IFMA WORKPLACE STRATEGY SUMMIT 2014: INNOVATION ON THE EDGE

On June 8-10 2014, University College London will host a gathering of the leading thinkers in workplace strategy.

Building on the success of the first Workplace Strategy Summit held at Cornell University, the 2014 summit will feature leading academics and experts in the fields of facility management and real estate speaking about the most innovative concepts to emerge in workplace strategy. Attendees will not only hear from these global innovators, but also be able to engage with the presenters and other attendees from all over the globe in round-table discussions on a range of issues related to work and workplace in the 21st century.

Presenters at the summit will include leading thinkers from the fields of design, facility management, real estate, organizational ecology, technology, and management. The mix of experts and practitioners will provide a wide range of perspectives grounded in experience of developing and implementing innovative workplace strategies in diverse industries, organizations, and national contexts. Latest research will also be presented by academics from both North American and European institutions.

Many of the workplace ideas and concepts initiated in the 80’s and 90’s have now become reality. Advances in technology have made it possible for office workers to work anywhere. Telecommuting is now common and concepts like hoteling, free address system, and spaces for both formal and informal collaboration are becoming common in many organizations’ buildings.

But what do we really know about workplace effectiveness? Where is the evidence? What concepts and ideas need serious research? Do we understand the nature of collaborative work or are we relying upon theory and supposition? What changes in lifestyle, organizational and urban infrastructures do future workplaces demand?

The summit will be held at the Wokefield Park Conference Centre in Berkshire, England, a location conveniently reached from London or Heathrow airport, but providing a setting free from the distractions of everyday life. Attendance at the conference is limited to 160 people in order to facilitate an exchange of experience between all participants. A tour of innovative workplaces in London will be held in London on the second afternoon of the conference.