REwork APAC Summit

12-13 September, 2023 | Sydney, Australia + Virtual

Rethinking and redesigning the modern workplace

Conference | Exhibition | Networking

Australia's most progressive event focused on the future of work & workplace

Gone are the days when the workplace was defined by a physical space in a central location that employees occupied during regular office hours. What we see emerging today is a new set of standards regarding employee experience, staff wellbeing, workplace purpose and function. Work culture is being recreated – workspace and real estate requirements are being reconsidered – and employees are being retooled to get the job done in different ways. Those who get it right will win the war for talent and profit from this extraordinary change.

Now in its third year, the REwork Summit has evolved into the leading event in Australia focusing on high-performance work environments.

The Summit attracts business leaders and decision-makers responsible for the strategic development of their organisations, along with workplace strategists, HR professionals, facility managers, real estate professionals, architects and interior designers.

The discussions touch on a wide variety of topics including strategy, design, technology, management, and the future of work. The purpose of the event is to provide resources to create state-of-the-art, human-centric workplaces that support individual, team and business performance.

Join us and help shape the new world of work!

2022 Speakers
Partnership opportunities
Download program
Register

Summit will start in...

Confirmed Speakers

View All Speakers

Themes Being Discussed

WORKPLACE STRATEGY: REthink/REcreate/REdistribute/REpurpose

As we emerge from the world’s largest workplace change management experiment, what are we expecting from our workplaces now? No one can predict with certainty how our offices and workplaces will change, with the exception that we ‘know’ work will never be the same again… or will it?

  • How is “The Great Return to Office” playing out around the globe?
  • Can we have it all? Maximising flexibility and productivity
  • Combining agile leadership with flexible workplaces to successfully manage change
  • Redesigning organisations to be more agile and effective
  • Understanding the multi-generational workforce and how Gen Z will be changing and shaping the future of work
  • How to “Wow” employees by aligning CRE, HR and IT
  • Creating truly inclusive and sustainable workplaces
  • Returning to office – Aligning experience data to operational investment

BUILDINGS, SPACE & DESIGN: REconfigure/REdevelop/REdesign/REfit

If the workplace is no longer the only place where work ‘gets done’, what can the office offer? There must be positive pull – otherwise it becomes defunct. How do we shift the purpose and experience of the workplace environment.

  • The Office is Dead. Long Live the Office! How to unite remote enthusiasts and office evangelists
  • Assessing the long-term implications of remote and flexible work on CBD office space use, office space redesign, and urban planning
  • Empathic Buildings: How to improve employee well-being and performance
  • Purposeful Buildings – New considerations for office moves and fit-outs
  • Infusing hospitality concepts and ideas into the workplace
  • Creating a winning workplace: Designing and maintaining productive workspaces based on the behaviors of the workforce
  • Breaking new ground between owners and tenants in the race to Net Zero

PEOPLE & CULTURE: REcruit/REtain/REtrain/REgroup

Organisations that prioritise workplace wellbeing out-perform their competitors – Thriving workplaces are healthier, more profitable and creative.

  • How to build a thriving/FOMO inducing workplace to attract the next generation of talent
  • Building a regenerative workplace: Restoring employee wellbeing to achieve performance excellence
  • What does a “Return to People” look like when placing the emphasis on the most important ingredient of work and the workplace – the people?
  • How millennials and digital natives are reshaping what’s important in workplace and employee experience
  • Metrics of happiness: workplace design considerations and the happiness ecosystem
  • Taking a people centric, data-driven approach to workplace planning
  • Managing flexible agile workplace arrangements
  • Shaping/designing the workplace to reinforce culture and drive workplace value

TECHNOLOGY: REconnect/REtool/REallocate/REengage

Technology’s role in shaping the end user experience and expectations of the new workforce for a digital-first, hybrid work environment.

  • Workplace experience, productivity, health and digital office integration
  • The impact of smart building technology on the future of work
  • Leases, locations, and employees: Driving workplace decisions with integrated technology
  • Designing a frictionless digital employee experience
  • Balancing portfolio planning and tenant expectations with hybrid workplace technology
  • How to connect people and place and make informed, data-driven space decisions
  • Sensing the future – Using Proptech and workplace analytics to support the flexible workplace experience and meet new workplace challenges
Event Ticket Price

Register Early and Save

$1275 + gst

2 Day Summit Virtual Pass

  • Book and pay by 04 Aug 23

  • No access to interactive round table and networking sessions

Buy Ticket

$1915 + gst

2 Day Summit Virtual Pass

  • Book and pay by 04 Aug 23

  • Access to all summit sessions

Buy Ticket

$495 + gst

Post-Event Masterclass

  • In-Person Attendance Add-On Option

BUY TICKET

Conference Schedule

    Day 1 | Tuesday | 12th September

    08:30 - 09:00

    Registration

    09:00

    Chairperson’s opening remarks

    , ,

    WORKPLACE STRATEGY

    09:15

    Evolution and Innovation: Alibaba's approach to workplace design and technology for their 230,000 global employees

    Felix is responsible for the investment, construction and operation of 7 million square meters of Alibaba’s workspace worldwide. In this case study we hear how Felix is supporting the fast development of Alibaba’s business, where he continuously explores ways to provide a more secure, efficient, and vibrant workspace for over 230,000 employees worldwide. Felix will showcase how the planning, innovation, design and development of the workspace he manages is improving the efficiency of facility management, as well as upgrading security and environmental services with intelligent solutions. Before joining Alibaba in 2014, he served as the vice president of retail operations of Amazon China. 

    • General introduction and key figures about Alibaba’s campuses and workplace worldwide  
    • Our view on what makes a good workplace and why they are important to our 230,000 global employees 
    • Evolution of our workplace in response to the fast growth of the company and the changing preferences of our employees 
    • Intelligent solutions that we’ve developed to reshape our workplace and improve flexibility and efficiency 
    • Future of workplace in Alibaba and how we prepare for it 
    , ,
    09:40

    INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Embracing hybrid work: IoT and Smart Building Technology for evidence-based solutions

    The rapid shift towards hybrid working models has led to a growing demand for smart solutions that optimise productivity, efficiency, and employee well-being. By showcasing real-world case studies and practical applications, this presentation will delve into the cutting-edge convergence of IoT and smart building technologies that enable hybrid working environments.

    • Space utilisation: Leveraging IoT data to optimise office layouts and a seamless flexible work experience
    • Energy efficiency: Utilising smart building technology to minimise energy consumption and reduce costs
    • Employee well-being: Monitoring and adjusting environmental conditions such as air quality, temperature, and lighting
    • Collaboration and connectivity: Enhancing team communication and collaboration through connected devices and applications
    , ,
    10:00

    PANEL DISCUSSION: Workplace revolution – leaders are you ready?

    Traditional management models simply aren’t fit for purpose for the workforce of tomorrow. The issue of labour shortages isn’t a problem for HR to solve alone; it’s a challenge for the whole business to meet. What are the strategies that will enable businesses to adapt to the future world of work, where employees prioritise flexibility, inclusion and personal development?

    • How is technology providing solutions to engage workers and increase productivity and wellbeing?
    • What do employees need to thrive at work and how do we provide this?
    • Examining the shift around the importance of work in people’s lives and the implications for workforce strategy
    • Is productivity the right measure for employees anymore and if not, what is?
    Panellists:
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    Facilitated by:
    , ,
    10:40

    Morning refreshments & networking break

    11:20

    INTERACTIVE ROUND TABLE SESSIONS

    These quickfire moderated 40-minute roundtable sessions enable delegates to break up into small focus groups of 20 to deep dive into topics of specific interest. This will be followed by a quick recap of each table discussion by each of the facilitators.

    Roundtable 1: How can you equip your leaders to be successful in a multi-choice workstyle culture?
    Led by: John Corbett, Corporate Real Estate Executive, CorbCo

    Roundtable 2: Uncover how and where your people work best – using methods derived from the field of Human Geography
    Led by: Tica Masuku, Workplace Strategy Director, Spaceful

    Roundtable 3: Metrics of happiness: Workplace design considerations and the happiness Ecosystem
    Led by: Sarah Matthews, CEO, Little BIG Foundation

    Roundtable 4: Hitting pause- how we transition successfully in an ever changing, fast paced environment
    Led by:     Steve MacDonald, CEO, The Human Link

    Roundtable 5: Combining data and a people centric focus to understand work and redefine (physical) workplace
    Led by: Peter Andrew, Executive Director – APAC Workplace Centre of Excellence, CBRE 

    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    12:00

    Press Pause: Transitioning well into the future of work

    Future focused work environments must successfully transition into human based high performance environments. This requires a strategic pause to rethink and reimagine rather than reproduce what has gone before.  Author and Organisational Psychologist Steve Macdonald unpacks the principles for transforming performance environments to embrace the future using examples from organisations he is currently working with.   

    • The principles of transition and transformation 
    • Unleashing the authentic value of our people 
    • Leading into the future 
    , ,
    12:20

    PANEL DISCUSSION: Maximising productivity & flexibility

    Over the last two years, businesses have been experimenting. Remote, hybrid, flexible working – the 4-day week. What does the future hold? Can businesses, teams and individuals reach a consensus that maximises employee engagement and business growth? How is the cost-of-living crisis influencing employees’ expectations of remote or office working? Join this discussion as you think through what the future holds for your business.

    • Asynchronous remote work – are distributed workforces creating us vs them divides within teams and organisations?
    • How can HR take charge by embracing personalised strategies in the EX-journey for in house and remote workers?
    • Strategies to imbed psychological safety and the benefits of encouraging open discourse
    Panellists:
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    Facilitated by:
    , ,
    13:00

    Lunch & networking break

    PEOPLE AND CULTURE

    14:00

    PANEL DISCUSSION: 2024 and beyond - Fostering a collaborative workplace culture based on trust

    Productivity paranoia, presenteeism and burnout vs trust and output are on employees minds. How do we ensure that workers feel connected to each other, the work, the mission, and the organisation, even when they don’t show up to the same place 5 days a week?

    • How are you addressing burnout in your organisation?
    • Is there a growing trust disconnect between workers and management and how do we resolve this?
    • What hard work and systems within the workplace are creating undue stress on employees?
    • How do you stop thinking in terms of productivity and focus on impact and value instead?
    Panellists:
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    Facilitated by:
    , ,
    14:40

    SPECIAL ADDRESS: Making hybrid work human

    While hybrid work is here to stay for millions around the world, it presents real challenges for employees, their managers, and organisations as a whole. Combining technology and culture change offers the opportunity to create a “hybrid-first” mindset, empowering real-time and asynchronous collaboration that keep people connected, no matter where they work from.  

    • To what extent can communications smooth the rough edges of hybrid-working models?  
    • What are the building blocks of a resilient culture in a hybrid setting? 
    • How must leadership adapt to manage this change effectively and avoid being left behind, especially when it comes to innovation? 
    • What lessons can be learned from the past 18 months to create a sustainable working future? 
    , ,
    15:05

    MODELS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT: Total Flexibility Vs. Mandated hybrid Vs. full-time In Office

    From strategy to execution. This session will look at different working models and discuss the pros and cons of each one.

    • Now organisations have seen the effects of their chosen working model what outcomes have they seen?
    • Is your model working or do you need to consider a different approach or adapt it?
    • What do you need to support each working model?
    • What are the legal and Health & Safety implications of each model?
    Panellists:
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    Facilitated by:
    , ,
    15:45

    Afternoon refreshments & networking break

    ATTRACTING & RETAINING TALENT

    16:15

    CASE STUDY: Gen Z is ready to get to work. But are you ready for Gen Z in the workplace?

    Young professionals are entering the workforce – and then leaving again, quickly. As you read this, 30% of Generation Z are looking for a new job. Want to attract and retain the highest quality employees from the new generation? Then understanding their needs and desires is the first step to success.

    • What are the defining characteristics and priorities of Gen Z that define them from others in the workplace?
    • How are misaligned expectations about flexibility, money and support leading to dissatisfaction and high exit rates?
    • The role of EAP’s in retaining Gen Z workers to avoid disruption in the workforce
    • How do you foster multi-generational needs and collaboration?
    , ,
    16:35

    PANEL DISCUSSION: Building a regenerative workplace to attract, retain & advance your workforce

    In the face of current headwinds and calls to cut costs, what priorities need to remain front of mind for organisations to thrive and be on the front foot in modern workforce engagement?

    • What issues prevent workers from gaining promotion, improving wellbeing and knowledge and does this impact workplace culture?
    • Balancing the risk of losing key talent against short term cost and portfolio efficiencies
    • How to create wellbeing strategies that are inclusive, holistic, and personalised
    • How can you cultivate future-ready mindsets? Frameworks for mentorship
    Panellists:
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    , ,
    17:15

    Close of day one and networking drinks

      Day 2 | Wednesday | 13th September

      08:30

      Registration

      09:00

      Chairperson’s opening remarks

      , ,

      BUILDINGS, SPACE & DESIGN

      09:10

      KEYNOTE ADDRESS: The Metaverse and the world of work

      • How can the metaverse be used effectively within organisations?
      • What opportunities does it bring? A look at teamwork and collaboration in the metaverse
      • What potential challenges do you need to think about?
      • Is your organisation ready for this new virtual world? Does it need to be?
      , ,
      09:40

      PANEL DISCUSSION: Building a regenerative workplace to attract, retain & advance your workforce

      DEIB is driving workforce strategies and initiatives but how will this translate in buildings, space, and design?

      • Using biophilic design to create wellbeing
      • Creating neuro-inclusive spaces to foster inclusion and belonging
      • Hotelification – incorporating creature comforts and a space for each phase of work to maximise productivity and employee experience
      • What amenities underpin DEIB?
      Panellists:
      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      Moderator:
      , ,
      10:20

      CASE STUDY: Fostering a relationship driven workplace culture via intentional design and bespoke offerings

      Recently winning the Urban Taskforce Award for Commercial Development 2022, Pallas House brings high end residential elements into a commercial & retail space via design elements and bespoke offerings to imbue a warm and inviting atmosphere that attracts employees 5 days a week into the office.

      • How to achieve a community vibe for tenants and employees via location and fit-out choices
      • Leveraging experiential elements to underpin a sense of belonging and relationship building
      • Translating corporate ethics and values via bricks and mortar to attract and retain talent
      • How do you successfully re-create the design brief across multiple sites?
      , ,
      , ,
      10:50

      Morning refreshments & networking break

      11:30

      INTERACTIVE ROUND TABLE SESSIONS

      These quickfire moderated 40-minute roundtable sessions enable delegates to break up into small focus groups of 20 to deep dive into topics of specific interest. This will be followed by a quick recap of each table discussion by each of the facilitator.

       

      Roundtable 1: Creating a winning workplace: Designing and maintaining productive workspaces based on the behaviours of the workforce
      Led by: Erin Faulkner, Head of People & Culture, Greenpeace Asia Pacific

      Roundtable 2: Building a regenerative workplace to attract, retain & advance your workforce
      Led by: Allan Ryan, Adjunct Professor, UTS, Executive Director, Hargraves Institute

      Roundtable 3: Designing environments that engage + drive culture
      Led by: Cloudia Ingall, Head of Design & Strategy, Fortis

      Roundtable 4: How to build a thriving/FOMO inducing workplace to attract the next
      Led by:       Zora Artis, CEO, Artis Advisory 

      Roundtable 5: Tech and best practices powering flexible work
      Led by: Philip Woods, Director, Catalyst Strategy

      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      12:10

      CASE STUDY: Merging RE, Tech and Workforce

      Work and the way we work needs to change. Now is the opportunity to rethink, re-design and create organisations and ways of working that benefit our families, our communities, our cities, and our environment. Australian Retirement Trust has recently had the opportunity to bring this to life by merging two organisations into one, in a brand-new purpose-built workplace. Join Kim as she shares the process of re-inventing the workplace.

      • How metrics shaped the design decision
      • What was important and why did it matter
      • What is the employee feedback so far and how is it being captured
      • Bumps in the road
      , ,
      12:30

      Lunch & networking break

      TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

      13:50

      WORKPLACE TECH TALKS: Innovators in workplace & employee experience technology share ways to improve daily work life proficiency.

      In this rapid-fire session, we hear from 4 forward thinking Tech companies about how they are creating technologies for the lasting shift toward future ready workplaces.

      Worktech 1: Vincent Lau, CEO, Allocate Space

      Worktech 2: Adrian Brossard, Head of Partnerships, Yellowbox

      Worktech 3: Cameron Douglas, CEO, Videopro 

      Worktech 4: Mike Erlin, Co-Founder & CEO, AbilityMap

      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      Facilitated by:
      , ,
      14:30

      FIRESIDE CHAT: Building workforces of the future - to what extent is innovation key to talent attraction, retention, and organisational agility?

      Innovation is a word often used in an enterprise context that transcends consumers, brand, digital and ESG. This fireside chat will explore the secrets to innovation, and how it can be used to pivot, grow, and secure talent in turbulent times.

      • How can innovation be translated and maximised through a talent lens?
      • What role does senior leadership play in creating a culture of innovation and nurturing talent?
      • Who are tomorrow’s disruptors and what kind of organisations will they want to work for?
      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      Interviewed by:
      , ,
      15:00

      HOT PANEL: Technology is constantly evolving; what does the dawning of the metaverse, and generative AI mean for your strategy and the future of work?

      This panel discussion will unpack the benefits of applied AI:

      • How can we combine human and machine intelligence to augment and enhance work?
      • Removing bias for truly ethical AI
      • Will tech undermine or enable our future?
      • How can we overcome the challenges in upskilling and reskilling workforces to ‘democratise’ AI?
      Panellists:
      , ,
      , ,
      , ,
      Facilitated by:
      , ,
      15:40

      Close of summit

      This panel discussion will unpack the benefits of applied AI:

      • How can we combine human and machine intelligence to augment and enhance work?
      • Removing bias for truly ethical AI
      • Will tech undermine or enable our future?
      • How can we overcome the challenges in upskilling and reskilling workforces to ‘democratise’ AI?

      Event Partners

      Allocate Space logo for website (660 x 320) (1)
      Yellowbox logo for website
      FWA Flexible Workspace Australia logo for website
      Request Partnership Prospectus
      Get in there to Reach

      Get Direction to the Event

      • Venue

        Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

      • Address

        61/101 Phillip St, Sydney NSW 2000

      • Get Direction
      Don't Miss Our Future Updates!

      Get Subscribed Today!

      Hidden
      This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.