The Co-Chairs of the 2017 RECONVERGE:G2 Intelligence Leadership Symmposium are pleased to announce the opening of the Call for Provocateurs for 2017. Conference Co-Chairs Phil Britton, of Ulta Beauty, and Bridget Wegener, of CUNA Mutual Group, are looking for new presenters, fresh topics and innovative formats for the annual Intelligence Leadership Symposium to be held in Madison, Wisconsin April 25-27, 2017.

Content ideas should connect with the 2017 symposium theme of “Invention and RE-Invention.” As the pace of change in business is constantly accelerating,history is rich with examples of companies that met change and evolved successfully and those that haven’t. How do you as an intelligence leader become a force for invention and re-invention in your company? How do you become the bellwether?

One of the things that make this annual event unique is its cozy and intimate setting and intentionally-limited number of participants. Past events have included a variety of topics and formats, as the ideas Provocateurs present lend themselves to a variety of presentation and facilitation styles. Previous conferences have featured:

  • Long-form (2-hour) Workshop events on topics such as running a war game, elicitation, using analytical tools, and launching an intelligence portal.
  • (2) 45-minute Keynote presentations to kick-off each day’s events and set the emphasis of the conference for each day.
  • Moderated debates (1.5 hour) on topics including Competitive Intelligence Ethics and Use of Machine Learning vs. Human Intelligence
  • 3-6 Presentation sessions (30 minutes) on a variety of topics which impact intelligence practitioners of all types and skill levels
  • The CI Shark Tank: Teams of two compete to develop the best possible Competitive Intelligence program for a (mostly) fictitious firm.

In the spirit of continuing this trend of variety, we’re open to new ways to make this conference informative and a valuable use of your time and your company’s resources. We are seeking a brief outline of topics that you would like to see or would like to present. Potential presenters should provide a brief session abstract. Guidelines include:

  1. A facilitator with strong speaking skills and deep subject matter expertise.
  2. Introducing new and visionary ideas to RECONVERGE:G2 participants.
  3. Provocative and engaging topics which confront the “elephants in the room” and elicit discussion and participation from your conference colleagues.
  4. A topic with broad appeal across a variety of industries. Previous attendees have come from industries including pharma, healthcare, legal, retail, academic, government, tech and manufacturing, but anyone with different industry insights to share is welcome.
  5. An easily articulated concept, with a strong central thesis or theme.

To propose a topic, go to our Call for Provocateurs page and provide a 3-5 sentence abstract that illustrates your theme, how it ties to the overall conference theme of “Invention and RE-invention,” and your preferred session type (debate, keynote, session, workshop, or propose something new).

Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, November 15. Proposals will be evaluated by your conference co-chairs and accepted proposals will be notified by mid-December.

We look forward to receiving your proposed topic soon.


Bridget Wegener, CUNA Mutual Group
Phil Britton, Ulta Beauty