FutureFest is an exciting and inspirational conference that breaks the mould.

Firstly, it is not JUST a conference; the 'paid for' conference, for delegates and speakers at the highest level, is wrapped inside a free Festival offering entertainment, insight and education via a lecture series, the Future Debates and FutureFest Prizes which will spin out of the conference, rewarding ground-breaking ideas. An 'Exhibition of the future', together with music, film, art and theatre fixtures will add an exciting new dimension by linking art in all its shapes and forms to the issues of tomorrow.

Secondly, the provocatively arranged conference programme constructed around the core themes of Earth, Communication, Life and Machine will gather an eclectic array of speakers from all over the world to share their knowledge, views and projections on the key issues influencing our future. Established names will rub shoulders with those emerging into the spotlight. Some speakers may be innovators and policy drivers – others artists. All will have the necessary provenance and authority to appeal to delegates who will typically be senior decision makers with the vision, experience and mandate to steer our course for the future.

FutureFest is the brainchild of Cambridge based, Californian born serial entrepreneur Doug Richard who, being passionately committed to keeping the UK central to the world, saw a gap in the market for a truly global conference:

"The late 20th century marked the high water mark for American-led innovation. California captured the world's imagination as the breeding ground of innovation and entrepreneurialism. 'Silicon Valley' became the catch-stone phrase for new businesses based on new ideas. And a key series of Californian conferences, including FiRe and TED, marked the calendars of every influential player in the world of innovation, venture capital and new business.

"The internet and the web began undermining this innovation monopoly in the late 1990s and there has been an explosion of creativity and innovation across the globe. From the emerging economies of Eastern Europe to the revitalised intelligentsia of Argentina, new ideas, new companies and new approaches to old problems are screaming for their share of attention and capital around the globe."

FutureFest will give a platform and credence to the widest range of speakers from all over the world whilst maximizing the intellectual capital that resides in and around Cambridge. It will help to transform Cambridge from its current position as a regional innovation centre into a byword for global innovation just as Davos, the place, as host to the world's most important economic congress, has become a byword for the same.

Doug Richard has secured the commitment of a powerful Advisory Board including Ian Leslie (Pro Vice Chancellor, Cambridge University), Bill Janeway (Warburg Pincus), Joel Dreyfuss (Red Herring) and Jay Marshall (Alix Partners).

In short, FutureFest is set to be a defining event, stimulating debate, connecting people and inspiring creativity against the backdrop of one of the world's most beautiful cities.