The theme of Serveskriti’09 is "*Services: Transcending Horizons*"

The current era places consumer-oriented focus on a higher mantle of importance to the companies than ever before. A focus, which presents an opportunity to the companies to not only satisfy customer needs, but to go beyond and reach the next horizon of customer delight, the stage where companies try to outwit each other not in the race to fulfil the expectations of the customer, but to exceed them by a fair margin. The theme reflects the way Services have changed the economies of a multitude of nations, while evolving in itself. Serveskriti’09, through a wide gamut of events, online and offline, flagship and on-the-spot, presents an opportunity to explore the amazing growth of the Service sector, and its graduation to the next stage, that of maturity and supremacy.

*"Co-creation- A collaborative future"*

Co-creation is about connecting people’s brains and creating value by the collaboration of the firm and the customer. The emerging markets, ever increasing globalization and ubiquitous connectivity have changed the nature of consumers and the very way business is being done. It is an upcoming trend to watch, not because everything has to, or will be co-created in the future, but because tapping into the collective experiences, skills and ingenuity of hundreds of millions of consumers around the world, is a complete departure from the inward looking, producer-versus-consumer innovation model so common to corporations around the world. At the heart of all transformation are people who suddenly see the world through a different prism. It is people outside the organizations - customers, suppliers, and people with a lot of interest in the organization's offerings, who possess that different prism. Core competences are no longer located in the value chain of the company, but at the point of interaction between the customer and the firm.

• Are firms really prepared to allow influence and control of customers, in order to become a co-creative organization?
• What can organizations do to bring in order out of the chaos, resulting from user-generated or co-created content?
• Is co-creation a way to build brand loyalty?

*"Experience Innovation"*

**In the words of Graham Roberts-Phelps, "Being good enough is not enough". In today’s challenging business environment, companies must radically change the way they interact with their customers. As competition intensifies and profit margins shrink, managers are under overwhelming pressure to create value. Traditional prescriptions such as cost reduction, reengineering, and outsourcing, although critically important, cannot solve the problem. The need to innovate is greater than ever, but the focus of innovation must change. Companies have understood that "Being new or different is no longer a differentiator".

• Can experience innovation provide respite to companies as it is not imitable, nor can it be commoditized?
• Can customized experiences foster loyalty towards the organization?
• Is experience innovation a unique expression of the company's DNA?
• How can organizations turn it into a competitive advantage?
• Has the locus of value creation shifted from products and services to “experience environments”? From putting on the journalist’s hat to cracking treasure hunt clues, from ad designing to stock-market simulations, Serveskriti has it all.

We welcome you all to join the bandwagon, sit back and enjoy the ride!