CONFERENCE AGENDA

Conference Agenda

The future of work is on everyone’s agenda. This event brings together thought leaders to share cutting edge ideas on the future, from both a people, place 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.

Spanning two days and multiple locations, our festival format gives you the opportunity to explore the future technologies revolutionising the modern office, experience cutting edge award-winning workplaces, and understand the challenges of delivering workplace experience true to brand, culture and people.

Conference Agenda

18th November Evening: Legal Roundtable and Launch Party hosted by Burges Salmon

Future Workplace Panel. Join us for an enlightening discussion where industry experts share insights from projects at pivotal stages of development. With a focus on ‘return on experience’, this dynamic discussion brings together law firms at various stages of curating their workplaces.

Workplace Tours and Drinks. At Burges Salmon’s newly refurbished London office, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the various levels and amenities of the building. Led by knowledgeable guides, groups will delve into the intricacies of the workplace design.

19th November Morning: Future Financial Workplace Roundtable (invite only)

Future-proofing the financial workplace is now an urgent corporate mission, not just an aspiration. Financial service firms are being pulled in multiple directions as they try to establish a new working model. At this pivotal moment, we examine the latest challenges and new workplace strategies. Participants will explore the transformative potential of AI, augmented reality, and spatial computing, stressing the importance of data, digital storytelling, and human-centered design to enhance user experiences. This event is invite only.

Conference Opens

Poetry

Poet, columnist, enemy of all that’s difficult and upsetting. Matt’s way with words has taken him from Totnes to the All-England Tennis Club via Radio 4’s Saturday Live, The Edinburgh Festival and the work section of the Guardian.

The New World of Work: Challenges & Emerging Trends

The pandemic has been a catalyst both re-shaping and re-thinking a new world of work. We examine what’s on the horizon for the future of work, looking at how business leaders should respond and what should they prioritise in the months ahead.

The Future is Here

Ajay will explore the transformative impact of the latest advancements in technology and AI, heralding a new tech revolution. This revolution will profoundly affect every individual and industry, from healthcare to finance and beyond. As we stand on the cusp of this unprecedented change, companies and individuals must adapt to survive and thrive. Embrace the future by understanding how these innovations will redefine our world and prepare to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. The future is not just approaching; it is already here.

AI: What's coming next? Why is this time different?

A forward-looking discussion on how AI is transforming the workplace. Looking into the future, Jeremy and Rob will explore the evolving expectations for people—focusing on upskilling, reskilling, and human-AI collaboration. The conversation will also address the impact on physical spaces, including the integration of AI agents, voice technology, and digital twins, and how these innovations will shape productivity and workplace design. The session will highlight the importance of adapting to global dynamics, ensuring all regions and sectors are positioned to benefit from these advancements.

Digital Transformation – Unlocking the power of data and technology

As the design of the workplace shifts towards more collaboration and community, technology will both enhance connections between people and optimise the use of physical spaces. New forms of collaboration tech, smart sensors, mobile applications and data analytics will all play a central role in new models of work. Using extensive data and examination of the latest trends and real estate markets across the world, this session explores how to empower business in the new world of work and drive the digital transformation of the workplace to boost performance and productivity.

Coffee and Networking

Welcome Back

Transforming Place: World Cities and Workplace

Unique perspectives on people, space and culture. We explore the challenges of change and discuss new ideas & opportunities for the future of living and working in world cities and workplace.

Poetry

Poet, columnist, enemy of all that’s difficult and upsetting. Matt’s way with words has taken him from Totnes to the All-England Tennis Club via Radio 4’s Saturday Live, The Edinburgh Festival and the work section of the Guardian.

The 15-minute City: A Solution to Saving our Time and our Planet

In this thought provoking hybrid session, Professor Carlos Moreno, the world-acclaimed visionary behind the 15-Minute City, presents his urban concept and its implications for the future of work via video. Catherine Gall and Jeremy Myserson will then dive into the transformative potential of the model which has gained widespread support from mayors globally seeking to reduce car dependency, enhance quality of life and address pressing challenges such as sustainability and post-pandemic recovery.

GSK: Building One of the Healthiest Workplaces in the world

Hear how a programme of scientific sprints to develop future ready workplace design standards and their fundamental metrics are helping GSK create one of the world’s healthiest workplaces. The GSK team will share innovative ways to measure previously unquantifiable aspects of the workplace, putting employee wellbeing and cognitive performance at the heart of decision making. Hear about the holistic measurement using smart wearables, pulse surveys measuring health and wellbeing, and cognitive performance through state-of-the-art app technology.

The Metrics That Matter: Driving Workplace Success in 2024

Have you got workplace analysis paralysis? You’re not alone. In this session, we explore the workplace metrics that matter and offer guidance on using data to drive transformative workplace change in 2024. Using case studies and learnings from workplace teams, we examine: current UK workplace utilisation trends and benchmark what they reveal about our changing strategic priorities in CRE; the metrics that actually matter to a successful hybrid workplace; and how to successfully balance the art and science’ of successful hybrid workplace.

Expert Panel Debate: Workplace Innovations in Real Estate Landscape

In this dynamic panel discussion, experts spotlight learnings from projects at critical stages of development exploring key considerations for attracting top talent, crafting hospitality-driven workplace experiences, examining new digital technologies transforming work and aligning workplace developments with sustainable and responsible business practices.

Innovation Platform: Your Workspace

Innovation Platform: Modo Labs

Lunch

Welcome back

People Centred Workplaces: Cultivating Culture & Engagement

How can companies make the office an attractive proposition to employees who now have more choice in where and how they work?  We examine the post pandemic impact on work, space, buildings and the effects on employee and company productivity and well-being, behaviour and culture.

Poetry

Poet, columnist, enemy of all that’s difficult and upsetting. Matt’s way with words has taken him from Totnes to the All-England Tennis Club via Radio 4’s Saturday Live, The Edinburgh Festival and the work section of the Guardian.

Case Study & Virtual Tour: Booking.com's New HQ and Vision for the Future of Work

The digital world has revolutionised how consumers shop. Digital retailers have rethought the customer experience across channels and devices, and have empowered the customer. With retail much further down the digital transformation road, what lessons can other businesses learn? How can real estate leaders reimagine workplace? How can we seek to improve workplace experiences in hybrid work-from-home models?

Innovation Platform: Data-Driven Change Management, what's next?

Alexa shares tips on how workplace data and technology can be used to engage employees and foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and agile change management. She offers practical insights into how workplace teams can move beyond dashboards to tell compelling data-driven stories, helping stakeholders identify key focus areas and craft adaptive, test-and-learn workplace strategies.

Deep Dive: The Future of Work

These next sessions see us break out into 2 streams to deep dive cutting edge smart building technologies, issues across attracting top talent, how to craft hospitality-driven workplace experiences and align workplace with sustainable and responsible business practices.

Stream 1: Data &Tech

Innovation Platform: The Data-Driven Workplace: Practical Applications For Saving Cost Using Sensors

In the workplace of the future, employees feel at home and businesses gain an edge. Modern workspaces waste no real estate, replacing fixed desks with flexible, collaborative areas. But how do we optimize these spaces while cutting costs? The answer is data. Sensor data shows how spaces are used, but knowing what is only half the battle. In this eBook, we explore how to turn this data into actionable insights for real cost savings and better returns on investment. Discover the future of efficient and effective workplaces.

Powering the world's smartest skyscraper

22 Bishopsgate has been heralded as the world’s smartest skyscraper. It’s an impressive building that stands among the world’s elite office spaces. In this talk Smart Spaces CEO, Dan Drogman, discusses the tech that has brought the London development such global acclaim. Above all, this talk will look to remove the complexity and noise often associated with smart buildings while diving into the human motivations that sit at the heart of modern developments. 

Expert Panel Debate: Workplace Innovation – Data, Sensors and Benchmarking

This dynamic panel explores the transformative impact of data, sensors, and benchmarking in the modern workplace. Industry experts discuss how the integration of advanced sensors and data analytics is revolutionising operational efficiency, employee productivity, and business strategies. The panel will explore the role of benchmarking in setting performance standards, driving continuous improvement, and fostering a culture of innovation. Attendees will gain valuable insights into leveraging these technologies to create smarter, more responsive work environments.  

Stream 2: Design and Experience

Future Workplace | Employee Engagement

Industry experts discuss shifts to more experience-driven approaches to workplace design and the evolving priorities of leaders within the industry. How is the industry responding to the future of work in the long-term? And what can we learn from these large organisations about how to create and deliver great experiences? Also, as we move forward into a new era of work, how does future work consider under-represented groups? This session will explore how organisations can build more inclusive workplaces to ensure the future of work works for us all.

Case Study - Revolutionising Workplace Efficiency: The Future of Mobile Access Control

Hear how to integrate all of the systems that govern physical access in commercial real estate properties and multi-national organisations to enable employees to use their mobile devices as digital badges at single buildings and across entire office portfolios. Leveraging NFC technology, users simply present their Apple and Android devices to readers and locks for easy, connected access to places, spaces and, things – such as printers, lockers and more – even when their devices are in power reserve mode.

Coffee & Networking break

Mock the Workplace: The New Workplace Revolution

In this highly interactive and light-hearted workshop, led by Chris Moriarty and Ian Ellison co-hosts of the Workplace Geeks podcast, panellists and members of the audience repurpose the famous TV show format to explore the workplace revolution. Pick up tips and ideas, and come prepared with a few of your own to drop into the mix. Topics covered:

- Digital transformation, data and AI

- Merging the digital and physical workplace

- Magnetising the built environment

- Workplace’s role in future talent attraction and attention

- Net Zero, ESG and the future of workplace

Networking Drinks & Closing party

EVENT SPONSORS

Host Partner

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Plus Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Bespoke

Conference drinks sponsor

Supported by

  • WORKTECH-Academy