Thought leadership in the water industry was on full display last week at the World Water Forum 6, held from 11-17 March in Marseille, France. Inspiring speeches, interesting reports and innovative exhibitions provided a showcase for some well-known and lesser-known water thought leaders.
About 20,000 people attended the event, which is held every three years; but the forum was not without its detractors, many of whom sponsored an “alternative event” nearby.
Also coinciding with the World Water Forum was the premiere of Last Call at the Oasis, the new water documentary by the producers of An Inconvenient Truth, Food Inc. and Waiting for Superman, for example. It will debut in selected cities in the United States on 4 May, and the viral launch of the related water issue awareness campaign on www.TakePart.com/LastCall and Twitter feed #knowyourwater.
Making an appearance alongside luminaries like Erin Brockovich and Jack Black were key thought leaders in the water industry, such as Pat Mulroy of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Khoo Teng Chye of Singapore’s PUB and Professor Robert Glennon, the author of Unquenchable: America’s Thirst for Water and How to Deal with It, which has been featured on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show.
Highlights of some of the thought leaders’ ideas presented during the World Water Forum’s sessions can be found on the Twitter feed #waterforum6 and @theadiwas, including many of the Quotable Quotes that can be found here.
When you attend similar high-profile industry events, are you maximizing your exposure there as a thought leader? Are you getting the highest return on your investment at such conferences by ensuring your reputation as a thought leader is being reinforced there? Ask, assess, then act.