Talking Turkey

Panel Discussions

Panel Discussions

We all know that many heads are better than one!  That’s why these sessions focus on hearing a variety of perspectives from a panel.  It’s a golden opportunity to hear what others think, join in the discussion and see how it evolves… digging deeper into what people are seeing in the real world, the challenges to plan for, innovations and experiences. 

Each panel will have a variety of people who have experience on the topic.  We’ll be encouraging you to submit questions for the panel before and during the session. There will also be the opportunity to share your experiences.

These sessions will be listed on the main agenda, once all details are confirmed.

THE TALKING TURKEY SESSIONS

The phrase “Productivity paranoia” was coined in a new Microsoft report on workplace trends. It refers to a manager’s obsessive suspicion that their employees are not working as efficiently as they should be when out of the office, when managers can’t observe them in person.

Hybrid work and remote work are the key issues driving this paranoia, but what are the repercussions of it?

  • How are companies in New Zealand addressing this? Or are we different?
  • How are we managing the practicalities of the hybrid workplace?
  • How can we optimise for remote and hybrid work?
  • What about team cohesiveness? Mentoring, career development and other challenges?

Join the discussion!

Panellists

  • Iain Boyd, General Manager Technical Delivery at Softsourse vBridge
  • Delia Cato, Digital Workplace Manager at Watercare Services Limited
  • Kat Olsen, Principal Consultant at Rapid Circle

Facilitator: Sutter Schumacher

Details:

March 1, 1:30-2:15pm. Princes A Room

See Session Details here.

The metaverse is presenting as many challenges for organisations as it is providing opportunities. With our panel of industry experts (to be announced) we will cut through the hype and get straight to the reality of the metaverse for organisations today. In this conversation facilitated by Rebecca Jackson (conference speaker fascinated by the metaverse) we will ask our experts to answer your metaverse questions and ours, such as:

  • What does the metaverse offer for us in a workplace context?
  • Is there more to this than virtual reality headsets?
  • Are avatars just a trend or is it a new facet of digital identity?
  • How can we mitigate real and perceived metaverse challenges?
  • Where does AI fit into the metaverse picture?

Panellists

  • Debbie Ireland , Digital Workplace Strategist at ShareThePoint Ltd
  • Cameron Dwyer, Chief Technology Officer at OnePlace Solutions
  • Mark Rhodes, Compliance Technology Specialist at Microsoft Australia

Facilitator: Rebecca Jackson

Details:

March 2, 10:30-11:15am, Princes A Room

See Session Details here.

Governance is another broad topic – which long reaching business impacts.

The panellists will discuss the immediate challenges with environments that lack governance.

  • Risks and effective mitigation
  • Training users and embedding practices
  • Practical Governance Plans in action – how to make these most effective
  • Avoiding information sprawl
  • Keeping security and compliance in check
  • How to put controls in place without inhibiting innovation and dampening continuous improvement

This will touch on many areas of governance within Microsoft 365, including Power Platform, SharePoint, Teams Sprawl and use of Power Automate, Forms.

Panellists

  • Dorje McKinnon, Senior Digital Workplace Specialist at Ravensdown
  • Mark Rhodes, Compliance Technology Specialist at Microsoft Australia
  • Meredith Evans, Head of IT Operations and Services at Syliat Milk Limited
  • Max McNamara, Director of Solution Engineering at AvePoint

Facilitator: Steve Knutson

Details:

March 1, 3:45-4:30pm. Princes A Room

See Session Details here.