The central theme of the conference was "Business Intelligence," which cleverly tapped into the buzz surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Professors, researchers, material writers, and Business English practitioners convene annually at the BESIG Business English Special Interest Group Conference. This year, 2023, the conference was held in Stuttgart, Germany, and it brought together professionals from diverse teaching contexts, backgrounds, and cultures for three days of engaging talks and workshops.

The central theme of the conference was "Business Intelligence," which cleverly tapped into the buzz surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI). It aimed to explore the role of business English training in fostering and enhancing intelligence within the workplace. The sessions were filled with innovative and practical ideas that aimed to inspire participants. Topics covered a wide range of subjects, including:

1.     Business English training in the era of digital transformation.

2.     Adopting an AI mindset and harnessing data to empower educators.

3.     Utilising ChatGPT in intercultural communication.

4.     Navigating modern workplace digital communication.

5.     The future of AI and its impact on Business English.

6.     Remote work and discourse communities.

7.     Evaluating the impact of learning.

8.     The role of business English in promoting positive social change and sustainable practices.

The conference featured two distinguished plenary speakers: Dr. Clarice Chan from the University of St Andrews, formerly of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who addressed the topic of "How existing research can assist business English practitioners in needs analysis and course design," and Mike Hogan, an expert in leadership communication and leadership and team development, who spoke on "The need for agility, creativity, and innovation in both our clients and us as business English teachers." Hogan's talk drew from recent articles and research from sources like The Guardian, Gartner, CIPD, and LinkedIn.

Hogan emphasised the importance of building a corporate culture with an agile mindset and the interrelational skills necessary for effective global communication. Professionals in the field seek bite-sized learning opportunities tailored to their specific content needs. Sandra Humbles, Chief Learning Officer at Johnson and Johnson, advocated the "3 Es" framework—Education, Experience, and Exposure—for achieving this.

Furthermore, the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD), the UK's recognised HR institution, reported on addressing skill shortages with increased budgets for upskilling. They stressed the need to add more value and assess the impact of Business English teaching and executive communication training. Deloitte introduced the "Survive, Thrive, and Drive" learning model, emphasising the importance of differentiation, competitive advantage, innovation, and transformation in public speaking courses, presentation skill courses, and executive communication workshops.

Mike Hogan concluded with five key messages for conference attendees:

1.     Be audacious.

2.     Inspire public speakers to be effective and take action.

3.     Embrace your identity.

4.     Cultivate digital curiosity.

5.     Encourage creativity.

If you would like to discuss your organisation’s (corporate, NGOs, Associations and Universities) Public speaking or Presentation skills needs, I offer free 30-minute consultations through my site. I’d love to meet you.