Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, May 2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic has had a swift and severe impact on our societies. In the midst of this pandemic, many of us are facing new challenges and are asking what is next. This exclusive online event will focus on how to secure the post COVID future. Over a period of 50 hours, members of the transatlantic security and defence community will come together for a unique brainstorm to address the current environment and the post COVID-19 future.

This virtual conference will be held completely online from Tuesday, May 12th, from 15:00 CET (09:00 EST) continuously until Thursday, May 14th, at 17:00 CET (11:00 EST). Everyone in our defense and security community is welcome to participate – it is a whole of government and whole of society approach; access to a web browser is all that is required.

Like a regular conference there will be multiple forums, lots of “speakers” making written interventions, interactive polls, and dynamic discussions, but unlike a normal conference the “Jam” platform courtesy of IBM analyses thousands of posted interactions to continuously propose the most active and well-supported ideas back into the debates to spiral the interactions into higher order outcomes, which means that by the end of the event the best ideas for going forward are easily identified as are the most pertinent arguments. A comprehensive report will summarize the outcomes for our use.

Key Points:

• At least 120 significant VIPs are now confirmed, to include several Ministers/deputy Ministers of Defense (SecGen is invited by the NATO Defence College)
• SACEUR, Gen Wolters, will open the Jam, former SACEUR, Gen (Ret.) Breedlove, will close the Jam
• NATO ASGs Manza (OPS) and Turner (DPP) will participate
• The Defense Policy Directors of all NATO and EU nations are invited to participate and many have already confirmed
• More than 1.100 people have registered at this point, but expect that to at least quadruple
• Invitations went out via trusted networks of participating governments, think tanks, and supporting organizations
• Five COEs are participating (Hybrid, Cyber, STRATCOM, CIMIC and CMDR) as well as the Geneva Center for Security Policy
• The George C. Marshall Center, the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, and the NATO Defence College are all Hosts / Co-Hosts
• Major Think Tanks involved include CSIS, Heritage, Atlantic Council, CNAS, CEPA, GLOBSEC, German Marshall Fund and Friends of Europe
• This is an all-volunteer event – everyone is donating their time, their resources, and access to their contact networks
• The consolidated report will be presented to NATO and the EU o/a mid to late June

This is a very unique opportunity at a critical time to come together and find solutions!

Register today: https://www.collaborationjam.com/transatlanticsecurityjam/ and join us virtually, starting at 9am EST/ 3pm CET on 12th May.

Curious what a Jam is all about?

Take a tour here: What is a Jam Session