The theme of each annual CoreNet symposium is always topical and on point. In 2018, it was about ‘Creating experiences to get ahead’, looking at the ways in which successful companies create experiences for their customers and questioning how buildings can become experiences in themselves, which attract people and add value to a company.

With a range of different speakers from New Zealand and around the globe, this year’s event was as poignant as ever, with the take-home message being around creative thinking, and being aware of and keeping ahead of corporate real estate trends. 

Stella Green of Be Confident Change Consulting has been on the other side of the microphone many times over the years, presenting at previous CoreNet events. This year, she was able to relax and take in the atmosphere of the symposium, and the learnings, which, she said, were plentiful. She appreciated economist Shamubeel Eaqub’s perspective on reducing commodification and increasing specialisation in a small economy.

“His message was that we had to think differently in order to make a breakthrough, and he talked about this in relation to the housing crisis, but it’s also true of the everyday workplace. He had some very interesting statistics about the users of co-working spaces around the globe, many of which have more than 1,000 employees; co-working spaces are used by companies to enhance distribution of their offices and complement their own portfolios. This was a trend that was reinforced throughout the day.” 

Green said this lined up very well with the final speaker of the day, Mike Hutcheson from Auckland University of Technology. “Mike Hutcheson’s presentation was fantastic. He was talking about the whole notion that innovation sits between risk diversion and lack of capital. He spoke about making sure that we know the rules so we can consciously break them, for good reasons – not doing something just because it’s in the diary. If it doesn’t make sense, then why do it?” 

Hutcheson’s entertaining and relaxed manner, and use of humour, were appreciated by many. “It must be hard being the last speaker, when it’s been a full-on day, to keep people’s attention,” commented Chris Alcock from Sydney-based consulting network, Six Ideas. “Hutcheson’s style was relaxed, almost offhand. That was part of the appeal.” 

Neil Usher of Unispace was a standout speaker for Alcock. “One of the biggest challenges in workplace innovation is helping people understand where their priorities should be and what the opportunities are. Usher’s presentation was compelling, easy to understand and entertaining.” 

Alcock also appreciated the presentation by Kate Langan, General Manager of Property at ANZ Bank, which he felt was relaxed and engaging to the point that it felt like a one-on-one chat, despite the few hundred people in the room. “ANZ has, in recent times, been at the pointy end of innovation in the banking finance industry. It is interesting to know where it’s up to in its journey.”

Alcock travels to New Zealand each year for the event. “The whole staging is clever and engaging, entertaining, and the venue is great. This year was no exception; it was of the standard that I have come to expect from a New Zealand symposium,” he said. 

Andy Cardno, Head of Facilities at Weta Digital, also took a flight to reach Shed 10, albeit a slightly shorter one from Wellington. The key take-home message for him was about keeping up with the pace of change. “Some speakers talked around agile working and the economy and how we, from a property and facilities point of view, need to be looking long term at what’s happening. We should be configuring buildings and offices to our specific needs but also making them flexible.” 

Cardno was interested to hear about how flexibility should also include diversity. “Inclusivity is starting to play a bigger part in what we’re doing so it’s a case of being conscious of that and learning how to configure buildings around it,” he said. “Also, new members of the workforce, such as millennials, are looking to operate differently so we have to make sure our buildings, especially those with longer lease terms, have the ability to be changed as required.”

Cardno commented that it would be good to see more end-users coming along to future events so that he could speak with other people in similar positions to his and share knowledge. In terms of the quality of the event, he was pleased with the attention to detail shown, right down to the ability to order tea and coffee to the tables. 

Daniel Henderson, Property Development Manager at Auckland International Airport, has been a member of CoreNet for a number of years and finds the symposium an interesting networking opportunity. “CoreNet is an organisation whose membership is made up partly of tenants. For us, being landlords and developers, the opportunity to interact with heads of property for banks, insurance companies and others involved in those fields is vital. The symposium is the big social networking opportunity of the year in this field.”