MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Legendary thinker Dr Edward de Bono to visit Australia for Creative Innovation
2011, a major 3 day event looking at the challenges of doing business and governing
in a super-connected digital world.
Over 35 world class international and Australian speakers are involved.
Legendary author and thinker Dr. Edward de Bono – whose followers include billionaires
Richard Branson and Donald Trump – will be in Melbourne in November for Creative
Innovation 2011, an international 3 day event that will look at the challenges of doingbusiness and governing in a super-connected digital world.
Edward de Bono – who is the originator of the term ‘Lateral Thinking’ and the popular“Six Thinking Hats” framework - has warned that contrary to popular thinking, thebiggest problem now facing the globe is not climate change but is, in fact, poor thinking –and he says the world is yet to wake up to realising our thinking is nowhere near as goodas it should be.
Over 35 world class international and Australian speakers will address the event –Creative Innovation 2011 – which has been put together by award winning social
entrepreneur and Founder/Executive Producer Tania de Jong AM.
A percentage of any profits from the event will be put towards Creativity Australia’s“With One Voice” program, which supports disadvantaged people and inspires people tofind their voice. Tania de Jong says the event will emphasise the fact that creativity is thekey strategic tool of the 21st century.
Edward de Bono has astonished the world with his lateral thinking. He has now written
over 82 books that have been translated into 41 languages. 750,000 managers across theglobe, including managers in Microsoft, McDonalds, IBM and Federal Express, use his
innovative techniques.
He emphasises that thinking is a deliberate act and highlights that most problems areperception and that people make many mistakes by jumping to conclusions too soon,
instead of thinking through all the factors. Dr. de Bono says that without question,companies should take creativity much more seriously and warns that many organisations
still place creative thinking behind logical thinking. He has warned that language has
been an enormous barrier to human progress because it has allowed myths and out-ofdate ideas to become set in stone.

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Tania de Jong said, “Having Dr. Edward de Bono at this event is a coup. He believes wespend far too much time looking backwards in our thinking. He is absolutely right. For
anyone in business, or involved in managing change, this is a huge opportunity to hearfirst-hand one of the world’s brightest minds and to participate in a master class with theabsolute master of creative thinking. In the master class he will discuss ‘Strategies forcreative thinking’ and also take part in a Q and A session at the event.”“This event isn’t just for CEOs and directors. Small and medium business will benefit. If
you are in finance, health, government, banking, the arts, education or the not-for-profit
sector, there’s much to be learnt.”
Creative Universe and ANZ are presenting the event. Other business identities involved
include global inventor and founder of The Singularity Raymond Kurzweil, British
education technology guru Stephen Heppell, leading philosopher Daniel Dennett (USA),
IDEO partner and Stanford Design Thinking expert Brendan Boyle and Dr Paddy Miller
from Spain, who works with multi-nationals on change. He taught leadership at theHarvard Business School and has worked with everyone from the World Bank andBoeing to Ericsson.
Tania de Jong added: “Creativity helps find hidden patterns. It’s more important thanAustralia’s natural resources. Innovation is now a pre-requisite for business survival inthe modern age.”
The event – Creative Innovation 2011 – is being held at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins
from November 16th to 18th, 2011. To find out more and register, just go towww.ci2011.com.au
You can also contact Baldwin Consulting Group on 03 9645 9858 or ring CreativeUniverse on 03 8679 6000.
Media enquiries to: Media Key on 03 9769 6488 – ask for either Homira Samadi orRoss Woodward2