GD3: 10.45am – 11.45am

Sustainability in Practice – Hospitality Fitouts

Angela Spillane, Studiospillane
Lauren King, Urbancore
Jared Ingersoll, FODA Strategy
Taryn Cornell, Green Building Council of Australia

How can sustainability become the norm—not the outlier—in hospitality and retail fitouts? This panel brings together leading voices across design, strategy, and environmental leadership to explore exactly that.

Frequent tenancy churn, fast-moving trends, and short design cycles mean hospitality and retail fitouts are a major contributor to construction waste. This discussion will unpack the barriers—cost, education, and ingrained industry habits—and explore strategies to reduce material waste, design for reuse, align with market demands, and embed sustainability across the entire process.

Angela Spillane, founder of Studiospillane, brings over 25 years of experience in commercial interiors, with a focus on user experience and cultural identity. Lauren King, Strategic Lead at Urbancore, works at the intersection of business and design to deliver high-impact projects that are both meaningful and measurable. Jared Ingersoll, Head of Sustainability at FODA Strategy and a former chef, applies a unique systems-thinking approach to sustainability—grounded in real-world implementation and long-term change.

Whether you’re designing a café, retail space or hotel, this session will offer tangible insights and bold thinking to help make sustainable fitouts standard practice.

$70 inc. GST

GD4: 1.30pm – 2.30pm

Designing with Intention: A Fishbowl Discussion

Josh Ellis, Cultivated
Sonia Simpfendorfer, Director Nexus Designs (Interior Design)
Sally Evans, Director Nexus Designs (Graphic Design + Product Development)
John Gertsakis, Director Product Stewardship Centre for Excellence
Katherine Featherstone, Senior Manager Products & Materials Green Building Council Australia
Moderated by Alice Blackwood, Director, AB Strategic Storytelling

As the design industry faces growing environmental and social challenges, the responsibility to create spaces that are both enchanting and ethical is shared across the entire community.

Presented in a fishbowl conversation format inspired by Indigenous knowledge systems, this lively and interactive session will invite deeper dialogue about how we source and specify products and materials, and how we approach the long-term life of the spaces we create.

We’ll explore how designers, makers, manufacturers and certifiers – with outcomes across both large-scale commercial buildings and highly detailed residential interiors – can work together to support more thoughtful, future-focused design practices, from product stewardship and takeback schemes to circularity, certification and design for longevity.

Whether you are designing spaces, crafting materials, setting benchmarks or shaping policy, this is a chance to reflect on how our individual decisions contribute to a more collaborative and sustainable built environment.

Josh Ellis from Cultivated and Directors Sonia Simpfendorfer (Interior Design) & Sally Evans (Graphic Design + Product Development) from renowned multi-disciplinary studio Nexus Designs will be joined by John Gertsakis, a leading voice for sustainability and policy reform, and product and materials specialist Katherine Featherstone from the Green Building Council of Australia.

The session will be moderated by Alice Blackwood, a strategic storyteller and public speaker with two decades of experience championing Australian architecture and design. Previously Editor of Indesign magazine, she is now Editorial Director at Artedomus and has played a key role in shaping platforms that celebrate progressive design talent and foster industry growth.

$70 inc. GST

GD5: 3.30pm – 4.30pm

Slow Design

Lyzadie Renault, LyZadie Design Studio
Karie Soehardi, Circular Design Thinking

What happens when design slows down and roots itself in place, people, and craft?

In a world driven by fast production and globalised supply chains, this session champions a return to meaningful, locally made design. It explores how working with local artisans not only preserves craft traditions but also fosters deep cultural connections, environmental sustainability, and community resilience.

Join Lyzadie Renault, founder of LyZadie Design Studio, and Karie Soehardi, a pioneering materials expert in sustainable design, as they share their insights and experiences in creating meaningful, sustainable design practices. Lyzadie will delve into her process of collaborating with Māori and Pacific Island artisans in Aotearoa, New Zealand – drawing on nature, heritage, and ethical production practices. Karie will bring her expertise in circular economy principles, sharing how her work with Circular Design Thinking is transforming the interiors market and diverting waste from landfills.

Together, they will explore:

• How to establish authentic, respectful relationships with artisans and makers
• The environmental and cultural benefits of local production
• Challenges around scalability, pricing, and perception in the design market
• Real-world examples of products created through artisan-designer collaboration
• Workable circular design principles

Whether you’re a designer, architect, maker, or brand, this session will inspire you to rethink your supply chain – and consider the extraordinary value of looking closer to home.

$70 inc. GST

GD6: 10.30am – 12.30pm

Sustainable Design Fundamentals: Workshop Intensive

Karie Soehardi, Circular Design Thinking

Led by Karie Soehardi, founder of Circular Design Thinking, this workshop introduces the fundamentals of sustainable design. With over 20 years of experience in sustainable design, Karie will guide participants through lifecycle thinking, material impact, and practical tools to embed circularity into design processes.

After a popular debut at the 2024 Green Design Show, this highly practical session returns in 2025 to equip attendees with the knowledge and confidence to make environmentally responsible decisions – from materials and certifications to circular strategies and supplier evaluation.

With deep experience across furniture, interiors and sustainable supply chains, Karie brings a wealth of insight and case studies to help you design smarter and more sustainably.

Whether you’re new to sustainability or looking to strengthen your foundation, this is a must-attend workshop that will sharpen your thinking and expand your toolkit.

Build your sustainability IQ – and your impact.

$70 inc. GST

GD7: 1.15pm – 2pm

Essential Guide to Carbon

Tom Dean, Director, Carbon Planning, Slattery
Bradley Tucker, Managing Director, Tucker Environmental

Let’s talk carbon – without the jargon. With mandatory reporting incoming, designers need to understand and implement carbon measurement and reduction strategies in their projects.

But what do Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions actually mean for you? And how can designers integrate carbon literacy into their practice in a practical, actionable way?

Join Tom Dean, Director, Carbon Planning at Slattery, and Bradley Tucker, Managing Director of Tucker Environmental, for this essential crash course in carbon. Designed specifically for architects, interior designers and specifiers, this session will break down the complexities of carbon measurement and give you the tools to better understand your project’s environmental footprint and how to report.

You’ll walk away with:

• A clear understanding of embodied vs. operational carbon
• Definitions of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and how they apply to design
• Tips for engaging clients and suppliers in low-carbon decision making
• Real-world strategies for carbon reduction in the built environment

If you want to speak the language of carbon with confidence – this is the place to start.

$70 inc. GST