In this session Uli will showcase the award-winning work by Zaha Hadid Architects and discuss the future of office buildings and how they are developing in a global context. He will examine Case Studies from China including the Soho Galaxy commercial tower in Beijing and the Infinitus Ground Scraper. Describing the key factors in workplace design as visibility, light penetration and communication potential; he explores how computational workplace tools, data analytics, sensor technology, and smart algorithms will impact how we design and what we design, to help shape the workplaces of tomorrow

In this panel, we will consider the role technology can play in helping organisations respond to the challenges returning to the workplace will present. From sensors and spatial intelligence to smart and autonomous cleaning solutions, we will explore the latest innovative technology tools and solutions that will help organisations make data-based decisions, during the re-opening process and beyond.

In this fireside chat, we will explore how Bluetooth® technology has emerged as the de facto standard for in-building IoT applications, including those that gather live data to enable information driven decision making for applications and services. We will examine how phones, badges, sensors and other devices help quantify the interactions between people, work spaces and processes, and look at old and new challenges businesses are facing in a new world of office and building management.

Smart Spaces is the UK’s leading provider of world-class smart building services. In this session Daniel & Matt will jointly share their insights from smart enabling 20m sq ft of UK real estate over the past five years. The pair advise global real estate and occupier brands on prime developments and count 22 Bishopsgate and Hanover Square among their rapidly growing number of Smart Enabled Buildings. Technical insights to be shared include Contactless Access, Desk and Meeting room booking, Indoor Air Quality and how this is all combined within their Digital Twin platform.

The global pandemic has seen organizations redefine their approach to business, to real estate and also to employees. As Gartner states, “The balance of power has shifted irrevocably toward employees, with their expectations now driving organisational change…” And whilst there is a need to create a safe, productive environment post COVID this is much more than spacing out workstations and setting out one-way systems. This panel addresses the key questions of… What does the office exist for? What will people attend the office to do? Who will attend the office and when? and more...

In this session, Scotiabank’s cross-functional workplace transformation teams will showcase their approach to planning and piloting for office use cases in a current and post COVID world. Scotiabank was already pioneer in the Canadian financial services sector when it introduced activity-based working to thousands of head office employees starting in 2017. Now they have been faced with a new challenge – planning for the office of the future through a hazy crystal ball. They will focus on how they have structured their approach and governance around workplace transformation.

Well designed, humancentric workplaces were effective drivers of employee wellbeing, performance and sentiment before the onset of COVID-19. With the world now faced with varying levels of lockdown, how will this impact what employees need and expect when this is all over? The panel shares insights on how to understand the workforce using scientific tools rather than employee opinion, how corporations can establish the truth about employee performance, how to respond and react, and the key learnings & data that will help shape the future of work experience design.

Globally, 67% of the workforce is not engaged and employees who are not engaged cost their company the equivalent of 18% of their annual salary. As companies look at cost-cutting as a survival strategy in the wake of COVID-19, Jake will share insights from Gallup on how organisations can use a data-driven approach to increase productivity at the lowest possible cost. He will explore how employee experience and drivers in company culture will play a key role in fostering high-performance cultures in 2021.

There is a new way to think about communication as the fuel for collaborative organizations and the cause of more meaningful results in a noisy, complex world. In this talk, David will demonstrate ways that leaders can use communication to awaken that natural instinct in all people to ‘draw together’ - and ways that they can minimize the inbuilt human reaction to ‘keep apart.' Using recent case studies - and against the backdrop of a bitterly divided world, David will describe how to create ‘we’ in any initiative or project versus the default human state of 'us & them’.

Professor Sir Cary Cooper will explore how the world of work has transformed in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the impending Recession. Drawing on his expertise in Organizational Psychology & Health, Cary will examine what the world of work will look like in the future in the context of workplace wellbeing.

Businesses are rethinking the workplace with a lot of emphasis on safety, flexibility, employee experience and reduced cost as they balance between back to work and work from home. This shift to the new Hybrid workplace needs technology at the centre of transformation. Join us as we share our learning in the last 4 months from helping Fortune 500 companies in over 120 locations including New York, Chicago, London, Sydney, Helsinki, Moscow, Singapore and Mumbai to transition to the workplace of the future.

In an effort to create the best experience possible for clients and employees - and communicate brand effectively - organisations are turning to technology to enhance their workplaces. Crucially, the most successful strategies do not replace humans, but augment their abilities and free up human time for other work. Experts on the panel will discuss how best to unlock the potential of exceptional front of house service, visitor management, and the key to experience which will play a significant role in making the office a more desirable destination to return.

During the COVID19 pandemic of 2020 thousands of LEGO employees have been working from home. And what have they missed from the office? Play. Play in its broadest sense of course; including socialising and collaborating with colleagues, learning together and sharing moments, both professional and private, together. And we’re not alone. Surveys from across the globe show that employees are missing the same things as we are. As a consequence we need to rethink what we offer in the workplace and how we best facilitate play in all its many forms when our colleagues finally start to return.

The COVID-19 pandemic has blurred the lines between living and working and continues to reshape the way the global workforce interacts with physical space. As we look to 2021, this panel will offer international perspectives on the challenges and opportunities faced by corporate leaders as they rethink their workplace strategies. Our experts will discuss latest trends and considerations in the corporate real estate sector including portfolio reduction, third spaces, flex work solutions, the rise of suburban work networks, smart building infrastructure and more.

Join us for an interactive session focused on maintaining energy, focus and awareness in virtual meetings / presentations. In this workshop, Rachel will introduce a concept called 'Physical Anchoring'. Brought over from her career as a professional ballet dancer, knowing how to deepen body awareness, reconnect with our intention and goals and move through our day with embodied intention is an essential skill in this virtual world. She will explore how to overcome challenges and leverage opportunities of virtual communication through on-screen awareness, body language cues and more.

As companies around the world attempt to return to offices safely, there is a new breed of technologies defining what it means to have an intelligent space or building. What companies choose to do in the next 6 months will lay the groundwork for the next decade.

Since the start of the pandemic, the boundary between work and life has dramatically shifted. Many employees have struggled to balance work, caregiving and mental health, while the corresponding economic slowdown adds a new level of stress to our cities and communities. How will this experience shape the return to the office, and how will our priorities change? With a renewed focus on work-life integration, employers have an opportunity to strengthen connections with their employees. SITU will share examples of what this looks like.

The way we live, work, and play is very different today than it was just a few decades ago, thanks in large part to a network of connectivity that now encompasses most people on the planet. We are at the beginning of a new technological revolution: The Internet is entering the physical space – the traditional domain of architecture and design. This is opening the door to a variety of applications that – in a similar way to what happened with the first wave of the Internet - can encompass many domains: from energy to mobility from production to citizen participation.