January 26, 2009
Creative thinking for our City with Richard Florida at the Student 2 Business Mixer
The London Economic Development Corporation, hosted over 500 students and 250 business and community delegates, at the London Convention Centre, to hear the latest perspectives of keynote speaker Dr Richard Florida for the annual Student 2 Business Mixer. This is a great opportunity for London as students and business and community leaders come together to create great opportunities for London’s future as a dynamic community.
HONEY particularly enjoyed Florida’s perspective on the current economic climate: this a time of great opportunity, an “Economic Reset” (because recession is too depressing). Florida questions where real wealth comes from, noting his cachéd Creative Class as the drivers of stable economic development. In the ever-emerging (and steadily growing since the 1900’s) knowledge-based economy relies a number of inalienable truths: Treat people with respect in order to harness their creative energy. Creativity does not respect social boundaries and is not based on gender, race, sexual orientation, ability or socio-economic background. As such, without diversity we have no economy.
Harnessing creativity and making it productive – sounds just like a day here at the Hive. Read more Florida foresight in his books: Who's Your City?, The Flight of the Creative Class. The New Global Competition for Talent, Cities and the Creative Class, and The Rise of the Creative Class. And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure and Everyday Life, just to name a few.