World in 2012 Festival New York, December 1 and 3, 2011
About the event
The World in 2012 Festival is a two-day event that builds on a more than quarter-century of publishing success with The Economist’s annual publication, The World in - a collection of trends and predictions that will shape the year ahead. The World in 2012 Festival brings the publication to life with a forward-thinking programme that balances sophisticated discussion with a provocative cultural experience unlike anything else. Luminaries from business, politics, science, universities, and the arts come together in a live arena to make their predictions and voice their ideas for 2012 and beyond.
Taking place in downtown Manhattan, The World in 2012 Festival will begin on Thursday, December 1st, for “an evening of global politics”, featuring some of today’s leading politics experts discussing three of the world’s most closely-watched 2012 presidential elections—the US, France and Mexico. The following Saturday, the festival continues with six diverse panel sessions, where experts will make predictions and engage in lively discussions on topics ranging from China’s power transition to global debt to the wild world of sport. The World in 2012 Festival is truly a must-attend experience for the culturally and intellectually engaged to hear what today’s top minds think about tomorrow.
Chair Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor, The Economist; Editor, The World in 2012
Speakers Alec Baldwin, Emmy Award-winning actor, “30 Rock” Zanny Minton Beddoes, Economics Editor, The Economist Matthew Bishop, NY Bureau Chief, The Economist Bhaskar Chakravorti, Senior Associate Dean of International Business & Finance, The Fletcher School, Tufts University; Executive Director, Fletcher Institute for Business in the Global Context Dennis Crowley, Co-Founder, CEO, foursquare Tom Easton, US Finance Editor, The Economist Robert Frank, Author, “The High-Beta Rich”; Senior Writer, The Wall Street Journal Brian Gaffney, CEO, Allianz Global Investors Distributors Tavi Gevinson, Founder, Editor in Chief, “The Style Rookie” & Rookie Magazine Martin Giles, Technology Correspondent, The Economist Kal Kallaugher, Political Cartoonist, The Economist Arianna Huffington, President, Editor in Chief, AOL Huffington Post Media Group Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President, President of Global Market Development, Qualcomm Kal Kallaugher, Political Cartoonist, The Economist Nicholas Lardy, Senior Fellow, Peterson International Institute of Economics Kati London, Director of Product, Zynga New York Mary Matalin, Republican Strategist, CNN Alice Lyman Miller, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution Paul Miller (aka “DJ Spooky”), Professor, European Graduate School; Author, “Book of Ice“ Susan Miller, Founder, Astrology Zone; Author, “The World Ahead: 2012” Moby, Musician Saad Mohseni, Chairman, Founder, MOBY Group James Mulvenon, Director, China Division, Defense Group, Inc. Mark Penn, CEO, Burson-Marsteller Ruth Porat, Executive Vice President, CFO, Morgan Stanley Eswar Prasad, Professor of Trade Policy, Cornell University; Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution Judith Rodin, President, The Rockefeller Foundation Dan Rosenheck, Americas Online Editor, Sports Editor, The Economist Robert Rubin, former Secretary, US Department of Treasury; Chair, Council on Foreign Relations Paul Saffo, Managing Director, Discern Analytics Wesley Stace, Musician, Author, “Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer” George Stephanopoulos, GMA Anchor, Chief Political Correspondent, ABC News Travis Tygart, CEO, US Anti-Doping Agency Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Shanghai Bureau Chief, The Economist Carl Walter, Managing Director, COO of China Businesses, JP Morgan; Co-author, "Red Capitalism" Cintra Wilson, Fashion Writer, The New York Times; Author, “Fear and Clothing: Unbuckling America's Fashion Destiny”
Programme
Day one - Thursday, December 1st
Host Alec Baldwin Emmy Award-winning actor, 30 Rock
Venue: The Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts http://www.orensanz.org/foundation.html
6.00 pm Cocktail reception
7.00 pm Welcome remarks: Chairman: Daniel Franklin, Editor, The World in 2012
Welcome remarks and Allianz Global Investors video presentation Sponsor: Brian Gaffney, CEO, Allianz Global Investors Distributors
Gala dinner
8.00 pm On-the-street US election predictions video
Opening remarks Host: Alec Baldwin, Actor, “30 Rock”
8.15 pm Video introduction to US election John Micklethwait, Editor in Chief, The Economist
The US election in 2012
Alec Baldwin, Actor, "30 Rock" Mary Matalin, Republican Strategist, CNN Mark Penn, Chief Executive Officer, Burson-Marsteller
Moderator: George Stephanopoulos, Chief Political Correspondent, ABC News
9.00 pm Musical performance by Moby, followed by an interview
9.30pm Allianz Global Investors video presentation
9.35 pm Introduction to international elections Chairman: Daniel Franklin, Editor, The World in 2012
Video: International Presidential Elections in 2012 Economist editors and correspondents
9.45 pm International elections in 2012 Chairman: Daniel Franklin, Editor, World in 2012
Moderator: Alec Baldwin, Actor, “30 Rock”
10.15 pm Musical performance DJ Spooky
Day two - Saturday, December 3rd
Venue: The Great Hall, Cooper Union http://www.arnewde.com/architecture-design/cooper-union-contemporary-building-by- morphosis/
9.00 am Continental breakfast
9.45 am Introductory remarks Daniel Franklin, Editor, The World in 2012
10.00 am Media in 2012
With new media platforms popping up all the time, the next one always more sophisticated and faster than the last, challenges to things like information authenticity, the quality of journalistic storytelling and user privacy also tend to increase. Considering the revelations this year concerning the mischievous activities of newspapers, television networks, and even social media websites, indeed the future of media – in particular, its relationship with consumers – will be among the most important stories in the coming year.
Arianna Huffington, President, Editor in Chief, AOL Huffington Post Media Group Saad Mohseni, Chair, Founder, MOBY Group
Moderator: Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor, The Economist
10.30 am Sports in 2012
Today, the world of sport casts a wider, more influential cultural and economic net than ever. Not only are athletes and other high-profile sports- industry figures covered prominently and often in international news – some of which elevates the world of sport, some of which, unfortunately, achieves the opposite ends – but the sport landscape now extends far beyond the playing field. Be it a national soccer team’s triumph, a decorated athlete’s doping scandal, or London’s infrastructure challenges in preparing for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, there is no denying that the world of sport impacts millions around the world and will indeed be among the most important stories of the coming year.
TBA Travis Tygart, CEO, US Anti-Doping Agency.
Moderator: Dan Rosenheck, Americas Online Editor, Sports Editor, The Economist
11.00 am Pictures of tomorrow Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President & President of Global Market Development, Qualcomm
11.15 am Networking break
11.45 am The global economy in 2012
As debt continues to cripple governments and citizens around the world, the future we face in the fallout of global overspending and over-borrowing will likely be the most important story of 2012. This is a conversation about what we can expect in the coming year and on whom we can really rely for policies and strategies that will help move the world past the current economic crisis.
Robert Rubin, former Secretary, US Treasury Department; Chair, Council on Foreign Relations Ruth Porat, Executive Vice President, CFO, Morgan Stanley Eswar Prasad, Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy, Cornell University; New Century Chair in International Trade and Economics, Brookings Institution.
Moderator: Zanny Minton Beddoes, Economics Editor, The Economist
12.30 pm The World in 2012 Lunch
2.00 pm Predicting the Future Susan Miller, Author, “The World Ahead 2012”; Founder, Astrology Zone.
Interviewer: Paul Saffo, Founder, Managing Director, Discern Analytics
2.15 pm China in 2012
With China's political and economic interests growing stronger and more diversified each year, developments in PRC leadership, most notably 2012's expected power transition, will be among the most important and closely watched stories in the coming year. From its diplomatic relationships to its human rights responses to its less than transparent defense modernisation, what China does – and doesn’t do – doesn’t just impact the rest of the world, it shapes it.
Nicholas Lardy, Senior Fellow, Peterson International Institute for Economics James Mulvenon, Director, China Division, Center for Intelligence Research & Analysis Alice Lyman Miller, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University Carl Walter, Managing Director, COO of China Businesses, JP Morgan; Co- author, "Red Capitalism"
Moderator: Tom Easton, US Finance Editor, The Economist
3.00 pm The rich in 2012 Robert Frank, Author, “The High-Beta Rich”; Senior Writer, The Wall Street Journal
Interviewer: Matthew Bishop, New York Bureau Chief, The Economist
3.15 pm Networking break
3.45 pm Music in 2012 Wesley Stace, aka John Wesley Harding, Musician, Author, “Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer” Paul Miller, aka DJ Spooky, Musician, Professor, Author, “Book of Ice“
Moderator: Martin Giles, Technology Correspondent, The Economist
4.15 pm Youth in 2012 Tavi Gevinson, Founder, Editor in Chief and writer, Rookie and “The Style Rookie”
Moderator: Cintra Wilson, Contributor, The New York Times; Author, “Fear and Clothing: Unbuckling America's Fashion Destiny” (2012)
4.30 pm Technology in 2012
Advances in technology are an economic priority inextricably linked to human progress and economic viability—both, on a micro individual level, as well as a macro global one. Here, discussion will focus on how entrepreneurs, businesses and governments not only encourage the development of next generation technology but also work to earn mass acceptance of it. Also, in what countries and industries are technological advances flourishing? Where is there stagnation—and why? What are the short and long-term consequences?
Dennis Crowley, CEO, Co-founder, foursquare Kati London, Director of Product, Zynga New York Paul Saffo, Founder, Managing Director, Discern Analytics
Moderator: Martin Giles, US Technology Correspondent, The Economist
5.15 pm Innovation in 2012 debate (sponsored by BMW Group)
Proposition: Innovation is over
Defending the motion: Tyler Cowen, Professor, George Mason University; Author, “The Great Stagnation”
Against the motion: Bhaskar Chakravorti, Senior Associate Dean of International Business & Finance, The Fletcher School, Tufts University; Executive Director, Fletcher Institute for Business in the Global Context
Moderator: Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Shanghai Bureau Chief, The Economist
5.45 pm Drawing conclusions Kal Kallaugher, Political Cartoonist, The Economist
5.55 pm Closing remarks Daniel Franklin, Editor, The World in 2012
6.00 pm End of festival