There was a moment at the Strata Futures Roundtable earlier this year when you could hear the penny drop.
Among the assembled strata identities searching for an answer to a better future for strata management, the conversation shifted - from the need for education to the need for research. Proper research. Research done with academic rigour and independence. Fearless research. Not research manufactured to be sold. Not research framed to support a political cause, but research designed to unearth the truth. To make us understand. To ground discussions about the future. To avoid thought bubbles.
This was a watershed moment for a small group of strata academics that have been on about this for decades. Chief amongst them is Dr Nicole Johnston, the principal of Strata Knowledge and convenor of the Strata Impact conference. This conference debuted last year to much acclaim of those present, but Nicole is no newbie to strata conferencing. She was instrumental in the highly regarded Griffith Strata conferences of the 2000’s and conceived and delivered the first of the now well-established International Multi Owned Property Research Forum held annually. It’s become the principal colloquium for respected strata academics world over to present and discuss their research in progress and will be held next in Sydney in January 2026.
The program for Strata Impact 2025 has just been released and promises to be as good as ever. Several things set this conference apart from the pack, not the least of which is its requirement for the presentation of original thought. There is no rehashing of tired material or old war stories at this gig. This is about cutting edge new ideas shared generously, and without vested interests. This year’s subjects include:
- Fiduciary duties and conflicts of interest
- A behavioural science approach to resident behaviour in apartment emergencies
- Transforming ageing apartment buildings
- The science of strata defect management
- Systematic failures in ensuring progressive repair and maintenance
- Digital building information
- Procedures that move people to effective decision making.
These are the things that matter in strata in 2025. They are things that matter to all of us: strata owners, managers, developers, suppliers, advocates, policy makers, and regulators. And they transcend state, territory, and international boundaries.
If you want to be extended, inspired, and part of the solution, I will see you there.
Michael Teys advises strata management businesses on improving profitability through professionalisation and streamlined operating systems.
He has more than 30 years’ experience as a strata lawyer and academic and has owned 11 strata management agencies throughout Australia. He has a Master of Philosophy (Built Environment) and Bachelor of Laws. He lectures and writes widely about strata management issues in Australia and internationally.
