Over the past hundred years, the office has been integral to the development of modern society. It has shaped the architecture of our cities, the behaviour of our organizations and the everyday movements of millions of people. In 2020, however, the global pandemic brought our attendance in the office to an abrupt halt and triggered a complete re-evaluation of the purpose of the workplace. The authors advance a manifesto for 'unworking' - unlearning old habits established for an outdated office and creating new ones fit for an age of digital technology, innovation and diverse workforces.

Hybrid Workplace Integration continues to evolve for many organizations. We will explore how to improve the Hybrid Employee Workplace Experience and to enable Smart Workplace Technologies. Hybrid Workplace leading strategies, practices and solutions will be discussed during the panel session.

Digital technologies from Artificial Intelligence to the metaverse are rapidly advancing at a time when enterprises face more pressure than ever. In this era of compressed transformation, human behaviours and intelligence are informing the design of new machines, and everything we knew about how innovation and strategy is impacting the workplace and workforce is being turned upside down.

Physical workspaces will remain a vital and vibrant part of the working world. Great spaces help foster teamwork, collaboration, and culture building. Larry Gadea, founder and CEO of Envoy, will walk attendees through how forward-thinking employers and property managers are attracting employees and tenants by applying a similar model of culture- and community-building to multi-tenancy properties. Tomorrow’s great workspaces will be multi-tenant where workplace technology connects tenants to the building and each other to leverage shared workspaces, virtual marketplaces, and on-demand resources

During the session, Michael will discuss One Manhattan West’s journey to keep pace with rapidly changing PropTech and innovate without reservations. The session will cover trends, challenges, enhancements, and how we’re putting our data to work. The session will conclude with insight into Accenture’s plans across our portfolio including how we used lessons learned from 1MW on our new flagship office in Chicago.

The uncertainty around the return to the office is accelerating digital transformation initiatives and is reshaping the building industry. In this session, we will focus on the emerging role IT plays in smart building initiatives by examining 3 use cases for cross-functional decision making. The presentation will follow the key decision domains and emerging stakeholders influencing decisions in tenants' journey for a human-centric workspace experience.

Steve and David will lead an interactive workshop that applies the tenets of humour to change perspectives on leadership styles and open participants’ minds to creative ways of thinking and engaging. Research shows that training rooted in humour principles improves engagement, enhances creative problem-solving, and deepens communication and collaboration with co-workers. Participants will experience an introduction to leadership based on the principles of humour and learn skills for building and strengthening rapport and improving leadership skills.

One of the key building blocks of the hybrid model is a successful and effective return to office (RTO). But why are so many companies around the world struggling with this, and what can be done to create a more seamless workplace re-entry for employees on the journey to hybrid? In this fireside chat, we will discuss common challenges and highlight WORKTECH Academy and Poly research to rethink the purpose of the office and design the right employee experience to drive a return to the space.

Whilst companies are rethinking and redesigning their workplace in light of new hybrid working models, Sanofi is a big step ahead of the curve. Vecos and Sanofi will jointly share insights into Sanofi’s new hybrid workplace experience strategy, and how they designed their Cambridge campus which opened June 2022 with a strong belief in physical contact and collaboration. A practical presentation on taking into account different employee needs and preferences, and how smart storage solutions enables both employees and management to work more efficiently.

In this session, we will explore how the global shift to hybrid working drove organizations to arm their employees with the tools to take control of their workdays. Join Drew Brennan from Coty and Rowan de Bruin from Mapiq as they discuss the impact of the pandemic on Coty's global office usage, how they responded to the newfound employee needs, and how they leverage data to anticipate necessary changes in the way they work.

PwC has recently completed the implementation of an enterprise IoT solution covering nearly 80% of its 6M RSF portfolio.  The solution measures occupancy, dwell time and environmental data at the seat level in real time.  Steve will discuss how PwC is  leveraging this solution to improve PwC’s employee experience, manage real estate costs and inform strategic real estate decisions.

In the age of the “anywhere office”, technology will play a more vital role than ever. It is now crucial for businesses to understand how people are using workspaces and implement technologies that will keep teams connected, organized, safe and ultimately enhance their experience and productivity. Our expert panel will discuss emerging technologies and trends set to re-shape enterprise and the way we work.

Creating an inclusive workplace in a past pandemic world. The hybrid workplace has unlocked a more diverse workforce and equity and inclusion is a business imperative. Learn how these workplace and workforce leaders are embedded DE&I strategies into their Future of Work strategies

The power of empathy helped get us through the darkest days of the pandemic. Going forward, empathy will become the key feature of work design, not an emergency measure. Edward O. Wilson, the founder of socio-biology, identified the fundamental issue facing society today: “We have Palaeolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology.” We are running out of time to restore this critical equilibrium. Can technology help repair our institutions and remedy the severed bonds between humans and their tools? Let's design next generation worktech with empathy as its superpower.