THE SPECTACLE
About the Event
An immersive afternoon and evening designed for people who don’t just talk about the future—they actively shape it.
This is not a passive, sit-and-listen event. It’s a working session for builders, strategists, and curious operators who want new ways to think, create, and make better decisions in uncertain environments.
Two of the featured experiences—Artistic Disruption and Foresight Improv—drew standout attention at SXSW 2026. Now, they’re coming to Chicago with expanded, hands-on formats.
Throughout the afternoon, you’ll also get access to next-generation tech demos from leading innovators, exploring what’s next in voice agents, collaboration, and creative workflows.
What You’ll Walk Away With
Practical foresight frameworks you can apply immediately
New ways to break out of conventional thinking patterns
Tangible ideas for innovation within your business or role
Exposure to emerging technologies shaping how we work and create
A network of people who are actively building what’s next
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The Experience
2:30 - Doors Open
3:00 · Welcome Anna Mulcahy, Board of Directors, Chicago Futures Salon. The story of how the Salon came together and what it exists to do.
3:15 · Keynote — Charles Plath From Anticipation to Preparation: Designing for a More Resilient Today. A practical, step-by-step approach to foresight. Framing a research question, scanning signals, mapping critical uncertainties, and building scenarios that help you make more resilient decisions today.
4:00 · Workshop — Mike Hyzy and Michael Marshall Artistic Disruption for Business Innovation. A hands-on session applying Surrealist and Situationist creative techniques to futures thinking and business strategy. Participants work through a series of provocations designed to break habitual thinking patterns and generate creative business ideas that shift the paradigm.
5:00 · Chicago 2040 Readout - Marta Cuciurean-Zapan and Max Lackner from IDEO deliver the findings from our December scenarios exercise and what comes next for the work.
5:45 · Jim Kalbach — Jazz as a Model for High-Performing Teams: Jim Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at Mural and author of The Jobs to Be Done Playbook, brings a live jazz band on stage to explore what improvisation teaches us about teamwork: listening, adapting, making space, building on others’ ideas, and staying aligned in motion. Thirty minutes. Live music. A working model for better collaboration.
6:30 · Foresight Improv — Matt Carmichael with Alexandra Levit and Michael Marshall: An interactive foresight session where professional futurists speculate on emerging futures through improv techniques and real-time audience input. Collaborative, fast-paced, and unpredictable.
7:15 · Closing Remarks
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Beyond the Sessions
Food, drinks, and networking run alongside the program in a separate space—drop in and out as you want.
TICKETS · General admission: $15 · Suggested contribution: $25
VIP: Includes signed books by three of the performers, reserved seating, and an exclusive Chicago Futures Salon gift, and some other secrets we'll disclose closer to the event.
SPONSORS: ElevenLabs | Mural | CGI | Parlor Social
Network Supporters: 1871 & The Executives Club of Chicago
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All ticket revenue is a tax-deductible donation to the Chicago Futures Salon, a 509(a)(2) public charity.
Foresight. Creativity. Community.