Networking and membership organisation the British Council for Offices (BCO) is returning to Birmingham for its 2014 annual conference in May.

Hundreds of delegates will visit the city for seminars, tours and events highlighting what the city has to offer.

Ahead of this key event, BCO chief executive Richard  Kauntze argues why the office environment should be high on the agendas of boardrooms across the country.

Over the years, many have predicted technology would put paid to the office. Now, well into the second decade of the 21st century, it is clear the office is here to stay.

Recent figures from property consultancy CBRE showed demand for offices was well and truly back on track as the economy recovered.

Not just in London, but in cities such as Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with some regional cities even anticipating a shortfall in supply due to the high demand.

While organisations are setting their future property requirements, they do not necessarily understand what that space can do for their business.

Research carried out by the British Council for Offices and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) found the majority of large organisations in the UK failed to discuss property issues in the boardroom and, when offices were evaluated, it was purely in terms of cost.

The BCO has found UK plc spent an estimated £28.5 billion on its offices. As an unavoidable cost, it is easy to see why it tends to be assessed on price alone.

But businesses are missing a trick if they see their office as just another expense. As some chief executives are realising, offices can make companies achieve more.

In a memo to staff, HP's Meg Whitman stated the company needed to "build a stronger culture of engagement and collaboration and the more employees we get into the office the better the company we will be".

The amount spent on offices tends to pale in comparison to the amount spent on people, yet the two are more closely linked than many realise.

Offices are a space where workers spend approximately 40 hours a week, if not more, and business leaders need to consider carefully the environment in which their employees spend so much time.

Offices act as a hub, providing a place for employees to collaborate, interact and communicate.

The BCO's report, entitled 'The challenges for the office sector over the next decade and beyond', found people were sociable and tribal in nature.

They want places where they can interact face-to-face and debate ideas. What Workers Want, a survey carried out by the BCO and Savills, found just as many people wanted their own desk in the office as those that preferred to work from home.

So, it's not just some CEOs who see the benefit working in an office can bring but employees themselves.

A great example of this is Virgin Money's HQ in Edinburgh, which has seen a contemporary workspace created within a historic, listed building to great success.

Not only has there been a positive impact on those working there, but the new layout has also resulted in a significant uplift in customer attendance and satisfaction.

With business confidence growing and economic recovery continuing apace, there has never been a more prime opportunity to realise the potential of offices.

Now is the time for boardrooms around the country to wake up to the business benefits offices can provide.