Construction Workforce Summit

Workforce, talent, and change management strategies to increase capacity, support project delivery and create a competitive advantage in Australia’s construction sector

10th September 2025, Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney

CONFERENCE/EXHIBITION/NETWORKING

Request Partnership Prospectus
Request Brochure

About the Event

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the Construction Workforce Summit taking place September 10th in Sydney.

With no shortage of work, projects and opportunity construction companies need to refine and revamp their workforce, talent, and change management strategies to sustain a competitive advantage. Some industry estimates suggest that there will be a 40% shortcoming of the available workforce within the next few years, so companies need to strategise and invest into recruitment, retention, training, automation, technology and development of skilled tradespersons, managers and leaders to fill that gap.

Additionally, the industry suffers from a lack of diversity with women and minorities so there is even more pressure to refine recruitment, retention and workforce management to overcome the current and pending shortages while growing their businesses.

The Construction Workforce Summit will bring together HR, Workforce & Talent Management, Training & Leadership Development, Employee Engagement, Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) executives from contractors, as well as Government leaders (Federal & State – departments responsible for migration, skills and training, and industrial relations) and peak industry bodies to discuss workforce, talent, and change management strategies to create capacity, support project delivery and contribute to the nation’s economic success.

Request brochure

Request Partnership Prospectus

Summit

will start in...

Meet Our Speakers

Anjana Moran

Senior Portfolio Manager - Property Investments, Aware Super

Carla Hayes

Deputy Fund Manager, Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT

Doug Cain

Acting Group Executive Head of Funds Management and Head of Mandates, ISPT

Cathy Houston

MD Real Estate Credit, MA Financial

Colin Rigg

Head of Agriculture, ANZ, Macquarie Asset Management

Anouk Darling

CEO, Scape

Lucia Grambalova

CIO/Head of Asset Management, Hotel Capital Partners

Darren Dawson

General Manager Social Infrastructure Funds, Australian Unity Wealth

Matthias Naumann

CIO, Real Estate APAC, DWS

VIEW ALL SPEAKERS

As investors increasingly explore real estate opportunities beyond traditional sectors like office, retail, and industrial, the key questions arise: What defines the alternative market? Where are the most significant growth opportunities? Which sectors offer the best risk-adjusted returns? I am delighted to be part of the FuturePlace Alternate Real Estate Investment Summit, where industry leaders will come together to provide a comprehensive roadmap for investing, working, or consulting in this rapidly evolving space.

Adrian Harrington

Chair, Charter Hall Direct Property Management

Alternative real estate sectors offer unique investment opportunities that are increasingly being sought after by domestic and international institutions and investors as they seek diversity and alpha in their portfolios. The Australian market is rapidly maturing in this regard.

Tom Patrick

Director, Head of Healthcare Property, Barwon Investment Partners

The Program

The Construction Workforce Summit will bring together senior leaders to discuss the following topics:

Finding tomorrow’s talent today: Strategies to educate and empower the next generation of construction workers
How the industry is shaping the future workforce through collaboration and partnerships with vocational programs, academic institutions, and unions
Successfully managing workforce requirements for large-scale projects
Three key shifts to boost capacity and increase inclusion
Building a solid foundation for recruiting young talent
Contractors leading the way on mental health and wellness
Reaching your ideal candidates: Crafting messages that resonate
The role of technology in reshaping construction workforce hiring and retention
Leveraging data, information systems, and resources to maximise recruitment, retention and development
Building a robust culture of inclusion for women and all levels of the workforce to succeed and develop within construction and contracting
Harnessing the power of partnerships, collaboration and technology to retain, train, and develop the workforce of the future
Sustaining a leadership development program through empowerment, self-discovery, and scenario planning
Does Gen Z not want to work? Marketing the trades to a new workforce
Employee rewards strategies: Building an effective incentive plan
Taking action: How to implement sponsorship at your organisation
How AI is disrupting HR in construction

Request Partnership Prospectus

Who Attends?

Construction Firms/Contractors

C Level Executives (CHROs, Chief People Officers, etc), VPs, Human Resource (HR) Partners, Directors, Leaders and Innovators that oversee and have responsibilities for:

Workforce / Talent Management / Acquisition
Training / Leadership Development
Human Resources (HR) / Employee Engagement
Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
People & Culture
HSE / HSSE / Safety

Government Departments

Federal & State – departments responsible for migration, jobs, skills and training, and industrial relations.

Education & Training Providers

TAFES
Colleges
Specialised training providers

Agenda

Tuesday, 4 March 2025

08:30

Registration & morning refreshments

09:00

FuturePlace Welcome

Rod McLauchlan, Event Director, FuturePlace

STRATEGIC ALLOCATION

09:05

Chair's introduction – Finding fund value from Alt RE sectors

This presentation goes beyond the numbers to explore the human side of real estate data analytics. It discusses the importance of understanding the data “consumers” and their unique challenges, while also accounting for the impact that data-driven decisions can have on individuals and communities.

Bridging the gap between data and people
Understanding the dynamics of the “consumers” of data and analytics

Skill and capacity gaps that can derail your plans
The role of diversity and inclusion in real estate data analytics

Melissa Kingham, President, Property Funds Association of Australia

09:20

Protecting the real estate niche in the private credit market

The growth of private credit is a global phenomenon. Institutional investors in particular have recognised the benefits of relatively attractive yields with lower volatility than shares or publicly traded corporate bonds. We consider the risks and opportunities of this important investment market.

How is the private credit sector supporting the RE sectors?
Unlocking money-making opportunities in private credit
Is a bubble brewing in credit and what about regulatory risk?

09:45

OPENING PANEL: Navigating a world in transition - Alt RE growth markets and capital flows

Our panel looks at global and local trends that impact Australian investors sentiment. We consider Alt RE capital flows into and out of Australia.

Will structural tailwinds and re-allocation of capital be sustainable?
How does Australia compare with global trends in the Alt RE strategy?
What are your investors telling you regarding their asset class preferences?

Panellists Include:

Anjana Moran, Senior Portfolio Manager - Property Investments, Aware Super

Doug Cain, Acting Group Executive Head of Funds Management and Head of Mandates, ISPT

Cathy Houston, MD Real Estate Credit, MA Financial

Mandi Prager, Founder and CEO, MP Group International

10:30

Morning break & networking

FIND YOUR TRIBE

11:20

INVESTMENT ROUNDTABLES: BEYOND THE CORE

Delegates split into Interactive Roundtable Discussion groups to share their feedback, challenges and to brainstorm solutions to various Alt RE subsectors. Roundtable Groups and their facilitators will discuss pertinent investment strategies for 30 minutes and then switch to a second Roundtable Discussion. Our moderators facilitate these discussions and share conclusions. These sessions are designed to enable peer-to-peer learning and more targeted networking.

Roundtable 1: Healthcare and Aged Care Real Estate

Moderator: Tom Patrick, Director, Head of Healthcare Property, Barwon Investment Partners

Roundtable 2: Mixed Use and Innovation Districts

Moderator: Sarah Duignan, Partner – Real Estate Advisory, EY

Roundtable 3: Selecting the Right Alt RE Fund Manager

Moderator: Alan Greenstein, CEO & Co-Founder, Zagga Group

Roundtable 4: Infra-like Real Estate

Moderator: Toni Ryan, Fund Manager, RealTerm

Roundtable 5: Student and Childcare Real Estate

Moderator: Greg Mannes, Fund Manager, Student Accommodation, The GPT Group

Roundtable 6: Proptech Investments and its impact on Institutional Real Estate

Moderator: Bernie Devine, Senior Regional Director, Asia Pacific, Yardi

Roundtable 7: Private Credit and Defensive Alt RE Assets

Roundtable 8: Building climate-aware multi-asset portfolios – Farmland, Plantations, Natural Capital and Carbon

Roundtable 9: BTR, Social Value and Affordable Housing

Roundtable 10: Hotels and Hospitality Real Estate

Roundtable 11: Data Centres and ICT infrastructure

Roundtable 12: Self-Storage Real Estate

Moderators:

Tom Patrick, Director, Head of Healthcare Property, Barwon Investment Partners

Sarah Duignan, Partner - Real Estate Advisory, EY

Alan Greenstein, CEO & Co-Founder, Zagga Group

Toni Ryan, Fund Manager, RealTerm

Greg Mannes, Fund Manager, Student Accommodation, The GPT Group

Bernie Devine, Senior Regional Director, Asia Pacific, Yardi

HOT TAKES – LIVING SECTORS

12:25

PANEL: BTR, Students, Social and Affordable Housing, Co-living and Land Lease

Australia’s population growth and shortage of housing is one of the key macro trends driving returns across this sector. Our panel reviews the categories and gives their thoughts on long term value.

What are the most sought-after assets in Living Sectors in 2025?
How can we reduce the barriers faced by institutional investors?
Is co-living the next big thing in private renting?

Panellists include:

Anouk Darling, CEO, Scape

Matthias Naumann, CIO, Real Estate APAC, DWS

Moderated by:

Adrian Harrington, Chair, Charter Hall Direct Property Management

13:00

Lunch & networking break

14:00

PANEL: Investment strategies - Social Infrastructure, Healthcare, Life Science and Aged Care

Health, aged care, and disability service sectors are undergoing significant transformation with important implications for social value based real estate sectors. Our panel explores how this sector is evolving.

Which sectors offer the best opportunities for institutional investors?
How can we close the social infrastructure gap in health and ageing?
Alternative financial and operating models for future health precincts

Panellists include:

Darren Dawson, General Manager Social Infrastructure Funds, Australian Unity Wealth

Carla Hayes, Deputy Fund Manager, Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT

Sam Wood, Director, Funds Management, RAM

Moderated by:

Shalain Singh, MD and CEO, Arrow Advisory Group

14:35

INNOVATION TALKS

In this session we hear from innovative companies that provide cutting-edge tools and technologies for alternative real estate investment.

Innovation 1:

Innovation 2:

15:15

Afternoon coffee & networking break

THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM

15:45

PANEL: Investment strategies - Pubs, Hotels, Hospitality, and Holiday Parks

Economic pressures have created a challenging environment for operators, but the sector generally remains popular with investors. We explore the best investment opportunities across the hospitality sector.

Tapping the renaissance of domestic tourism vs the international tourist
Opportunities for growth: innovation pathways for hotels to drive new value
Investment implications of fusing work, lifestyle and travel

Panellists include:

Andrew Brandon, Fund Manager, Serene Capital

Lucia Grambalova, CIO/Head of Asset Management, Hotel Capital Partners

John White, CEO, Hotel Property Investments

Tony Ryan, Executive Chair, Trilogy Hotels

Moderated by:

Luke Dixon, Head of Institutional Capital & Research, RW Capital

16:20

PANEL: Net-Zero Investment – Farmland, Plantations, Natural Capital and Carbon

Leading investors are anticipating the largest global economic transition since the Industrial Revolution. Net zero will require an adjustment of the supply chains and massive capital investment.

How institutional money is moving across the agriculture and carbon investment landscape
Comparing net zero adaptation strategies – opportunities and cost across the sectors
Assessing the investment value of developing large-scale carbon sequestration projects

Panellists Include:

Andrew Morgan, Founder and Managing Director, SFM

David Bryant, MD, Rural Funds Group

Melanie Madders, Director, Natural Capital, Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Izzy Jensen, Chief Investment Officer, Kakariki Capital

Moderated by:

Colin Rigg, Head of Agriculture, ANZ, Macquarie Asset Management

16:55

Chair’s conclusion

This presentation focuses on how data analytics can be used to identify untapped leasing opportunities in real estate. It discusses various strategies and best practices for analysing leasing data to increase occupancy rates, improve tenant retention, and maximize profitability.

Discover key strategies for identifying high-demand rental areas
Identify buildings of interest and understand their expiry profile
Understand key leasing metrics for properties and drive occupancy rates

Gain insights into tenant profiling and targeted marketing to attract and retain tenants

Melissa Kingham, President, Property Funds Association of Australia

17:00

Cocktails & networking reception

Register Today and Save $400

$395 +GST

INVESTOR TICKET PRICE

Book and pay by 13 December 2024
Access to all conference sessions and networking opportunities
Session recordings and presentation slides

BUY TICKET

$1295 +GST

STANDARD TICKET PRICE

Book and pay by 13 December 2024
Access to all conference sessions and networking opportunities
Session recordings and presentation slides

BUY TICKET

Our Partners

Why Become A Partner?

FuturePlace sponsorship plans provide you with a unique opportunity to build your brand and influence key power players.

Thought Leadership Presentations

Establish pre-eminence amongst your peers

Branding And Signage

Multiple opportunities exist before, during and after the event

Roundtable Hosting

Lead a roundtable of industry professionals in this powerful, interactive format

Networking

Impress the world with your team and hospitality

Lead Generation

New business opportunities from a highly targeted audience

Showcase

The exhibition is the place to showcase and build new business connections

Event Partners

Platinum Sponsors

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Who Should Partner?

Request Partnership Prospectus

EVENT_NAME

Benefits of Attending

The Supply Chain and Industrial Warehouse Summit is a Hybrid event. This format combines the traditional face-to-face conference with virtual elements, allowing both in-person and virtual attendees to access the same content and networking opportunities simultaneously.