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OUR TIME IS NOW: RESET THE
OFFICE
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The recent
disruption to how we live and work has accelerated a move to
alternative ways of thinking about our workplace. We now have an
unprecedented opportunity to readdress the role of the office in our
lives, and shape how buildings can encourage innovative and fresh
thinking, while introducing greener solutions.
The issues
of climate change and sustainability are becoming more important than
ever, leading to increased scrutiny of the office’s environmental
impact. As we look to the future, the entire sector has an important
role to play in providing buildings and working environments that are
better for our planet.
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Our host city: Manchester
Manchester
is a city that has helped shape the world. Whether it is in industry,
science or culture, this vibrant city has always pioneered new ways
of working and thinking and has, in doing so, transformed itself into
a modern cosmopolitan powerhouse.
Recast for
the 21st century as the original modern city, Greater Manchester
has experienced a contemporary resurgence. This was marked culturally
by the acclaimed reopening of the Whitworth art gallery,
international arts centre HOME, and the world-leading Manchester
International Festival. This resurgence also saw a property and
investment boom that has outpaced the rest of the country, and
through major changes to its governance and infrastructure,
Manchester has been positioned as the central focus of the ‘Northern
Powerhouse’ agenda.
Young people
are flocking here to take advantage of its thriving economy,
unrivalled student experience and smart jobs in the science, creative
and digital sectors. Greater Manchester is truly worthy of its
accolades, as being the UK’s most competitive, economically
productive, livable and vibrant region.
As host city
for the 2022 BCO
Annual Conference, where better to engage with and
debate the future attributes of the office, and to grasp this
opportunity to re-evaluate and reset?
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What to expect?
To slot into
delegates' busy working lives, the mid-week conference will run from
Tuesday 14th to Thursday 16th June.
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• The conference begins with the BCO Drinks Reception
on the Tuesday evening at Manchester Cathedral, one of the city’s
event spaces of choice to host rock concerts, fashion shows, brand
launches, intimate fine-dining and grand gala dinners over the years.
• The Conference Plenary Sessions will
take place at Manchester Central, where we will engage with keynote
speakers covering development, occupation, economics, politics and
futurists.
• Building Tours will provide an opportunity to see
the best in Manchester and gain a glimpse of what is to come.
• The Conference Seminars will provide
an alternative option to the building tours, in which we will explore
key and emerging topics and trends that influence office design.
• The BCO NextGen events
programme for young professionals within the sector will provide
activities that sit alongside the main itinerary, to add value to the
conference experience and encourage greater participation from this
important community within the BCO.
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• Prior to the conference, the BCO Cycle Challenge will set off
from London, arriving in Manchester 3 days later in time for the
drinks reception. The event will raise funds for CALM and SHOUT
85258, our partner charities for the conference.
• The BCO Golf Cup will take place at
The Mere, a championship course set in Cheshire parkland to the south
west of Manchester city centre.
• The Conference Party will take place
on the Wednesday evening at Hatch, close to the city centre and
conference hotels. Here, we will celebrate within a street
environment, enjoying hospitality through pop-ups as well as
entertainment into the night.
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Manchester,
its culture, and all it has to offer will provide the perfect setting
for the office community to network, engage with and explore the
opportunity we all hold to influence the workplaces of the future. We
hope to deliver a truly diverse and inclusive event that offers
something for everyone.
I look
forward to welcoming you all there on 14th June 2022.
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