CONFERENCE AGENDA

CONFERENCE AGENDA

The future of work is on everyone’s agenda. This event brings thought leaders together to share cutting edge ideas on the future, from both a people and technology perspective. It will allow an understanding of the key drivers of change and enablers of innovation that will shape how, where and when work takes place. Our conference programme will explore future technologies, cutting edge award-winning workplaces and people, change and engagement.

CONFERENCE TOURS & AGENDA

Tuesday October 25th

ET Group Workplace Tours & Networking Drinks

All WORKTECH Toronto delegates are invited to join our Headline Partner’s Workplace Tour and Networking Drinks from 14:30-17:00 on Tuesday October 25th. This is your chance to join an exclusive guided tour of ET Group’s new offices in Toronto, take a sneak peek behind the scenes, and enjoy a networking reception with some tasty treats and delicious drinks. Once booked onto WORKTECH Toronto, to register for your complimentary tour place, please RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3g7olox

Wednesday October 26th

Conference Opens

Registration and Pre-Event Networking

Smart Buildings: Adopting a systems-based approach to design to create adaptable, efficient, and engaging workspaces

In this presentation, we’ll unpack how Deloitte designed and implemented a digital workplace strategy and smart building platform – blending the worlds of tenant and landlord - to uplift operations and workforce engagement in a modern retrofit project while mitigating capital costs. Imagine buildings that can upgrade at the click of a button, deliver real-time insights that impact real estate and leasing strategy, and create opportunities for alternative revenue generation through Real Estate as a Service. This is now the realm of the possible.

New Frontiers in Workplace Design: how Advanced Spatial Analysis, AI and the Metaverse are increasingly providing opportunities to overcome the challenges of hybrid working.

Using case studies of current projects across the world, Arjun will show how Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) utilizes advanced spatial analytics, smart algorithms and AI to help create transformational opportunities for the design of office buildings, workplace interiors and metaverse environments – that puts the focus back on the unique and highly diverse needs of different occupiers. He will explore how technology is helping ZHA design more collaborative, supportive, adaptive and self-evolving physical and digital environments that help optimise in-office, hybrid and remote working.

Networking & Coffee Break

Fireside Chat: Building your Resilient Workplace

Business leaders need to plan for unprecedented levels of disruption to maintain a resilient business. Join National Director of Design at Scotiabank, Colleen Baldwin, and Suzanne Campbell, Principal and Workplace Strategy Lead at Kasian to hear key findings from Kasian’s national study into the Canadian workplace and learnings from major corporations including Sobeys. Topics to be discussed: workplace transformation successes & challenges; culture & engagement; real estate optimization; and, organizational benefits of a hybrid work environment.

The Future of Work

As we shift from a ‘commodity based’ to an ‘experience based’ society, place takes on new importance in reinforcing culture. Tomorrow’s workplace will have to become an ‘engagement centre’, where people gather, share and connect with the brand and each other. We are no longer designing environments; we are designing the entire experience. Join us for a discussion and case study on Boston Consulting Groups hybrid workspace and learn how to make the workplace a powerful asset for your organization.

Expert panel: Creating a truly effective workplace

Creating a truly effective workplace has always required a perfect balance between people, place, and technology. This expert panel discussion will examine how we can unleash team potential and innovation while enabling them to be healthy and productive, regardless of where they work. Considering the current labour market in Canada, we will also look at how developing the workplace as a destination, rather than an obligation, can drive RTO, enhance employee experience, and increase retention rates.

Networking & Lunch Break

Human-Centered Technology Design for a Hybrid World

How we think about work is changing, and the recent paradigm shift around hybrid work has opened exciting possibilities in terms of new ways of working. However, often there is a gap between what’s possible and the technology choices being made. Learn how ET Group’s human-centered approach to technology design has allowed them to awaken their clients to new possibilities around hybrid work, surfacing "hidden" needs, gaining a sharper understanding of client problems, and ultimately delivering better technology solutions that enable the workplace transformation that is currently underway.

Fireside chat: Selecting, Designing and Building Workplaces in a Post-Pandemic World

The pandemic has drastically changed how people work and engage, how companies evaluate real-estate requirements, overall workplace strategy, workplace design, and how we procure and manage the supply chain in construction. This environment makes building a new workplace harder than it ever has been before. They will discuss portfolios, workplaces, real estate transactions, design standards, procurement, and construction in the new post-pandemic world.

Case Study: Thriving in a Hybrid Work World

Cresa, in partnership with the client, Procom, has been working on a comprehensive, multi-phased program of work that started with the Work + Place Strategy and subsequently moved to the 2nd phase, Operational Solutions and Change Management and we are now in the final phase, Implementation and Sustainment. The program has been constantly evolving, and the process that has emerged has been transformative. We are happy to share with you some of the highlights, challenges, and insights we have gained from this multi-faceted project.

A New Approach to Creating value: designing from strategy to experience

Creating value is no longer a straightforward matter of running a successful business and workplace strategy. Urban, economic and workplace systems have been thrown into flux over the past two years, and ever-worsening environmental and social challenges cut across all scales. But systems can be reimagined; and this requires a new design vocabulary. Using illustrative projects ranging from software to district-scale real estate development, Matthew shows what it means to apply strategic and UX design across scales and domains to create new forms of value.

Networking & Coffee Break

Expert panel: The Future of the Financial Workplace

In this session, we will examine how financial workplace employers in Canada are innovating their spaces to support the new ways of working and prepare for the next wave of change.

A Four-Day Future: The Case for a Shorter Working Week

In this presentation, Joe O’Connor will:
- Describe the background to 4 Day Week Global and the growing international four-day week movement
- Discuss the historical context to working time reduction, how the pandemic has disrupted societal and cultural norms, and in turn turbocharged demand
- Describe our global pilot programs and research projects, including support provided, levels of participation, and some early research findings
- Detail why organizations are trialling or introducing shorter work weeks, and how they are doing it
- Discuss what this might mean for the future of work

Conference Closes

INTERESTED IN SPEAKING AT THIS EVENT?

WORKTECH speakers are leading international thinkers, industry strategists and radical visionaries. Our speakers come from some of today’s most successful companies as well as a broad range of progressive and influential organisations.

Please contact Sophie Gillespie for more information about speaking at this event

EVENT SPONSORS

Headline Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Supported By

  • WORKTECH-Academy