It’s not for us to declare victory – it’s up to our speakers, moderators, participants and partners to say what was achieved at this year’s all-virtual Drucker Forum. Happily, comments and surveys agree – it was a resounding success. Up to us, then, to express our gratitude: many thanks to all who contributed!

 

Yes, we are eager to resume in-person gatherings, but our eyes were opened by the 2020 experience. Panels took on new intensity and directness in the online space, thanks in great part to participants’ active involvement in Zoom chat and Slido. We came away with richer digital assets — if you participated, you gained immediate access to replays (also available to all who have opted for Drucker Society membership). We, and you, expanded our community with a program of unprecedented scope – and, dare we say it, hope.

All this is already informing the design of next year’s Forum, which will combine in-person and virtual tracks on November 17–19 under the theme of “The Human Imperative: Navigating Uncertainty in the Digital World.” Fair warning: in 2021, we’ll be challenging the fashionable notion that elites should seize on the catastrophe of Covid as an opportunity to force a “great reset.” Societies and economies are not machines: efforts to fundamentally reengineer them top down always create havoc, as many revolutions have shown. This is a time to apply Drucker’s wisdom on the art of balancing continuity and change.

Richard Straub
Founder & President
Global Peter Drucker Forum