The Atlantic Travels to Abu Dhabi for Event on Global Innovation

Washington, D.C. and Abu Dhabi, UAE (July 16, 2014)— The Atlantic will present a forum on global innovation in Abu Dhabi this fall, gathering leaders from international businesses, universities, governments and research institutions to explore how big ideas are revolutionizing global industries. “What’s Next? Navigating Global Challenges with the Innovation Generation” is planned for November 5 to address the most promising emerging ideas and the leadership behind them—from next-generation aerospace engineering and transportation solutions, to developments in cybersecurity, renewable energy, and education. The event is underwritten by Boeing.

“What’s Next?” marks a significant step in The Atlantic’s international expansion and coverage. The pages of The Atlantic, and its Global Channel at TheAtlantic.com, offer news and commentary on pressing world matters and culture. More than 30 percent of the audience to TheAtlantic.com comes from outside the U.S. Through its international events practice, The Atlantic, long considered a leader in the media events space, will further engage with a global audience around issues of significance to them.

“Abu Dhabi is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in the Middle East, the perfect place for our conference on global innovation,” said Bob Cohn, Co-President and COO of The Atlantic. “As The Atlantic audience becomes more international and our editorial coverage extends across the globe, we look forward to convening more events overseas.”

Abu Dhabi, a center of culture, commerce, tourism, and education in the Middle East, provides aunique campus for “What’s Next?”. The plan is to convene an audience of  business and thought-leaders for a day of conversation on best practices in international innovation, and to explore the ideas and techniques that are advancing industries. Interviews, panels, and case studies will examine technological progress across a range of topic tracks—global connectivity and cyber resilience, advancing unmanned flight and vehicular technologies, encouraging STEM learning in the Middle East, sourcing clean energy, innovating through international partnerships, and more. The Atlantic’s editors will lead the day’s conversations, anchored by James Bennet, Editor-in-Chief and Co-President of The Atlantic, and Steve Clemons, a Middle East expert and Washington Editor-at-Large of The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Chairman and CEO David Bradley will also attend. Speakers and topics will be announced in the coming months.

Boeing is the presenting underwriter of “What’s Next?,” which builds off of the success of several past domestic Atlantic programs underwritten by the company, including The Atlantic’s 2012 Innovation Summit, held at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, and The Atlantic’s Big Science Summit in the San Francisco Bay Area. “What’s Next?” will escalate consequential conversations on technological leadership from a domestic to a global scale.

In the lead up to the November forum, Atlantic Media Strategies, the digital consultancy for Atlantic Media, will develop a digital hub for “What’s Next?,” aggregating program updates, speakers’ stories, and news-driven multimedia content on developments in international tech.  The website will feature real-time video and reports from the event, as well as video highlights and post-event coverage after its conclusion.

Additional details, including location, speakers, and logistical information, will be announced in the months ahead. Media interested in attending or learning more about the event should contact Anna Bross (abross@theatlantic.com).