The Future Laboratory to hold 'trends briefings' in Australia

The latest trends in consumers and brands will be showcased by The Future Laboratory at events in Melbourne and Sydney next month.

The two Australian Trend Briefings will discuss 'The Transformation Age' and help attendees prepare for the 'data bump'.

They will cover four topics, selected by The Future Laboratory as defining trends for 2012: The Transformation Age, Revivalism, The Personal Information Economy and The Tomorrow Store.

The Future Laboratory, based in the UK, is a trend, brand and future consultancy. Clients include American Express, Burberry, The Body Shop, City of Melbourne and Marks & Spencer.

Key speakers at the trend briefings are Christopher Sanderson and Martin Raymond, co-founders of The Future Laboratory.

Sanderson is responsible for delivering The Future Laboratory's global roster of conferences, media events and in-house briefings. He has a monthly column in UK luxury bible The Luxury Briefing and was previously contributing style editor at British Esquire.

Before co-founding The Future Laboratory, Sanderson was UK communications director for Quiksilver and a lecturer in visual communication at London's University of the Arts.

Raymond is a regular media commentator on trends and business for the BBC. He also lectures at 12 colleges and universities and is a contributing editor for Wired UK. He has written several books including CrEATe and The Tomorrow People: Future Consumers and How to Read Them.

The Melbourne briefing will take place on February 15 and the Sydney briefing on February 20.