White Space to debate disintermediation at first strategy summit in Oxford
White Space Strategy will host a conference in Oxford to shine a light on disintermediation this Autumn. The consulting firm will host its first strategy summit in Oxford on September 21st, with emphasis on how businesses can best cope with a time of extreme disruption, of which disintermediation is a big part.
Often referred to in lay terms as “cutting out the middle man”, ‘disintermediation’ is the reduction in the use of intermediaries between producers and consumers, for example by investing directly in the securities market rather than through a bank. Google, Amazon, Uber and many more are seeking to carve up previously monopolised markets, with a growing range of digital start-ups waiting to get in on the action. Manufacturers and ‘producers’ are meanwhile looking to cut distribution costs by going direct, along with a host of companies in various sectors including both B2B and B2C businesses.
As a growing number of companies are looking set to disrupt markets, through technological innovation as well as through disintermediation, White Space Strategy will be holding an innovative disintermediation summit at New College in Oxford on the 21st September. There will be a range of speakers and panellists giving their opinions. Key discussion topics on the agenda will include how different sectors are disintermediating and what established players can do to mitigate the threats caused by the new competition caused by these newly disintermediated entities. There will also be sessions on opportunities arising for companies to sell to customers directly, and what the future holds for disintermediating firms.
White Space is a strategy consultancy which prides itself on minimal levels of company bureaucracy, and have worked directly with some of the world’s largest companies including Samsung, Centrica and Gap. The firm have spoken to a wide range of market experts across key sectors including energy and utilities, financial services, FMCG and manufacturing. This primary research will be revealed at the summit in the form of an interactive workshop where attendees will be immersed to debate who’s going to win the battle for the customer relationship and how. Their free event will also involve an interactive workshop, looking at power-players in a range of sectors, while attempting to anticipate the competitors most likely to ultimately win out, and how?
John Bee, Manging Director at White Space Strategy elaborated how key this topic is for many businesses, saying, “Over the last six months we’ve been speaking to senior business leaders across a wide range of different sectors, and disintermediation keeps coming out as a key topic. We’ve had a great response so far and have got a fantastic range of speakers and panellists. It’s shaping up to be a fascinating summit.”
Speakers at the event will include Katy Gotch, Director of Strategy and Customer Experience of warehouse-based store Argos, Jeremy Basset, CEO of CO:CUBED and Former Head of manufacturer Unilever’s Foundry, and David Alexander, UK Contract Solutions Director at utility company Centrica, among others.
