Every forecasting book that came before Sept. 11 is obsolete, according to the Institute for Global Futures CEO and Chairman James Canton, Ph.D. (www.futureguru.com). "Our world is constantly buffeted by new and dramatic change that we can't fully grasp. The changes come in extremes: faster, bigger, more illuminating and more devastating than ever before."

He spells out these changes in his book, The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World for the Next 5, 10 and 20 Years. While he believes all 10 on the list affect associations, there are three, he told Convene, that they should be most concerned about: demographics, security, and innovation.

By demographics, he means everything from an aging workforce in developed countries to a youth boom in the developing world. "Every association should be deeply concerned about drastic demographic shifts in the United States, Europe, and Asia, which will affect such things as public policy and membership levels," he said.

When we spoke with Canton, he had just returned from a meeting with associations in Asia where security is a big concern."Associations should be concerned about security and securing the future, not just security at meetings but physical, digital, and brand security,"

Canton said. Canton believes every association should be an advocate for innovation because their meetings are opportunities for innovations. "Each of the innovations I mention in my book (nano, bio, IT) represents a potential extreme future trend. Each will affect an association's realm of influence."

The association of the future will be different from the association of today, "and that future may be as little as three years away," he said. "How do associations sustain themselves? By being relevant to their members and helping members change with the times. I speak at association meetings all the time and that's what all of them want to know: Will we be relevant in the future? You will be relevant in the future if you are becoming future ready, learning what to expect, and preparing for it. You have to lead your members into the future; you can't just follow."

Top 10 Trends of the Extreme Future

1. Fueling the Future - The energy crisis, the post-oil future, and the future of energy alternatives like hydrogen. The critical role that energy will play in every aspect of our lives in the 21st century.

2. The Innovation Economy - The transformation of the global economy based on the convergence of free trade, technology and democracy, driving new jobs, new markets, globalization, competition, peace, and security. The Four Power Tools of the Innovation Economy are Nano-Bio-IT-Neuro.

3. The Next Workforce - How the workforce of the United States is becoming more multicultural, more female, and more Hispanic. Why the future workforce must embrace innovation to become globally competitive.

4. Longevity Medicine - The key forces that will radically alter medicine such as nanotech, neurotech, and genomics, leading to longer and healthier lives.

5. Weird Science - How science will transform every aspect of our lives, culture and economy - from teleportation to nanobiology to multiple universes.

6. Securing the Future - The top threats to our freedom and our lives, from hackers to terrorists to mind control. Defining the risk landscape of the 21st century.

7. The Future of Globalization - The new realities of global trade and competition; the rise of China and India; the clash of cultures and ideologies; and the cultural-economic battle for the future.

8. The Future of Climate Change - How the environment is changing and how we need to prepare for increased global warming, pollution, and threats to biodiversity.

9. The Future of the Individual - The risks and challenges from institutions, governments, and ideologies in the struggle for human rights and the freedom of the individual in the 21st century.

10. The Future of America - The power of America and its destiny to champion global democracy, innovation, human rights, and free markets. 

° Contributing Editor Nancy Mann Jackson is a freelance writer in Birmingham, Ala. This Megatrends column is part of a continuing series examining the forces shaping the meetings industry, sponsored by the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre: Where Australia Meets the World, www.mecc.com.au.