AU [SYD] 2025 Annual Conference

Wednesday 4 September 2025

8.00am

Registration open

9.00am

Welcome

9.15am

Ditch the Boundaries: Reimagining Innovation and Experience

Christina Gerakiteys

Kickstarting the day with a burst of creative energy, innovation catalyst Christina Gerakiteys invites us to throw out the rulebook and embrace moonshot thinking. In this energising keynote, Christina will challenge us to expand our boundaries, reframe failure as a springboard for progress and explore what’s possible when we lead with curiosity, creativity and kindness.

From robot-manned cafés in Tokyo empowering people with disabilities to customer service superheroes in capes at Zappos, Christina brings powerful global examples that will leave you thinking bigger – about work, experience and the kind of impact we can create when we unlearn the norm.

This won’t be a passive experience. Expect to be part of the conversation as Christina prompts us to reflect, connect and engage with those around us. Her goal? To open minds and spark ideas that carry through the entire day.

It’s not about blue-sky thinking for the sake of it – it’s about real, human-centred innovation that redefines how we measure success and design experience.

10.15am

Morning tea

10.45am

A Decade of Occupier Insights: 2015 to 2025

Despina Katsikakis

In partnership with CoreNet Global, Cushman & Wakefield presents the 2025 edition of What Occupiers Want—our biennial global survey that captures the priorities, pressures and portfolio strategies shaping occupancy strategy.  Globally, over 235 CRE leaders completed this year’s survey, and their views represent over 8 million employees and approx. 340 msf of floor area.

 Amid lingering uncertainty and a heightened focus on cost, this year’s report explores how leading organizations are redefining value in corporate real estate. From aligning with the C-suite to quantifying workplace impact, occupiers are seeking new frameworks that balance financial rigor with a people-first approach.

Key Findings from the 2025 Report

• Cost still drives decisions, but new performance metrics are emerging.
• CRE teams are becoming more strategic, aligning with HR, Finance and IT.
• ESG priorities are shifting, with notable regional differences.
• Landlords have an opportunity to lead by offering services, not just space.
• Flexible location strategies are essential for talent access and retention.
• Office occupancy is stabilising, but expectations for the workplace are rising.

Why It Matters

Occupiers today do more than manage space—they create environments that drive culture, performance and long-term business value. This report, based on survey findings, offers a global, cross-functional perspective on how the workplace must adapt to support both people and business objectives

11.00am

Beyond the Desk - Culture, Cool & the Future of Workplace

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Robyn Wilson

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The workplace today is more than a physical office. It’s a system of culture, technology, leadership, and design that stretches across buildings, browsers, and behaviour. 

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In this keynote, Robyn Wilson introduces Coolnomics® - a strategic lens for understanding how culture creates economic value. Drawing on insights from the Coolnomics® Resonance Report, she explores how the most effective workplaces are not just well-designed - they’re hybrid, intentional, and emotionally intelligent. 

Whether in a regional HQ or a Teams call, people want environments that reflect trust, purpose, and shared values. It’s not about perks. It’s about resonance: relevance, authenticity, and aspiration in action. 

This session challenges leaders, developers, and designers to look beyond square metres and ask: How do people feel in this system? What does the space - online or offline - say about who we are? 

Because the most valuable workplaces of the future will be ones people choose to be part of - not just show up to. 

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Key takeaways

·       The workplace is now a cultural system, not just a physical site. Leaders must consider both tangible spaces and intangible dynamics - how people connect, feel, and find meaning across office and online environments.

·       Emotional infrastructure drives performance. Spaces that reflect trust, clarity, and shared purpose support better retention, engagement, and innovation. As a design priority, resonance supports human performance.

·       Relevance, authenticity, and aspiration are the new design brief. To build workplaces people want to be part of, ask: Does this space - on and offline - reflect who we are and what we stand for?

11.30am

AI's Workplace Revolution - Beyond productivity to transformation

Robbie Robertson, Digital Experience Design & Strategy Leader, Australia, Asia Pacific and Middle East, Gensler

Dr Sean Gallagher, Founder, Humanova

Drawing on Humanova & Gensler research and frontline client experience, this session explores how AI is already reshaping work - from routine task automation to the emergence of AI agents that will fundamentally alter organisational structures.

We'll examine the coming wave of workforce reductions as AI capabilities expand, and why traditional approaches to workplace planning are becoming obsolete.

The session challenges workplace leaders to stop thinking incrementally and start preparing for tectonic change, moving beyond "how many desks do we need?" to "what does human work look like when AI handles the routine?"

Essential insights for navigating the transition from productivity tools to organisational transformation and the impact this will have in the way we design our workplaces.

12.15pm

From insight to action - Future fit skills and systems for the workplace of 2035

Over the past six months, CoreNet Global Australia has been listening closely, bringing together voices from across the corporate real estate community to explore what it will take to be future fit.

This session unveils the outcomes of that collaborative inquiry, presenting the key findings from the Future Focus 2025 research paper. Synthesised from a national series of interviews and hands-on workshops, the paper captures what industry leaders believe will shape the next 10-15 years of work, workplace and leadership.

From adaptive real estate systems and circular design, to emerging skillsets like AI fluency, data literacy and values-based leadership, this research offers a grounded view of where we are and where we need to go. It also surfaces the cultural, structural and systemic barriers that may hold us back and what we can do to overcome them.

Whether you're shaping portfolios, policies or people strategies, this session will help you align today’s actions with tomorrow’s demands.

12.45pm

Lunch

1.45pm

Leesman – What we’ve learned since 2020, and where the future of workplace is headed

Kyle de Bruin

Leesman has collected and analysed data from over 550,000 employee survey responses across many of the world’s leading organisations since 2020. This provides an unparalleled, independent, evidence-based lens into how workplace performance has been impacted by the pandemic and what is driving high performance today.​

This session will present key insights from Leesman’s last five years of research, highlighting the crucial requirements for delivering an outstanding employee experience, both in-office and remote.​

We’ll also explore feedback from our CRE Leaders Poll, which uncovers what organisations are truly focused on and the potential disconnect between workplace purpose and employee needs.

Key takeaways

·       Learn what Leesman has learned about post-pandemic workplace experience, so you’re armed to make smarter, evidence-based decisions.

·       Understand more about your global CRE peers’ strategies and what is really going on, to avoid being distracted by the industry media machine.

·      ​Re-frame your thinking about workplace experience, and what is important to measure and communicate success to your internal stakeholders.

2.15pm

Lightening Talks - Experience

Experience is the foundation

Su Lim

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Organisations, brands and places are defined by the experiences they create.

From airports to universities, cultural districts to workplaces, when places perform, the people that use them are engaged and feel a sense of belonging.

When they fail, these places become under-utilised and the communities they are designed for become fragmented.

Using examples, this session explores how an experience-led approach delivers more valuable places - commercially, environmentally and socially.

Key takeaways

·       Experience as the foundation for decision-making

·       Importance of storytelling to inspire

·       Radical participation for change

Phygital Futures - rethinking place through digital placemaking

Emile Rademeyer

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As our cities evolve, so too must the way we design and define place. In this fast-paced lightning talk, Emile Rademeyer reveals how digital placemaking activates physical environments through interactive storytelling, AI, data and cultural expression. From building-scale projections to immersive precinct-wide interventions, Rademeyer will demonstrate how digital layers can shift perception, spark emotion and create places people feel… not just visit.

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Key takeaways

·       What is ‘Phygital’ Placemaking - Discover the fusion of physical and digital and how it’s redefining experience and place.

·       ‘Phygital’ Experiences Unpacked - Unpack the power of narrative in ‘phygital’ experience design and how culture, sensory cues and immersive storytelling turn places into unforgettable journeys.

·       AI Innovation in Action - Case studies where using AI in phygital placemaking experiences have supercharged engagement, boosted identity and delivered tangible uplift.

Designing for Experience: The Macquarie Way

Michael Edwards, Global Head – Workplace Experience, Macquarie Group

How do you build a workplace that feels less like a corporate office and more like a curated experience? For Macquarie Group, it started with reimagining hospitality as the foundation of real estate strategy.

Join Michael Edwards, who led workplace experience for Macquarie’s new Sydney campus, as he shares insights from a multi-year, multidisciplinary journey that brought together hotel-level service, bold user-centred design and a relentless focus on intentionality. From extreme user mapping and supplier partnerships to the lessons learned (yes, even the AV hiccups), this session lifts the lid on how Macquarie blurred the lines between experience, function and brand.

More than just a fitout, this was about creating a magnetic destination that entices, engages and evolves.

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3.15pm

Afternoon Tea

3.45pm

REd talks

​Get ready to be inspired by the next generation of corporate real estate leaders! After months of training and mentorship, our REd Talks speakers are primed to deliver impactful, thought-provoking presentations on the future of CRE.

With fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, they will challenge the status quo and give you a glimpse into the evolving landscape of our industry. Don't miss the chance to hear from these dynamic Young Leaders as they take the stage - it’s a session you won’t want to miss!​

Attention please - Designing workplaces with focus in mind

Ella Horner​​

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We measure carbon, energy and floorplate efficiency but rarely the cost of cognitive overload. In today’s high-stimulation offices, we’re burning through one of our most valuable and finite resources: attention.

This REd talk unpacks the cognitive and economic impact of distraction in the modern workplace, and explores how leaders across property, design and workplace strategy can help reverse the trend.

Drawing on neuroscience, workplace research and neuroinclusive design, it introduces the idea of cognitive sustainability: a fresh lens on workplace experience that protects, rather than depletes, our capacity to focus. From zoning and sensory tuning to the ripple effects of spaces designed for deep work, we’ll explore how environments shaped for neurodiverse needs often end up working better for everyone.

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The ROI of human - Why 'efficient' is the enemy of 'experience'

Adrian O'Dea

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We talk a lot about experience but too often it gets buried beneath an obsession with tasks that can be defined and measured in advance. In this talk I’ll argue that efficiency is often the enemy of experience and that creating space for human, hospitality-led service is one of the smartest workplace investments an organisation can make.

Drawing on lessons from airlines, hotels and healthcare, I’ll explore how giving time and autonomy to the people who deliver these experiences unlocks the moments and magic that drive loyalty, retention and performance.

Too much focus on lean operations and reducing opex means we often overlook what I call Unpredictable Value - the true magnifier of human experience. It’s found in the unexpected: a need anticipated, a subtle cue noticed, a moment of surprise and delight. These aren’t scripted. They rely on emotionally intelligent teams who are empowered to act.

At the heart of my argument is this: by undervaluing Unpredictable Value, organisations are missing out on some of the greatest benefits workplace experience has to offer.

4.00pm

Closing keynote​​ - The Revolution of Experience

Dr Karl Kruzelnicki

Dr Karl will discuss how artificial intelligence is the currently obvious target for fooling people. AI is like a restaurant – there are four options:

1.          The food might look good, and it won’t make you sick.

2.          The food might look good, but it will make you sick.

3.          The food might look bad, but it won’t make you sick.

4.          The food might look bad, and it will make you sick.

The restaurant advises you that “The restaurant takes no responsibility for anything and advises you to carry out your own microbial testing before eating”.

Dr Karl will take you on an entertaining and informative meander into the current swamp of social media and AI hallucinations. (About 70% of everything on the internet is generated by AI). There will also be messages of good hope.

Part of the solution is critical thinking, which implies some experience.

5.00pm

Closing words

5.00pm

Networking function

6.30pm

Event concludes