Who hires James Wallman?
When you hire me, you’ll be keeping the best company in the world.
People at firms from Accor to Zurich Financial Services have hired me, including:
American Express, Arise IIP, AVIS
Barclays, BASF, BBC, Black Tomato, Dept for Int’l Trade, Disneyland Paris
Eventbrite, Facebook, Ferrero Rocher, Google, Hearst, HSBC
IDEO, ISKO, Kayak, KPMG, KFC, Kuoni, Marriott, Nomura, Qualtrics, Richemont
Spotify, Toyota, Workfront, Xerox
Why?
People invite me to give a talk or host a workshop because:
they want to engage, inspire, energize their audiences
they want to excite people about coming to their event
they want a speaker who is going to get people thinking differently, and talking to each other
What?
Working in innovation and trend forecasting since 2003, and as the CEO of the World Experinence Organization, I specialize in:
Innovation: with 555+ members in the World Experience Organization, I’m uniquely placed to hear of and understand the key emerging trends and best practice in experience design that will impact the world, tomorrow’s consumers and your business
Inspiration: I give talks based on my two best-selling books on the rise of the Experience Economy, the importance of experiences for wellbeing, and how to spend your time in order to be happier
Topics I’m typically hired for are about:
Innovation: eg, how to engineer/design better customer, employee, guest experiences; what’s happening in other experience sectors that you should know about & use in your work
Inspiration: how to be happier & more successful
Trends: the future of experiences, financial services, retail, real estate, travel, the city etc
Why hire James Wallman?
A best-selling author, educated at the Universities of Oxford, London, and Cambridge (Classics, Journalism, Business), and London’s most successful stand-up comedy school — people say I’m an engaging and entertaining keynote speaker (It’s true! They do… Scroll down and read some of the things people have said!).
A trendforecaster for 20 years, and as CEO of the World Experience Organization — with 555+ members in 35+ countries from all experience sectors, inc customer experience, employee experience, AR, XR, immersive experiences and neuroaesthetics — I believe I’m uniquely placed to know what’s next in the world of experiences.
A historian, cultural commentator, and futurist — I blend long-term vision with real-world examples; cutting-edge science with envelope-pushing experience tools; emerging experience design techniques with a firm grasp on the real world of business. The result is inspiring yet grounded and practical ideas that’ll move your audience, set their minds thinking, and get them talking.
Here’s a few examples of what people say about my work:
“I have had nothing but positive feedback. James was really inspiring. He was able to get everyone's attention by being funny and entertaining but at the same time delivering important messages.”
SILVIA Callegari, Event Manager, KPMG
“It was very inspiring listening to your presentation.”
Leonardo Ferragamo, CEO, Ferragamo Group
“You were fantastic. Everyone is saying you were a highlight of the event”
Stacey Shoemaker, executive editor, Hospitality Design Magazine
“Utterly, utterly loved your session today. You are such an inspiring and knowledgeable speaker. You completely engaged the team, made it highly enjoyable, we learnt so much in a fun way.”
Lysbeth Fox, Managing Director, Fox Pr
“Thanks a million for performing so brilliantly yesterday. All too often the last session is a dead one but you kept interest going until literally the last minute.”
Richard Parry, Head of Experience Economy, UK Department for International Trade
“You've taken the place by storm! People really enjoyed your talk, it’s generated a lot of conversation. We’re so happy with the way you nailed the brief. Your passion for the subject is infectious.”
Nick Wadge, EMEA CTO, Nomura Bank
“I have been overwhelmed by positive feedback about your presentation and the energy you brought to the room. We've already had so many requests for another opportunity for people to hear from you. You have been the overwhelming favourite speaker from our post event survey!”
Grace Burton, Employee Experience Lead, Benefex
“I was amazed at how many of my team spoke to me to say how interesting they found your presentation, and how they could relate it to what was happening in their lives.”
Richard Balshaw, Director, Customer Services, Toyota
“It was such a delight to have you with us this week! Thank you so much for your 5 star session and participation in the panel! You brought such a great energy and so much amazing content to our conference!”
Heather Hurst, Director of Corporate Marketing, Workfront uSa
“People really loved your diversity of thinking and innovative examples.”
Danny Berliner, Vice president business development, omnicom, North America
“Excellent content as ever and your delivery was superb. The guys have taken lots from it”
Nicholas Wright, head of customer, distribution and marketing, Zurich Insurance
“Very thought-provoking and good fun too. It will have an influence on our thinking for some time to come.”
Johnathan Young, executive producer, BBC
“Your presentation was incredibly thought-provoking and inspiring. Many of the elements that you described made a significant impact on my perception of the future”
Oliver Miller, director of events and groups, Claridge’s
Where on Earth…?
Based in London, I’ve given talks & workshops on four continents. From Amsterdam to Beijing, Cannes, and Dubai; from audiences in their thousands to intimate groups; from 10 Downing Street to the Googleplex; from a hot spring in Iceland to a cruise ship in Norway, a farmhouse in Ibiza, and a guesthouse in Marrakech; from Nashville to New York, Palo Alto, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas.
Cultural, as well as commercial
For my expertise in trends and experiences, I’ve appeared on TV, from the ABC to the BBC, the CBC and MSNBC; on radio, from BBC Radio 2 and 4 to NPR; and in newspapers and magazines, from TIME to the Sunday Times, Irish Times, and New York Times. (Click here for a list of media appearances.)
I’ve also given talks for many non-commercial and cultural institutions, eg:
10 Downing Street (a talk for the UK government’s policy unit)
TEDxLondon School of Economics
TEDxManchester
Do Lectures
Royal Society of The Arts (RSA)
Royal Academy
National Portrait Gallery
University of Cambridge
Said Business School, University of Oxford
Marriott School of Business, Brigham Young University
Behavioural Insights Team (BIT)
Action For Happiness
World Happiness Summit
Barbican
School of Life (London, Antwerp, Istanbul)
Global Action Plan (environmental charity)
Cheltenham Literary Festival
Durham Book Festival
Happinez (Amsterdam)
Sunday Times Life Lessons Festival