Hottest Trends In Business Give Entrepreneurs And Leaders The Edge At The Emirates Airline Festival Of Literature

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (4-9 February), is set to reveal the hottest trends shaping industry with a range of sessions to help the region’s entrepreneurs and business leaders look to the future and get ahead.

Ahlam Bolooki, Festival Director, said: “We are excited about the bigger picture the emerges when you listen to a range of our speakers. On their own, they open your eyes and offer insight into the specific, but when you listen to multiple sessions and add all the ideas together, it has potential to be truly life changing.”

Bestselling business author and motivational speaker Jonathan Yabut came to fame after winning Apprentice Asia and will be in Dubai with his story of hard work and perseverance, showing how sheer grit can fuel business success. He shares the secrets of how to increase productivity, energy and confidence, bringing leadership skills to the next level.

The world’s obsession with celebrity and how it drives business will be examined by Jeetendr Sehdev, author of The Kim Kardashian Principle, which was named one of the year’s most influential books by the Huffington Post. Sehdev will discuss why the old marketing strategies are no longer working, revealing the six new rules for success in today’s social media reality, and how the route to Kim Kardashian-sized success is through exposing your flaws, vulnerability and personal authenticity.

With 4.5 billion people, Asia is the most populous continent, making the world 60 percent Asian. The picture of Asia taking shape now spans from Saudi Arabia to Japan, Russia and Turkey to Indonesia, linked through trade, finance, infrastructure and diplomatic networks that together represent 40 per cent of global GDP. Global Strategy Advisor Parag Khanna says the Future is Asian and explains how the collective resurgence of Asia will bring new values around business, politics and society.

A vast cultural movement is emerging from outside the Western world and challenging America’s soft power dominance. Author and journalist Fatima Bhutto takes a look at this new global pop culture, profiling Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, by many measures the world’s most popular movie star; going behind the scenes of Magnificent Century, Turkey’s biggest TV show, watched by upwards of 200 million across 43 countries; and travelling to South Korea, where K-Pop started it all and “Gangnam Style” became the first billion-viewed YouTube video.

Known as the “Millionaire’s Mentor” whose clients include Joe Wicks – The Body Coach and vegan superstars BOSH!, Bev James is a highly sought-after literary and talent agent, in addition to being a bestselling author in her own right. With a passion for helping people hone their unique message, monetise their passion and maximise their business opportunities, her dynamic and interactive session will give the chance to learn the key strategies of how to build the seed of an idea into a successful venture.

With the fast-paced changes to the workplace, The Possibilities Project is the ultimate handbook for self-discovery, independence and success, a one-stop-shop for career-readiness and well-being. How to second-guess which roles and skills will be needed in the future will be revealed by three of the project’s dynamic contributors. Get the knowledge from communication educator and award-winning radio/TV presenter and speaker Anna Al Qasimi-Roberts, journalist, writer and Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East Aby Sam Thomas and entrepreneur, CTO and Forbes 30 Under 30 Mashal Waqar, chaired by workplace culture expert Dawn Metcalfe.

Internationally recognised campaigner and sustainability advisor Tony Juniper CBE argues that 100% of our economic development and wellbeing is based upon the services nature provides for us. Yet we take most of nature’s services for granted, imagining them free and limitless until they suddenly switch off.  Hear his thoughts on how new business models can change the way we think about life, the planet and the economy.

Juniper also discusses whether there is a choice between nature and economic development with Roma Agrawal, the author of Built: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Structures, which reveals the extraordinary secret lives of structures through the lens of an engineer. They consider how the buildings we will live and work in and the cities of tomorrow will be shaped by several major trends, including urbanisation, globalisation and climate change along with Saeed Al Gergawi, Director of Dubai Future Academy, an organisation dedicated to preparing industry pioneers in the UAE for creating a better future.

There are also masterclasses on leadership, career development, building confidence skills, the impact of culture on business, and even the opportunity to learn how the ancient art of Feng Shui can put your business on track. The Business Days and the Innovation Strand are sponsored by Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD).

The Festival is held with Founding Partners Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.

To buy tickets and for the full list of authors, visit http://www.emirateslitfest.com/shop

More information about the Emirates Literature Foundation can be found online and year-round news about #EmiratesLitFest is available on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.