Experiences & Promotion

Future of Work

Welcome to our thought leadership series, featuring expert-led events to influence and inspire our business community.

Date

April 2024 - Present

Sabrina Shutter

Senior Events Project Manager

Leadership in a Multi-generational Workplace

In April 2026, we brought together sector leaders to explore how to lead effectively in a multi‑generational workplace. Against a backdrop of rapid technological change, economic uncertainty and shifting workforce expectations, the event focused not on generational stereotypes or perceived divides, but on a more constructive and ultimately more powerful idea: difference as a positive, not a problem.

Keynote speaker Amelia Orchard‑Smith set the tone for the event, spelling out three key themes – ‘Know Your People’, ‘Make Room for Fresh Perspectives’ and ‘Lead with Generosity of Spirit’. These themes were echoed on both panels (‘Inter-generational Workplaces’ and ‘Health & Wellbeing’), generating intriguing conversation and making a strong case that multi‑generational workplaces can be not only effective, but truly exceptional.

Speakers at the event were Alexis Angus (Learning Partnership West), Amanda Forster-Searle (Ridge & Partners), Amelia Orchard-Smith (Inclusion & Diversity Leader), Hemalatha Pitchandi (Airbus), Jack Lander (Pizzarova), Jordan O’Neill (Tesco), Kim Cheffey (Bristol Bears Women), Laura Aird (M&S Cabot Circus) and Nick Kleiner (Sandwich Sandwich).

The Future Is Human

In January 2025, we hosted a follow-up event in the Future of Work series, The Future Is Human: A People First Approach. In partnership with hgkc, this event took place at We The Curious and focused on three key themes: employee experience, leaders of the future, and workplace demographics.

The morning began with an interactive workshop from the team behind MindHarp, a music-based mindfulness app. This was followed by a talk from keynote speaker Dr Caroline Clark that focused on her personal insights into developing leaders of the future and connecting with the younger generation. The talk was followed by a Q&A session where the panel gave expert opinions on questions from the event host and audience members. The event finished with a ‘fireside chat’ about inclusion, employee experience, and collaborative working with representatives from Babbasa.

The event was hosted by Jacky Leonard (DISCsimple) and the panel consisted of Professor Melissa Gregg (University of Bristol), Ric Hill (CTO Ghyston), Lucy McKerron (Purple Fish) and Sangeetha Wynter (Babbasa), featuring special guest, Al Qazzally Ali (Babbasa).

Future of Work Launch

The project was launched in April 2024 with a successful premiere event at EQ Bristol in partnership with hgkc. Our launch event focused on the future of work, where industry professionals joined us to share their perspectives. The event was hosted by Sarah Owen, featuring keynote speaker Dr Nicola Millard, and panellists: Dr Harriett Shortt, Karl Brown, Sarah-Jane Osborne, and Priya Mistry.

The session focused on people, productivity, and the planet, as Dr Nicola Millard examined the ever-changing world of work. From home working trends to the impact of AI in the workplace, Nicola’s inspiring talk provided valuable insights into workplace trends. Following Nicola’s presentation, we heard from our panellists who gave their valuable perspectives on key questions from our audience and event host, Sarah Owen. We finished the session with an interactive activity led by event partners hgkc, as they gathered real-time data from audience members to assess attendee opinions regarding the future of work.