome all technology leaders and enthusiasts to the event, where we will host an open Q&A. We hope to see you on Tuesday 28th September at 10:00.  

Interested in joining the panel at our next event? Drop a line to our event manager, Lucy Rowley, at lrowley@belumedia.com. 

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Amber Donovan-Stevens

Amber is a Content Editor at Top Business Tech

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