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Answering this question even a few weeks after TEDxBrusselsChange is easy.
No. It will not.

Europe is teeming with ideas and innovative solutions. There is a pervasive spirit that constantly pushes for new ways of thinking, new ways of acting, and new ways of making an impact. The video below will give you a feel of these things as experienced at TEDxBrusselsChange.

In line with this spirit, a number of great projects tackling health-related issues have been born. One of these was very much inspired by Lode Dewulf's talk on Breaking Pregnancy Taboos, which led to my involvement in setting up a coalition: http://www.pregnancytaboos.org that aims to tackle the issue of pregnancy and medication.

With events like TEDxBrussels and TEDxBrusselsChange giving rise to initiatives that can actually make a difference, who would want the positive disruption to end?

The International Association of Business Communicators’ EuroComm 2013 in Brussels drew to a close a few days ago. And, predictably enough, given all the planning and hard work that went into preparing it, the event was a resounding success. The conference slogan – Disruptive Communication for Disruptive Times – sought to convey both the inescapable uncertainties and the huge opportunities that face professional communicators who are seeking a way to convey their messages through the (dis)information blizzard.

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If I told you that with one mouse click you could impact change, would you believe me? Chances are you wouldn’t.

But Julie Dixon, Deputy Director of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication, would have you believe that you could.

Watch the full live stream video from TEDxChange 2013.

At the core of Julie’s talk at TEDxChange 2013 is the notion that in a world where everyone is interconnected by social media, personal influence is a currency that is just as valuable as money.

She asserts that by simply liking a campaign, sharing a photo or video, signing a petition, writing a blog, or supporting a crowd-funded campaign and asking people to take action, you leverage your influence and reach out to other people in your network. These people can potentially influence others; share their money, time or other resources that will enable the success of the cause.

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Communicators from around the region will gather in Brussels from April 10-12 this year for Eurocomm 2013. The event will focus on “Disruptive Communication for Disruptive Times” as communicators are continuously facing change in their environment, tools, and their very companies.

Being held in Brussels, the event presents an opportunity to look at how the Commission and Parliament are adapting to change and to ask questions about the upcoming elections.

For several years, ZN has been actively involved in IABC, with several members on the Belgian board as well as in the region. “It is a great opportunity to meet fellow communicators, find out about their challenges and learn from each other,” says Philip Weiss, IABC Chair for Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Eurocomm will have 18 minute inspiring talks (borrowed from TED), a Pecha Kucha style event – where everyone can put their story forward – and hands-on workshops that IABC is known for.

Find out more about Eurocomm and register today.

As always, the ZN’s team of Hyperthinkers have been hard at work. Their heads becoming so hot with ideas that it would blind an infrared camera and boil the kettle from a distance. Here’s a look at some of the things they’ve been up to:

Animal Testing Perspectives – Animal testing is a controversial issue and one that is difficult for the general public to fully grasp.

That’s why the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), together with ZN, created a space that could help people understand the nuances surrounding the issues – including the link between research and health/healthcare benefits – and where an honest and balanced debate could take place.

The website has two sub campaigns. The first relates to new EU rules that will require scientists to publish research summaries online. It aims to bring more transparency by asking what information people want to see. Have a look at research studies in plain words.

The second has to do with the increasing pressure to end animal research in Europe. If no more animals would be tested on in Europe, what would the ramifications of this policy be? Would animal testing become a major industry elsewhere? For this reason, Animal Testing Perspectives is launching a page to discuss all the potential side effects. To find out more, visit Shall it stay or shall it go?

James Elles – James Elles is a member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Parliament’s Budget committee and substitutes for many others. He is also the founder and chair of the Transatlantic Policy Network and co-founder of the European Internet Foundation. Now that you’ve seen his resume, we can agree that “government elite” is a pretty accurate description. So why is ZN involved with an EU politician?

In addition to providing communication strategies for companies and associations, we also provide services for… people! We recently gave Mr. Elles’ site a makeover and made him more accessible to the people. Take a look at  http://www.jameselles.com.

IABC – If you are in the business of communications, you will be familiar with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). No? Well, it is really big network that helps “practitioners” (people in the biz) connect and share knowledge.

It currently has 16,000 members, and guess who chairs the Europe and Middle East region? Our very own Chief Hyperthinker, Philip Weiss! In an effort to give IABC Europe a facelift, we gave its website a good do-over too! You can see the result on europe.iabc.com.

If you would like to know more about IABC, Phil wrote about his experiences and the benefits of joining the association on his hyperthinker.eu blog.

ZN is currently working on many other exciting projects, so stay tuned for more news!

This year, 2 000+ TEDx-sters descended on Bozar and 20 000+ tuned-in online for another great edition of TEDxBrussels.  Just like the theme, it kicked off with a BANG!  Steve Wozniak gave the opening speech, Scala and the Kolacny Brothers graced us with their angelic voices, and, one after the other, amazing speakers shared unexpected stories!  Just brilliant.

If you’ve been following the progression of TEDxBrussels over the last 4 years, you will have noticed a subtle shift from “sharing ideas” to doing them.  This was made more visible this year’s with the REMIXit! campaign, which enabled TEDx-sters to participate in the creation of ideas… and this is only the beginning!  Next year we are planning to bring a greater variety of disciplines to TEDxBrussels by inviting philosophers and social scientists!  Plus, we are going to help TEDx-sters meet each other and network.

TEDxBrussels is becoming a more influential platform to launch ideas.  Last year, TEDx-sters witnessed the first British Paraorchestra.  Just a few months ago they supported Cold Play at the Paralympics!  This year, the talk that’s on every journalists radar is by Dr. Alan Greene on optimizing umbilical cord clamping.  It received a standing ovation from TEDx-sters, clearly winning their support and it appeared in headlines the following day.

Also, right after TEDxBrussels, members of the European Commission and industry met with TEDx speakers for TEDxEU, to see how they could incorporate these big ideas in technology, health, and education policy.  The conference led to very interesting discussions that peaked the Commission’s interests.

Evidently, TEDxBrussels is evolving into a significant platform with a pro-active community – you are probably part of it.

If however, you were unable to watch this year’s inspiring talks, here are my highlights to get you started.

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Networking has become a very important skill in our work as communicators. For many year, I have been personally involved with many organisations and networks, one of them has been the focus of a great deal of work. It is IABC, the International Association of Business Communicators, of which I am now Chair for the Europe and Middle East region.

The network has been very useful in helping me meet interesting people, introduce clients to peers and learn new skills. In fact, it was through IABC that I met several authors who helped me get my publishing contract with Gower for my book. Coincidentally, (hrmm) “Hyperthinking” will hit the shelves of every good bookstore near you by the end of the month.

IABC also put me in contact with several clients. However, its most important benefit is that it has served as an open communication channel for a variety of people who bring new ideas and perspectives to the table. It has also helped me engage with many EU officials in an open and informal way.

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TEDxBrussels 2012 – Monday, November 12th 2012 at Bozar 9AM – 7PM

This year, the theme of TEDxBrussels is Bits, Atoms, Neurons and Genes (or BANG BANG as we’re calling it). BANG BANG represents the combination between an evolving mesh of ideas and practices, and a rich mixture of citizens, scientists and culture. The annual event covers subjects such as innovative technology, development, sustainability and the environment – so there’s something for everyone.

TEDxBrussels brings world-class speakers to the heart of Europe to perform in front of a very lively audience.  To coincide with this phenomenon, over 1800 “TEDsters” migrate to Brussels every year, answering some deep seeded need to push the frontiers of knowledge. If you haven’t experienced the mind-boggling phenomena, we encourage you to try it – you won’t be the same.

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Woaw, hasn’t September been a world wind start?! We’re back from dreamy summer holidays to attack an armful of ambitious communication projects that seemed so far away when planned. But oh boy here they are, staring us straight in the face. [hard swallow]

But if the best form of defense is attack, ZN might have the perfect secret weapon for you…

In the coming weeks, we’ll be launching the ZN Digital Masterclass: a series of courses for professionals who wish to expand their digital skills and help you make your projects smarter, more robust and have better results.

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Before leaving for the mass migration that takes place every summer in Brussels, Place Flagey (the up and coming new creative hub of Brussels and incidentally where the ZN offices are located) was the scene of something unexpected. The European Commission organised an event to celebrate its educational exchange programme called Marie-Curie.

In a rather inspired move, they connected the usual format of a big get together with the increasingly successful TED format, joining hands with some members of the TEDxBrussels team to give it the famous 18 minutes touch!

I had the opportunity to attend the event and get my own 18 minutes on stage, on the subject of Hyperthinking and how shifting paradigm and creative thinking are the key tools to building a successful career in the 21st century.

Check out my presentation in this video:

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