VOICES 2020 — BoF's ANNUAL GATHERING FOR BIG THINKERS

VOICES is The Business of Fashion’s annual gathering bringing together the movers, shakers and trailblazers of the global fashion industry and uniting them with the big thinkers, entrepreneurs and inspiring people who are shaping the wider world. Through cross-industry learning and collaboration, VOICES unlocks exciting synergies and forges insights and learning that will transform your outlook on business — and life.

This year, our annual flagship event will be delivered via a live broadcast adapted for the unique circumstances of the Covid-19 era — and BoF Professional and BoF Professional Student members anywhere in the world can take part in this shared global experience as the industry looks ahead to 2021.

THE AGENDA:

Day 1: Tuesday, December 1

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM GMT : THE WIDER WORLD: Making Sense of 2020 and Charting a Way Forward

VOICES always begins by taking a step back and taking stock of the forces shaping the wider world. In this unmissable kick-off session, we gather the world’s most provocative experts, thinkers and activists to make sense of the intersectional forces shaping business, society, creativity and culture. We will grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, growing economic inequality, the climate crisis, technological change and the global racial reckoning, as well as the aftermath of the US Presidential elections, charting a way forward at this historic moment.

SPEAKERS: Laura Spinney, Dambisa Moyo, Kai-Fu Lee, Felix Salmon, Christina Adane, Christopher Wylie, Rashad Robinson.

Day 2: Wednesday, December 2

2:00 PM - 4:45 PM GMT: INSIDE THE FASHION SYSTEM: Addressing the industry’s most important challenges and opportunities

VOICES was the first fashion industry conference to address the industry’s biggest challenges in an unvarnished and honest way. Here, we consider the changes needed in our industry and the exciting opportunities they could bring, from diversity and inclusion to mergers & acquisitions and creative new ways of presenting fashion collections. Plus, be the first to hear the insights from our authoritative annual report, The State of Fashion 2021, created in partnership with McKinsey & Company.

SPEAKERS: Samira Nasr, Sinéad Burke, Remo Ruffini, Kim Jones, Achim Berg.

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM GMT: TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION: Exploring how new technologies will change consumer behaviour

Join a daring group of scientists, technologists and innovators to understand the latest innovations in technology and the way the fashion industry of the future will work. We will examine how consumer behaviour has been radically changed by the Coronavirus pandemic, creating new opportunities and challenges in gaming, virtual worlds, social audio, rental and e-commerce on the African continent.

SPEAKERS: Herman Narula, Paul Davison. Virgil Abloh, Juliet Anammah, Jennifer Hyman, Michael J Wolf.

Day 3: Thursday, December 3

3:00 PM - 4:45 PM GMT: REINVENTING RETAIL: Understanding how forces accelerated by the pandemic are reshaping the retail sector

No part of the fashion industry has been hit as hard by the pandemic as retail. In this special session, we will hear from global experts on how retail is transforming as longstanding industry forces, accelerated by the pandemic, are completely reshaping the fashion retail industry. Learn from the key players who are defining the future of retail, including the last mile of customer service, retail as media and new payments models — as well as a focus on the evolving direct-to-consumer space.

SPEAKERS: Doug Stephens, Rachel Shechtman, José Neves, J. Michael Evans, Will Shu, Sojin Lee, David Bell, Anthony Sperduti.

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM GMT: LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE: Finding the balance, insight and inspiration to be the most authentic, healthy version of yourself

This year, our overall health and well-being have been front of mind as the coronavirus pandemic has spread around the world, infecting more than 50 million people. To conclude VOICES 2020, we learn from health and wellness experts, doctors and scientists to explain the benefits of meditation and the science of sleep, and meet passionate individuals with inspiring life stories to tell to enable you to discover how to be the most authentic and healthy version of yourself at home and at work as well look ahead to 2021.

SPEAKERS: Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, Deepak Chopra, Jonathan Anderson, Anthea Hamilton.

As a BoF Professional member you will have access to:

VOICES Content Sessions

• Live access to all BoF VOICES content sessions from Dec 1-3, 2020
• On-demand access to full BoF VOICES content sessions for one week.

The State of Fashion 2021

• Presentation on The State of Fashion 2021 report, in partnership with McKinsey & Company on Dec 2, 2020

Community and Networking

• Participate in live polling and and submit questions to VOICES speakers as part of the global BoF Professional community

Knowledge and Learning Pack

• Get early access to a digital copy of The State of Fashion 2021

The conversations we have at VOICES are more relevant, necessary and valuable now than ever before. This year we’re moving the VOICES stage from a barn in Oxfordshire into a former fashion retail store in the heart of West London, where over three days we will broadcast a series of provocative talks and interactive discussions designed to open your mind, lift your spirits and take you out of your comfort zone.

VOICES 2020 is made possible in part through partnerships with leading organisations who share our values of global collaboration and learning. Thank you to McKinsey & Company, Affirm and the Savannah College of Art and Design for supporting VOICES 2020.

To experience VOICES 2020 you need to be an existing BoF Professional member —join BoF Professional today.

For full details and more information, please visit the VOICES website