The World Future Society’s 1998 Annual Conference, "FutureQuest: Strategies for the New Millennium," held in Chicago in July attracted more than 1,000 members and friends. It was the largest Annual Conference since the Society began holding them in 1991.Chicago chapter president Joshua K. Pang welcomed the assembled audience to Chicago at the opening plenary session. His remarks were followed by addresses from former Colorado governor and presidential candidate Richard D. Lamm and Illinois’ state treasurer Judy Baar Topinka. For the next two days, participants attended almost 100 sessions and special events. In addition, participants enjoyed several receptions and networking events at the sumptuous Chicago Hilton and Towers, overlooking Chicago’s famed lakefront.
Participants heard a wide range of topics during the sessions. One event was entitled "The Year 3000: A Fresh Look at Humanity’s Future," giving participants the opportunity to envision what life will be like at the end of the NEXT millennium! Another session dealt with personal financial success, a much shorter-term issue. Other topics included "Electronic Commerce Beyond the Hype," "A Futurist Vision of Identity," "Education’s New S-Curve," and "Collaborative Leadership," among many others.
Quite a few groups have been using the Society’s annual meetings to bring their members together for networking, sharing ideas, presenting their latest research, and finding new members. The World Network of Religious Futurists, the Police Futurists International, and the Global Millennium Campaign all had business meetings during the conference, and several groups sponsored sessions or had networking activities, including the Pathways to Sustainability project, the Communities of the Future network, the Young Professional Futurists Forum, and the Women As Futurists group. A workshop for chapter coordinators and those interested in starting one was also held at the Chicago conference.
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