Cyprus Mail 10 September 2020 - by Alix Norman
In just a few weeks, there’ll be a festival in your home as the Reflect Festival – the region’s largest future casting festival – goes completely digital!
Taking place annually, Reflect is a three-day event showcasing the expertise of skilled futurists from all over the world – the people who not only know what changes will come, but also when, and how we can best prepare. It’s a festival that’s all about moving forward – about rediscovering our dreams, and building our skills for a better, brighter future. As the largest event of its kind in the region, it will connect businesspeople, corporates, startups, academia, entrepreneurs, students, and tech & science enthusiasts, both local and international, and paint a holistic picture of our severely disrupted future, be it technological advancements, next steps after the crisis, or the environment around us.
In past years, it’s been held at the Carob Mill in Limassol, and attracted thousands of attendees both local and international, as well as many of the world’s very best futurists. But this year, thanks to corona, both venue and format have changed and we’re looking at what may well be the future of festival going: a wildly immersive, totally digital experience…
“Reflect Festival, a future-casting event with Cypriot roots, will take place at the home of each participant this year,” say the organising team, led by Stylianos and Andria Lambrou, and Dusan Duffek.
“We decided to move the event solely to virtual space amid the growing number of Covid-19 cases,” says Stylianos. “Until the very last minute, we hoped a physical event would be possible this year, but that would be simply irresponsible. Nevertheless, we are going ahead with a rich festival program online, and we remain dedicated to our mission to (re)connect people who can shape change.”
Taking place over the course of three days on October 8, 9 and 10, this moderated, entertaining program will run from a virtual studio in Limassol. “We are working hard to prepare an experience I’d compare to your favourite talk show,” says Stylianos. “It will be dynamic, it will be fun, and it will include opportunities to network and arrange meetings as well!”
What that means is three days jam-packed with reinvigoration and innovation, in which both speakers from all over the world and Cypriot thought leaders will tackle topics such as future society, money and the economy, and the future of business (as well as more ‘human’ topics, including happiness and self-development, the future of relationships, and productivity).
These presenters will include Claude Silver, a globally renowned coach, manager, and mentor; Bryony Cole, the world’s leading authority on sextech; Petr Ludwig, founder and CEO of the company Procrastination.com, which applies the latest scientific findings in neuroscience and behavioural economics to help individuals and companies in their growth; and John Vervaeke, Psychology and Cognitive Science Professor at University of Toronto, renowned for his application of both science and spirituality on solving the meaning crisis.
The festival will also include a unique startup competition supported by Research Innovation & Foundation and Invest Cyprus, and entitled the Reflect Impact Awards 2020. “With the vision of promoting our magnificent island worldwide as an ideal heart of business activities and expansion, Reflect Impact Awards are giving the opportunity to hundreds of startups around the globe to participate and present their novel ideas which will add impact to our challenging future,” say the organisers. “The aim of the Reflect Festival is to build on an innovation ecosystem that will continuously embrace development in all its manifestations and become a pillar of sustainable growth.” More than 200 international startups have already applied.
“Cyprus is booming with incentives and opportunities for businesses, and we are happy to shed some light on those companies which truly deserve it,” Stylianos says. “This edition’s main mission is to connect those eager to be a part of the inevitable reset of the way we live and conduct business and, while we’re happy that there is a way to meet even during a pandemic, we also can’t wait to gather our community in flesh for the 2021 physical edition! At Reflect Festival, we’re all about reminding people the only way is forward – into the future!”
More information about the speakers and programme can be found at www.reflectfest.com. Tickets can also be purchased from the website, and one lucky winner will be picked for a trip to Cyprus with a ticket for 2021 Reflect included