The future of work can often feel uncertain and complex. Emerging technologies, cultural changes, geopolitical conflicts, climate disruptions and shifting economies can feel overwhelming and bleak. But what if you could think like a futurist? What if you had the ability to envision the future you want and the tools to get you there? Brian David Johnson will share insights on how to think like a futurist, addressing macro-themes including the purpose of the office, the influence of workplace trends on cities, AI, automation and the workforce of the future.

As workplace trends continue to evolve, they exert considerable influence on our cities' form and function. In this discussion, experts explore what the future holds for the Greater Seattle Area, discussing shifts in workplace and corporate real estate strategies and how these changes impact the future of our cities and the way people live, work and interact within them.

Riding the waves of a rapidly changing world requires anchoring into principles that stand the test of time. In this light-hearted and interactive talk about aiming for better balance across organisations and industries, Kelly explores why continuing to lean more into feminine principles could be what allows us to achieve that balance, and stay healthier in the long term as a result.

This session explores how best to create optimal environments for employees to do their work, examining how cross-functional and human-centred approaches can be leveraged to make the office and greater workplace ecosystem more purposeful. How do we measure what is great? How do we successfully work across functional real estate, human resources (HR) and information technology (IT) to deliver it?

While leaders don't agree on everything, they all agree that the success of their businesses depend on their ability to make smart, informed workplace decisions backed by data. Learn the latest ways organizations are using data to confidently anticipate workspace needs, reallocate precious operational spend, and measure the success of in-office policies.

What's the purpose of the workplace in this hybrid era? Discover why a proactive approach to reimagining workspaces is undeniably preferable to passive hope. Dive into the synergy of empathy and data as we navigate these challenges. Do you have the courage to challenge the status quo? Join us and be the vanguard of change.

The session will explore: Will gen AI be a job-destroyer for white-collar workers? How will structural factors like aging and healthcare needs, along with federal investment in energy and infrastructure, and other macro drivers alter demand for certain jobs? With the economy reweighting toward higher-wage jobs, how can we solve mismatches, remake education, and connect workers with the training they need?

In this discussion, we explore the ways in which AI will and won’t transform the workplace, aiming to cut through the dialogue about chat-bots and artificial intelligence and get to the specifics of how these technologies affect us all. Covering topics such as sustainability, AI ethics, the impact of new technology on the jobs market and setting AI in-context with other major technology trends, they will provide an overview into where AI is going in the next few years and how we can best prepare for the transformations it will bring.

In this panel discussion designers, product reps and clients who are neurodivergent themselves will share their personal challenges, experiences, and insights about what makes a workplace truly inclusive for neurodiverse individuals. What works, what doesn’t, and what’s missing from what we are seeing in workplace design today that we could integrate in the future?

This experiment summary highlights the design, operations, and logistics of a workspace that is optimized for human interaction. We explore the hypothesis that flexible, responsive, diverse solutions are critical to addressing evolving workplace demands. We'll share an overview of the design experiment, along with lessons learned and meaningful takeaways that can be applied to a variety of workspaces.

In this closing session, Kate will address some of the pressing challenges and conversations raised throughout the day, offering specific mathematical concepts and take-away tools that are based in logic and applicable to your own workplace transformation efforts. Gain inspiration and theoretical math as a process framework and hear real world applied examples of using math concepts successfully in the workplace.