The New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) conference for 2020, Built to Last, is positioned as a deep dive into new ideas that will transform and strengthen New Zealand’s construction industry. The conference will explore the core topics of Resilience, Technology, and Wellbeing. These key topics will be bookended by two keynote presentations, each taking a different interpretation on the overarching theme of Built to Last. As of 1 August, five of the eight speaking spots have been confirmed.
Our first keynote speaker, US-based construction venture capital specialist, Jesse Devitte of Building Ventures, will open the conference, exploring how we develop a productive, profitable and resilient construction industry – one that is built to last. Jesse’s firm was created to facilitate the rise in venture capital interest over the past five-years and to explore opportunities to invest in construction technologies. Construction is seen by some as the last significant industry to be reimagined through technology advances, as highlighted in several international reports published in the mid-2010s, the common theme of which was the poor productivity gains that construction had achieved over the past 50 years.
To close the conference, our second keynote speaker will explore how we go about designing and delivering a built environment that is built to last. That presentation will be delivered by an international ‘name’ architect.
For the Technology session, a presentation from the Chief Data and Technology Officer of US based construction company, Suffolk, will be followed by a workshop facilitated by Think Place. Suffolk were the subject of a technology Case Study in KPMG’s 2019 Construction Future Ready Index Report.
Additional confirmed speakers include Ngāi Tahu Property Chair, Susan Huria on the topic of Resilience, and Beca New Zealand MD, Darryl-Lee Wendelborn on the topic of Wellbeing.
Built to Last will be delivered as a hybrid event, with in-person and virtual attendees and presenters. Delegates attending in-person at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland also have the opportunity to attend the New Zealand Building Industry Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner on the same evening at the same venue. For those attending the Built to Last conference virtually, join your industry peers for some face-to-face networking on the same evening at one of our regional New Zealand Building Industry Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner satellite venues in either Wellington or Christchurch.
In person and virtual attendance options for Built to Last will be announced late August, see nziob.org.nz for details.
