Agenda
Please see below for the 2026 agenda.
Subject to change; updated April 28, 2026
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
| 2-3 p.m. |
REGISTRATION Location: Queen Street Gallery Description: Stop by the registration desk to check in and pick up your attendee badge. |
| 3-3:30 p.m. |
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS Location: Signers Ballroom Description: All attendees will gather for a welcome from the HCD Forum team and to meet one another in a round of introductions. |
| 3:30 p.m. |
SHUTTLE PICK UP Location: Main Lobby |
| 4-8:30 p.m. |
OFFSITE ACTIVITY AND DINNER Location: Holy City Brewing Description: Charleston’s Holy City Brewing will be transformed into a lively Lowcountry playground where craftsmanship, culture, and community come together. Designed as a Round Robin–style experience, attendees will break into smaller groups and rotate through thoughtfully curated, Lowcountry-inspired hands-on activities. Afterwards we will enjoy dinner at the Brewery. |
Thursday, June 25, 2026
| 7:30-8 a.m. |
BREAKFAST Location: Iron Rose |
| 8:30-9:30 a.m. |
SESSION - Rule of the Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything Location: Signers Ballroom Speaker: Martin Ford, Futurist and Author of RISE OF THE ROBOTS and RULE OF THE ROBOTS Description: In his New York Times bestseller RISE OF THE ROBOTS, Martin Ford presented a thoughtful and deeply researched argument: Robots are poised to take over many of the jobs that humans do. Now, six years later, in his follow-up RULE OF THE ROBOTS, Ford updates his arguments—specifically, on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the world around us. AI, in Ford’s assessment, is on the cusp of becoming a general-purpose technology. The impact of AI will be as profound as that of electricity before it, fundamentally changing how every other technology is produced and consumed, while also helping us solve some of our most pressing issues, from the climate crisis to the next pandemic. Yet for all its promise, AI still has the potential to cause serious harm. Ford will offer HCD Forum attendees a practical, clear-headed guide into AI as it currently stands, as well as its future evolution(s). |
| 9:45-11 a.m. |
SESSION - How to Play: A Workshop on Creativity Location: Signers Ballroom Speaker: Cas Holman, Toy Designer, Author of Playful, Founder and Principal Designer at Toy Company Heroes Will Rise Description: What does it mean to “play”? How can free-flowing creativity transform to concrete plans? In this workshop, Cas Holman, award-winning designer of Heroes Will Rise and Rigamajig, shows you the way. Putting theory into practice, Cas leads collaborative workshops and group exercises that expand on her unique approach to creativity. Using her principles related to childhood and play as a guide, she leads you through the design process, open-ended inquiry and creativity, and group dynamics within collaboration. After the workshop, HCD Forum attendees can ask questions, bond with teammates, and unlock new perspectives. In this immersive session, Holman will demonstrate how when we play together, we learn to take responsibility for our own ideas and learn to work with others more effectively. |
| 11:15-11:30 a.m. |
BREAK |
| 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
SESSION - Designing the AI Native Hospital Location: Signers Ballroom Speaker: Travis Laird, Chief Operating Officer for Hospital Planning & Operations at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, and Anthony Treu, Principal at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Description: This session brings together Travis Laird, Chief Operating Officer for Hospital Planning & Operations at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, and Anthony Treu, Principal at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of healthcare delivery—and what that means for the facilities we design today. They will examine what it takes to create a truly AI native hospital, where digital twins, integrated robotics, intelligent records systems, and connected platforms operate as a coordinated system. Designing for this future requires moving beyond traditional models, and the result is environments that anticipate outcomes, coordinate care, and enhance operational resilience. After their presentation, the speakers will facilitate a conversation with attendees on how healthcare systems and design partners must rethink what it means to brace for an AI driven era. |
| 12:30-1:30 p.m. |
LUNCH Location: Iron Rose |
| 1:45-4 p.m. |
SMALL GROUP BREAKOUTS Location: Signers Ballroom Description: A highlight of HCD Forum every year, we assign attendees to smaller, multidisciplinary groups and give each group a healthcare challenge/concept to discuss and dissect. |
| 4-6 p.m. |
FREE TIME |
| 6-7 p.m. |
COCKTAIL RECEPTION Location: Hibernian Hall Description: Ahead of the HCD 10 Awards Dinner, convene on the terrace for pre-dinner drinks and hors d’oeuvres with a stunning view of the Pikes Peak region. |
| 7:00 p.m. |
HCD 10 AWARDS DINNER Location: Hibernian Hall Description: An elegant awards dinner to be held right next door to the Mills House, honoring Healthcare Design Magazine’s HCD 10 winners for 2026. This professional awards program honors standout individuals and one outstanding organization across varied industry sectors. The HCD 10 Awards Ceremony starts at 8:15 p.m. |
| 9:30 p.m. |
AFTER PARTY Location: Venue to be announced Description: Join us for one last nightcap (or more!) at the HCD Forum 2026 After Party! |
Friday, June 26, 2026
| 9-10 a.m. |
BREAKFAST Location: Iron Rose |
| 10-10:30 a.m. |
A/E/C SURVEY Location: Signers Ballroom |
| 10:30-11:30 a.m. |
PANEL Location: Signers Ballroom |
| 11:30 a.m. |
END OF EVENT |