Tuesday 3 September 2024

6.15pm to 9.15pm

2024 REawards

State Library Victoria

Wednesday 4 September 2024

8.00am

Registrations

9.00am

Welcome

9.30am

The Trends Shaping Tomorrow Preparing now for what’s next

Dr. Ben Hamer is an accredited futurist, who was recently awarded the number one thought leader for the Future of Work in the Asia-Pacific by Onalytica.

Ben has undertaken work and research around the world, including time spent leading critical projects at the World Economic Forum as well as being a Visiting Scholar at Yale University. He is an Adjunct Professor at Edith Cowan University’s School of Business and Law and a Board Member for the Australian HR Institute, where he was appointed as the youngest Non-Executive Director in the organisation’s history.

A sought-after media commentator and keynote speaker on future trends, Ben will be launching his next book, A Postcard from the Future, with Ultimo Press in April 2024.

10.30am

Morning tea

11.00am

Shaping the Future

At a time when all eyes are on how well utilised our spaces are, Alice has been intrigued with how businesses are shaping up for the future and what this means for reshaping cities, precincts, workplaces and careers.

The research on our future is clear – global megatrends will impact every organisation in ways we can’t predict yet. But how business leaders are starting to think about success will reshape work and careers as we know it, including how we team, how we learn and how we think about work as part of our lives. Designing places for this future is part science, part art, all craft.

Alice Drew, Head of Place Futures, Lendlease

Alice Drew is a future-focused leader in place strategy and business transformation, using her experience and formal training in architecture, psychology, business, entrepreneurial innovation and environmental law, to lead a specialist strategic advisory team, ‘Place Futures’ at Lendlease.

Place Futures is dedicated to co-creating thoughtful and insightful workplace, placemaking and property solutions for corporate, government, hospital and university sectors. They are on a mission to evolve the built environment to respond to global dynamics and large-scale changes to business, work, talent and social attitudes.

Today more than ever, Alice is working with organisations preparing their people and places to more impactfully participate in the innovation economy and evolve our local innovation precincts.

11.30am

The Pilgrim's Update

Two years ago Dr. Agustin Chevez shared with us the outcomes of his pilgrimage between Melbourne and Sydney in pursuit of unique ideas about the workplace. He has since swapped his boots and backroads in Australia for Excel and meeting rooms to coordinate the insights of his pilgrimage with the commercial real estate industry. 

In this talk, Agustin will share his two recent projects aimed at 1) understanding the mechanisms that deliver the current places of work and 2) a model of work that propels workplaces beyond hybrid in hopes to arrive at the version of work and the workplace delivered by his pilgrimage.

Dr Agustin Chevez, Workplace Provocateur, aChevez Advisory

Dr. Agustin Chevez has dedicated his career to understanding the notion of work and uncovering environments that best support our working lives. His work has been presented at international forums and in industry and academic publications.

After working at leading design firms in Australia and delivering research insights around the world, Agustin now works closer with organisations, helping them navigate the evolving context of work. Agustin is a workplace provocateur at aChevez Advisory and an Honorary Fellow at the School of Management and Marketing and a Member of SHE Lab (Melbourne Design School), both at the University of Melbourne.

12.00pm

New ways of working

Join us at for an insightful panel on flex and coworking. Industry leaders from providers, landlords and occupiers will share their considerations when selecting flex spaces and services and how this contribute to an overall portfolio approach.

John Preece, Chief Property Officer, Hub Australia

John is a leader in flexible workspace innovation, championing the transformation of workspace and space-as-a-service, and the benefits it brings to knowledge workers.

As Chief Property Officer at Hub Australia, he creates strategic and innovative commercial partnerships with property owners, designs flexible workspace venues, and enhances shared amenities and hospitality services. With a career spanning senior roles at Knight Frank, DTZ, and CBRE, John’s expertise includes project management, occupier solutions, and office leasing. A Fellow of the RICS, Graduate of the AICD, and a licensed real estate agent, John brings a wealth of experience and vision to the future of work.

Jennifer Di Bartolomeo, Head of Asset Services, Place & Experience – Office, Charter Hall

As Head of Asset Services, Place & Experience, Jennifer is responsible for Charter Hall’s market leading multidisciplinary office management team that includes property management, operations, ESG, flexible spaces, building technology, customer experience, marketing and capital works.

She is passionate about connecting people and ideas to create sustainable and valuable places – and is proud of the collective efforts of many who contributed to Charter Hall’s recent office development in Melbourne – 555 Collins Street.

Jennifer has over 20 years’ experience in customer experience, operations, strategic marketing and corporate affairs across all core real estate asset classes for commercial real estate groups including AMP Capital, CBRE, The GPT Group and ING Real Estate.

Natalie Bevan, Manager of Portfolio & Projects, Property & Workplace, BHP Natalie thrives in seeing large and complex projects come to life and has a breadth of experience from her early career across government sectors of housing, urban renewal and education.

Natalie has been with the BHP Property & Workplace team for the past seven years and is currently accountable for the global corporate office portfolio and major projects.

In her time with BHP, Natalie has had the opportunity to deliver high quality corporate office projects in multiple locations across Asia and Australia, most recently overseeing the major refurbishment of the BHP Perth office.

12.45pm

Lunch

1.45pm

The Melbourne Connection Hub: Atlassian's Workspace Experiment

In this session, you'll hear about Atlassian's Team Anywhere initiative and delve into the innovative workspace pilot program, the Melbourne Connection Hub pilot.

Paul Boustani, Head of Events & Connections - Workplace Experience Atlassian Paul has been curating impactful experiences across events, hospitality and employee engagement for over 20 years. At Atlassian, Paul leads the Events & Connections team, enabling intentional gatherings that drive effectiveness by ensuring ‘Atlassians’ are connected to each other and the business no matter where and how they work.

2.00pm

REd Talks

The REd Talks are all about the future of the CRE industry, our future talent.

These talks are a prominent feature of the CoreNet Global Australia Chapter Annual Conference, where our Young Leaders get the opportunity to present their ideas in front of over 300 industry professionals.

Cultivating rising talent and deriving insights from their perspectives are essential for businesses seeking success in dynamic and evolving landscapes. We’re sure you’ll come away with fresh ideas.

2.20pm

Designing for Impact

Empowering Aboriginal Communities Through Country-Centred Design

Design is a powerful tool.

It shapes our environments, influences our behaviours, and reflects our values. For Aboriginal communities, design is not just about aesthetics or functionality, but also about empowerment, identity, and community.

Country-centred design can be a means of preserving culture, telling stories, and fostering ongoing connection to Country and kin. When we approach design with a deep understanding of its cultural and social dimensions, we can create spaces that are meaningful and transformative.

The potential for co-design to positively impact communities is immense, but not without its challenges. Historical injustices, systemic inequalities, and ongoing marginalisation can create barriers to meaningful participation in the design process. Overcoming these challenges requires a commitment to genuine partnership, cultural competency, and a willingness to listen and learn. By embracing a collaborative approach, designers, architects, and urban planners can help bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, creating spaces that are both innovative and deeply rooted in cultural identity.

Troy Casey, Managing Director, Blaklash

Troy is a proud Kamilaroi man and the Managing Director of Blaklash, an Aboriginal design consultancy focused on highlighting the importance of Country-centred design to deliver culturally responsive and inclusive places.

With a profound dedication to community development, his work sets a benchmark for community engagement and social innovation, emphasising the critical role design plays in creating positive social change by leveraging economic opportunities within the built environment.

By integrating traditional knowledge and contemporary design principles, Troy plays a pivotal role in collaborating with communities to ensure their voices are embedded in urban design and placemaking projects.

2.50pm

Balancing Act

Productivity, well-being, and the 4-day work week

Is less more? Our expert panel moderated by Dr John Hopkins explores the 4-day workweek phenomenon and its ripple effects on corporate real estate. Uncover the nuts and bolts of implementation and learn how this bold move is transforming workplace design, utilisation, and talent strategies. Reimagine the work week and its implications for your organisation's future.

Dr John Hopkins, Associate Professor, Swinburne University of Technology

John Hopkins is an Associate Professor of Management from Swinburne University of Technology, and the Founder of WorkFLEX, a Melbourne-based company helping workers and organisations successfully transition to new ways of working.

John has been one of Australia’s leading voices on ‘future of work’ research for over a decade, and is regularly invited to provide his expert opinions in the local, national and international media, for outlets like Channel 7, Channel 10, ABC News, SBS World News, Forbes Magazine, the World Economic Forum, The Age, The Australian, The South China Morning Post, and The Hong Kong Herald.

David Fittler, Senior Executive Operations, Property & Procurement, Medibank David is a procurement and supply leader with more than two decades of experience in the health, mining, and manufacturing sectors.

He is responsible for leading Medibank’s procurement and spaces team, including the rightsizing and transformation of the company’s office portfolio.

Prior to Medibank, David worked in the resources industry in Australia and internationally in several procurement leadership roles.

Passionate about health and wellbeing and trail running, David and his family recently made a tree change, with Medibank’s focus on flexibility and health and wellbeing the catalyst for taking a leap to get closer to nature.

Kylie Bishop, Group Lead, People, Spaces & Sustainability, Medibank

Kylie is responsible for leading key people functions including culture, talent and capability, performance and rewards, shared services, diversity and inclusion, workplace relations, health, safety and wellbeing, employee experience and community as well as sustainability and spaces. She has been a member of the executive leadership team since 2013.

Kylie is a registered psychologist specialising in organisational psychology. She began her career in human resource consulting and prior to joining Medibank in 2010, held senior positions with NAB.

Kylie is currently a non-executive director of Royal Melbourne Hospital and Basketball Victoria and was previously a director with Rugby Victoria.

3.30pm

Afternoon Tea

4.00pm

Poetry Slam

4.10pm

Pushing Boundaries and Achieving the Impossible

In today's ever-changing world, resilience and determination are more crucial than ever. That's why we're thrilled to host Jessica Watson, who defied the odds to become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the world at just 16 years old. Her incredible 210-day voyage through some of the world's most challenging oceans, culminating in a triumphant return to Sydney Harbour, continues to inspire millions globally.

Jessica's story is a testament to the power of the human spirit. Despite immense criticism and overcoming seven knockdowns at sea, she sailed into history and went on to share her extraordinary experiences through her best-selling book "True Spirit" and the documentary "210 Days," narrated by Sir Richard Branson.

Her accolades include being named Young Australian of the Year 2011, receiving an Order of Australia Medal, and being inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. Beyond sailing, Jessica has completed an MBA, authored a second book, and now works as a management consultant at Deloitte.

In this session, Jessica will share insights from her remarkable journey and how the lessons she learned can be applied to the corporate real estate sector. Discover how pushing boundaries and achieving the seemingly impossible can inspire you to reach new heights in your professional and personal life.

5.00pm

Closing words