Speakers announced for leading built environment event

Built Environment professionals across Australia will be able to select from dozens of sessions covering a range of innovations from over 90 experts, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 10­–13 May. Speaker series for DesignBUILD, Total Facilities, the Be Summit and Digital Construction Week have been published and offer a range of topics across planning and construction to technology and facilities management. Sessions held at the DesignBUILD Theatre, the Design Construction Week Theatre and the Smart Buildings Theatre are all free and held within the same MCEC space on 10, 11 and 12 May. The Be Summit is a ticketed one-day event held on Friday, 13 May.

Commercial Manager Lynn Ormiston said these events will provide educational forums as well as allowing stimulating discussions to continue on the show floor, which can drive the industry forward. “With the challenges presented by COVID and ongoing digital disruption, keeping on the forefront of industry education is vital,” she said.

Highlight sessions across the programs include an expert panel discussion on Building a People First Construction Industry that will cover how to attract and retain the best talent with a more inclusive, safer, smarter, innovative industry. The panel will also discuss the key changes and issues facing Australian workplaces, and why this is crucial for the industry to survive. Other sessions include a discussion about Smart Buildings, where attendees will learn how smart retrofits can range from simple enhancements that reduce energy spend and improve occupant wellbeing through a staged pathway to achieve net zero operational emissions.

Speakers include Simon Croft, Executive Director (Building and Policy Services) of the Housing Industry Association; Elly Dalziel, Manager (Strategy and Customer) at Mirvac; Rebecca De Cicco, Founder and Chair of Women in BIM; Robin Drogemuller, Professor in Virtual Design and Construction at the Queensland University of Technology; and Nicole Garofano, Head of Circular Economy Development at Planet Ark, among others.

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