8:00
Registration
9:00
Welcome
9:15
The Value Conversation
Influence, Storytelling and Decision-Making
As organisations navigate increasing complexity, constrained budgets and heightened risk, the way decisions are made is shifting and so too is the way value is understood and communicated.
In this opening keynote, Cian McLoughlin will explore how different stakeholders define value and why influencing those perspectives is critical in today’s environment. Drawing on his experience working with global organisations, Cian will share insights into what drives decision-making, what creates hesitation and how professionals can better articulate value in conversations that involve multiple stakeholders.
This session will examine the role of influence, storytelling and value articulation in shaping outcomes, particularly as organisations face longer decision cycles, rising costs and uncertainty around the future of work and AI.
With a conversational and interactive style, Cian will encourage participants to capture key insights and identify practical actions they can take away, helping to ensure the value created in the room extends beyond the conference.
10:05
Morning Tea
10:45
The Value of Human Intelligence in an AI-Augmented World
As AI rapidly reshapes the world of work, organisations are facing growing questions around productivity, workforce planning and the future role of human intelligence. But beyond the headlines and hype, what is actually happening inside organisations adopting AI today?
Claire will share findings from two lines of research. First, an analysis comparing trends in demand for workers (and skills) in AI adopting versus non-adopting firms. Second, providing an analysis of the complementary features of human and artificial intelligence, which provides a framework for understanding the latest research findings relating to the relationship between AU use, work performance, learning and well-being.
From shifting skill requirements to the evolving relationship between people, technology and workplace design, Claire will challenge common assumptions about automation and explore what it means to create value in an AI-augmented future.
Key takeaways
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AI augments (but does not replace) human intelligence
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AI is not inherently good or bad but it takes knowledge and skills to maximise its benefits and minimise its risks
11:15
Lightning Talk #1
The Value of Place: From Flourishing Cities to Lasting Legacy
The value of a workplace doesn't end at the front door.
As organisations broaden their understanding of what creates value, attention is shifting beyond individual buildings to the precincts, public spaces and cities that shape how people work, connect and thrive. This two-part session explores how thoughtful placemaking creates lasting economic, social and environmental value, from the research that informs better cities to the real-world delivery of one of Australia's most significant urban renewal projects.
Beginning with the principles of flourishing cities before moving to their practical application through the new Sydney Fish Market, these complementary presentations demonstrate how collaboration between government, industry and academia is reshaping the future of our built environment.
Following the presentations, both speakers will return to the stage for a combined Q&A, exploring how research, policy and project delivery come together to create places that generate lasting value for communities, businesses and future generations.
The Value of Flourishing Cities
How do our cities, precincts and public places contribute to the value of both our people and our workplaces?
Drawing on the work of the Centre for Flourishing Cities at the University of Sydney, Alexandra O'Mara explores how research is helping shape healthier, more resilient and socially connected places. Through practical examples and emerging research, she will examine how partnerships between industry, government and academia are creating evidence-based solutions that influence policy, improve population and planetary health and transform our urban environments.
Alexandra will challenge delegates to think differently about the role of corporate real estate in creating cities where people, businesses and communities don’t just function, they flourish.
The Value of Place - Creating Sydney’s Newest Civic Landmark
Susan Lee
What does it take to turn the vision of a flourishing precinct into reality?
Susan Lee, Acting CEO of Placemaking NSW, shares the story behind the new Sydney Fish Market, one of Australia's most significant urban renewal projects. More than a landmark destination, the project represents a careful balance of civic, economic and community value while preserving its role as a highly complex operational workplace and working harbour.
Offering an insider's perspective on delivering complex public infrastructure, Susan will explore how long-term value was defined, measured and realised, demonstrating how placemaking can create enduring benefits for communities, industry and the city itself.
12:00
How Australia's Economy and Office Market Are Redefining Success
For years, organisations have optimised their real estate portfolios around cost, efficiency and flexibility. But Australia's office market is entering a new phase, one where value is increasingly concentrating in a smaller number of locations, precincts and assets, and where the greatest risk may be standing still.
As the imperative for Australia's economy to shift from a growth-driven model towards a productivity-driven one increases, the forces shaping corporate real estate are changing. Global uncertainty, elevated development costs, constrained future supply and evolving occupier expectations are reshaping how organisations define value and where they choose to invest. Granularity of detail counts more than ever.
The most sought-after offices, precincts and workplace environments are becoming increasingly scarce, while the performance gap between average and exceptional assets continues to widen. Across Australia's office markets, organisations are increasingly willing to pay for locations and environments that support productivity, attract talent, enhance employee experience and provide greater certainty in an increasingly unpredictable world.
Drawing on the latest Australian and global economic and real estate market research, this session explores how changing economic conditions are influencing office market performance and occupier decision-making. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how value is being repriced.
Key takeaways
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Macro-economic forces driving CRE trends
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Understanding what drives quality and how it is priced
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The biggest risk for corporate tenants in the near term is to delay decision making amidst heightened risk
12:30
Beyond Occupancy
Rethinking Workplace Value Through Human Performance
Dr Libby Sander explores how we measure value in the workplace and why traditional occupancy metrics no longer tell the full story.
Drawing on groundbreaking global research across 13 offices in eight countries, Libby will unpack how people actually use workplace environments and what that means for performance, wellbeing, collaboration and design. From the psychology of where people choose to sit, to the impact of noise, autonomy and environmental design on stress and productivity, this session challenges long-held assumptions about workplace experience and activity-based working.
As organisations rethink the role of the office, Libby will explore how corporate real estate leaders can move beyond utilisation metrics and toward a more human-centred understanding of value, one that considers not just efficiency, but the relationship between people, place and performance.
Key takeaways:
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Measuring workplace value beyond utilisation
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Understanding what drives workplace behaviour
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Designing workplaces that support performance and wellbeing
1:00
Lunch
2.00
Value of Community and Sustainability
Ben Stammer and Ren Fernando, Co-Founders, ReLove
What if the true value of corporate real estate wasn't measured by what we build, but by what we leave behind?
Every year, thousands of tonnes of quality furniture and workplace assets are removed from offices, while thousands of Australians are rebuilding their lives without the essentials needed to create a home. This session explores how one simple idea is connecting these two challenges to create lasting social and environmental impact.
Through the story of ReLove, Ben Stammer and Ren Fernando will demonstrate how partnerships across the property industry are transforming surplus workplace assets into homes for people escaping domestic violence, homelessness and other forms of crisis. More than a sustainability initiative, this is a powerful example of the circular economy in action, where corporate real estate, community and purpose come together to redefine what value can look like.
2.15
Lightning Talk #2
New perspectives on value
Sometimes the biggest shifts in thinking happen in just a few minutes.
This fast-paced session brings together two thought-provoking presentations that challenge conventional measures of value in corporate real estate. From the power of unlearning long-held assumptions to reimagining how connection shapes workplace success, each speaker offers a fresh perspective on what creates meaningful outcomes for people and organisations.
Following their presentations, both speakers will return to the stage for a combined Q&A, exploring where their ideas intersect and what they mean for the future of workplace strategy, leadership and value creation.
The Value of Unlearning
Briar Harte
Innovation doesn't always begin with learning something new. Sometimes it begins by letting go of what we thought we already knew.
Drawing on her lived experience, expertise in inclusive design and work leading accessibility and AI readiness, Briar Harte explores why unlearning has become one of the most valuable professional skills of our time. She'll challenge long-held assumptions about accessibility, inclusion and workplace design, demonstrating how changing the way we think creates better outcomes for people, organisations and the technologies increasingly shaping our work.
Blending humour with practical insights, Briar will leave you with simple ways to question existing habits, embrace new perspectives and build workplaces that are more inclusive, adaptable and ready for the future.
The Value of Connection
For decades, workplace success has been measured through metrics like utilisation, density and efficiency. But what if the most valuable outcomes are the hardest to quantify?
Sharing the story behind CBRE Sydney's award-winning workplace transformation, Ceilidh Higgins explores how connection became the driving force behind every design decision. From reimagining circulation and social spaces to managing a complex refurbishment while keeping teams engaged through multiple workplace moves, this session reveals how a deliberate focus on culture and collaboration can reshape the employee experience.
3:00
Value Under Pressure
Who Wins, Who Loses, Who Decides?
Our recent CoreNet panel discussions have highlighted that stakeholders in corporate real estate talk about value but in finance, property, people, design and operations, it rarely means the same thing.
Cost is visible. Value is contested. Short-term savings win approval, strategic intent gets diluted, and governance can protect outcomes or prevent action.
This 30 min interactive session puts the identified industry’s toughest tensions on the table. Through sharp provocations and open debate, participants will challenge how value is defined, measured and protected across the property lifecycle and discuss solutions!
Who decides what matters? Why does what is easiest to measure carry the most weight? And when does cost control destroy long-term value?
Expect debate, disagreement and practical ideas for making better, faster and more transparent decisions which will be later analysed and published for wider industry benefit.
3:30
Afternoon tea
4.30
Closing keynote speaker
The Value of Belief: Lessons from the Rise of the Matildas
When the Matildas captured the nation's imagination, many saw an overnight success. The reality was years of challenging conventional thinking, redefining success and investing in value that traditional metrics couldn't measure.
In this inspiring closing keynote, Sarah Walsh shares the remarkable journey behind the rise of the Matildas and the leadership decisions that transformed not only a team but the future of Australian football. From securing equal pay and conditions to building a culture that unlocked extraordinary performance, Sarah explores how creating long-term value often requires the courage to look beyond short-term results.
Through powerful stories from one of Australia's greatest sporting success stories, this session challenges us to rethink how we measure value, lead through change and create environments where people and organisations can achieve far more than anyone thought possible.
Whether you're leading a team, shaping workplace culture or driving organisational change, you'll leave with a fresh perspective on what it really takes to create lasting impact.