Workspace Design Talks
Agenda 2026
Wednesday 25 February
10:55 – 11:40
If the office is dead, why are we still designing it?
- Chair Harry McKinley Managing Editor, MIX INTERIORS
- Panellist Steve Gale Smart Workplace Architect
- Panellist Casper Schwarz CEO, Casper Schwarz Architects
- Panellist Elyse Ayoung Design Director, Gensler
- Panellist Julian de Metz Co-Founder, dMFK
12:05 – 12:50
The workplace social contract: Aligning space, culture and employee expectations
- Chair Tim Allen Senior Director, HCG
- Panellist Jon Eaglesham Managing Director, Barr Gazetas
- Panellist Liz Nicholson Workplace Project Manager, Nestle
- Panellist Gurvinder Khurana Director, M Moser Associates
13:15 – 14:00
Designing a New VMO2 – The office as a catalyst for inclusion during transformation
- Chair Alys Bryan Editorial Director, Design Insider
- Panellist Rod Hogg Director of Property, VirginMediaO2
- Panellist Megan Dobstaff Design Principal, Gensler
14:20 – 15:05
Balancing sustainability, tenant needs and viability (hosted by Fletcher Priest)
- Chair David Smalley Director, Material Source
- Panellist Chris Radley Senior Associate, Fletcher Priest Architects
- Panellist Mari Samuelsen Senior Associate, Fletcher Priest Architects
- Panellist Olly Hunt Development Director, Landsec
- Panellist Harry Foster Leasing Director, Landsec
15:25 – 16:10
Occupancy planning for a changing workforce
- Chair Dr. Vanessa Brady OBE Founder & CEO, The Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID)
- Panellist Sam Fuller Head of Workplace, Octopus Energy Group
- Panellist Adrian Norman Head of Design, Morgan Lovell
- Panellist Guzmán de Yarza Blache PhD, Global Design Strategy Lead, JLL
16:30 – 17:15
What makes a property ‘right’? How owners, occupiers and designers align
- Chair Kyle de Bruin Managing Director, Leesman
- Panellist Elaine Du Preez Director Workplace Design EMEA, Salesforce
- Panellist Charlie Kent Creative Director, Area
- Panellist Mel Reeves Workspace Director, The Crown Estate
- Panellist Grant Kanik Partner, Foster + Partners
Thursday 26 February
09:45 – 10:30
How AI is impacting the workplace
- Chair Cristiano Coretti Co-founder & Chief Product Officer, layout
- Panellist Anna Burles Creative Director and Co-founder, Run for the Hills and President-elect, BIID
- Panellist Pavan Birdi Senior Associate, Workplace Lead, Pascall + Watson
- Panellist Stuart Oldridge Interiors, Associate Principal, HDR
10:55 – 11:40
From artificial to real intelligence: Rethinking how AI shapes the built world
- Chair Sam Sahni Founder & Workplace Strategy Director, Work Transformers
- Panellist Lewis Barker Director, Workplace & Real Estate, EMEA & Global Head of Strategy, Innovation & Transformation and Workplace Sustainability, ServiceNow
- Panellist Hayley Samuels Real Estate & Workplace Senior Manager, Databricks
- Panellist Conor Gantly Head of Digital Transformation, TSK
- Panellist Andrew Emmett Strategy and Innovation Director, Uncoded
12:05 – 12:50
From brief to business impact: How to get workplace design right
- Chair Dominic Dugan Creative Director, Oktra
- Chair Sarah Edwards Project Director, Oktra
- Panellist Sarah Grime Head of Gym Product, The Gym Group
- Panellist Adrienne Kleman VP, Global Workplace Services, Paysafe
13:15 – 14:00
Workspace cross-pollination: Public vs private sector innovation
- Chair Nick Gaskell Partner Head of Workplace, HawkinsBrown
- Panellist Matt Jackson Director, Interiors Co-Lead, HawkinsBrown
- Panellist Sophie Morgan Senior Development Manager, Landsec
- Panellist Morag Morrison Partner, HawkinsBrown
- Panellist Daniel Reynolds Project Director – Capital Delivery, London Borough of Waltham Forest
14:20 – 15:05
Networks as Workplaces: When the Community Becomes the Platform for Physical × Digital Workplace Innovation
- Chair Helena Hughes Director Global Occupier Services, Savills
- Panellist Kirsty Shearer Operational Excellence Director, Agilité Solutions
- Panellist Samantha Jinks Business Development Director, TSK Group
- Panellist Muriel Altunaga Aguirre Founder, The Flow
15:25 – 16:10
Neuro adaptive Lighting and the role of AI in its development
- Chair Matt Waring Editor, arc Magazine
- Panellist Juan Ferrari Director, Hoare Lea
- Panellist Daniel Blaker Creative Director, Nulty Lighting
- Panellist Carolina Florian Lighting Director, Qiddiya & President Elect SLL
16:30 – 17:15
Inclusive and diverse workplaces: A reality or are they just a good story?
- Chair Jennifer Celesia Co-founder, Kindred
- Panellist Gorka Lopez Workplace Strategy Lead UK and Europe, CBRE
- Panellist Sam Edmonds Associate, HLW
- Panellist Alex Lawlor Corporate Real Estate Sector Lead, AtkinsRealis
- Panellist Vidhi Sharma Creative Director, Modus Workspace