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OPENING TIMES, BADGE AND ARRIVAL
Opening times
Wednesday 12 June, 08:30*-17:30
Thursday 13 June, 08:30-16:30
Badge
Your badge has been emailed to you from [email protected]. Please contact your Wonderly operations contact if you need it to be resent (remember to check your junk/spam
folders).
To speed up your entry process, please print your badge and bring it with you.
Don’t have a printer? Have your badge barcode ready to scan at speaker registration when you arrive at ExCeL.
What to do when you arrive at Custom House station
Follow the green floor sticker for badge holder entry via the N2 entrance, where you’ll also locate the speaker
registration desk. After checking in at speaker registration, you’ll be directed to the help desk,
where a host will greet you and take you to the Green Room.
Please check in to the Green Room at least one hour before your session to check your presentation.
When to arrive onsite
Please be onsite at least one hour before your session starts, and at your stage 30 minutes before your session.
When the session preceding yours ends, please immediately make yourself known to the stage manager or AV
technician to get your microphone set up and tested.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SESSION AND PRESENTING
Preparing your presentation If you want to use slides (not applicable for panel sessions or fireside chats):
- Format: use PowerPoint, widescreen format (16:9).
- Sharing permissions: let us know in advance if we can share a PDF version of your slides with attendees (we’ll convert the PowerPoint version to PDF).
- Deadline: Wednesday 29 May (please email to your Producer and Operations contacts).
- Audio/video/web: Please note there won’t be internet on the stages, if you’d like to include any audio, video or website links, please embed files and screenshots. We’ll also need backups of the audio and video files in an MP4 format.
- Polls: contact your conference producer if you’d like to use polls in your session.
Keep the following tips in mind when creating slides:
- Keep it simple
- Images are key and can be much more effective than words to help reinforce the points you’re making
- Don’t be afraid to use some text and bullet points to make a point that isn’t easy to communicate visually
- Only include text that helps communicate your point and not as a prompt for what you want to say (that's what your speaker notes are for), you want your audience to listen to you instead of reading from your slides.
What to wear
when you’re
speaking
You’ll be given a jawline microphone to wear, this includes a battery pack which needs to be
clipped on to a trouser or stored in a loose pocket (pocket less dresses are best worn with a
jacket for this reason). As ExCeL is a large venue, comfortable shoes are advised.
Stage set up
Slides, if using, will be loaded onto the AV technician's laptop at the back of the stage. You’ll have a remote clicker to control moving your slides forward.
The stage will have a lectern if you wish to use it, however, don’t be afraid to move around on stage! Two comfort monitors will each display the PowerPoint view of your slides, and the speaker notes if you included any. A countdown timer will also be visible.
For the Q&A segment, or if you’re on a panel or fireside chat session, please be seated with the
chairperson. Water will be available on stage for all speakers.
VENUE, TRAVEL, AND ACCOMMODATION
Venue
ExCeL London
N2 entrance, Speaker registration desk
Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL
Travel
Reduce your carbon footprint by using public transport where possible. ExCeL London is well served by public transport (the Elizabeth Line and DLR are the quickest routes to ExCeL London, alight at Custom House).
Accommodation
Enter the passcode: HAYC11924 on the accommodation website for special rates.
EVENT PLATFORM
For the line-up programme, activities timetable, exhibitors directory, floor plan and more! Note there will not be any printed handouts of these onsite.
Username: (Your username is the same email address your badge was sent to)
Initially, you'll be prompted to create a password. Attended the CIPD Festival of Work last year? You can use the same password as before or reset your password after entering your email. (Remember to check your junk/spam folders).
Update your preferences on the pop-up screen when you first log in, or at any time, by editing your privacy settings.
Please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge (Internet Explorer is not compatible).
PLAN YOUR DAY
7 stages of content
Workplace transformation (Main stage), Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Employee Experience, Internal Comms, Learning & Development, Responsible Business and Wellbeing.
Look out for the floor stickers near the main entrance to guide you to each stage.
Seats are allocated on a first come, first served basis. So, arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Accessibility
Anyone with an accessibility requirement will be offered a different coloured lanyard for stewards to identify and offer support easily. Reserved accessibility seating is at the front and back of each stage (stewards will be wearing green t-shirts, if you need any assistance). Hearing loops are located at the front of the stages.
What we’re doing to make the event more accessible
ExCeL London accessibility guide
Cloakroom
There is a staffed cloakroom on the lower level of ExCeL near the N4 and S4 entrances. This cloakroom is provided at no charge to visitors however, please note that items are left at your own risk. There is very limited space for luggage, so it is strongly recommended that luggage is left at hotels prior to your arrival at the venue and collected after your departure.
Drinks reception
Please join us on Wednesday 12 June from 17:30-18:30 in the Meet and Eat area for the drinks reception, sponsored by MHR.
Exhibitor stands
Check out the leading product and service providers. Access the exhibitor directory and floor plan on the event platform.
Some exhibitors may ask you to scan your badge and gain consent to contact you for direct marketing purposes. If you’d prefer your contact details not to be shared, you can choose not to have your badge scanned by telling the exhibitor. (Please note: You’ll be scanned by one of our staff on entry to the event, this is for health and safety and analytical purposes only and your data will not be transferred as a result of this scan.)
Festival experiences
View the activities timetable on the event platform, experiences include; The Knowledge exchange, People library, AI lab, Social impact hub, Employment law drop-in clinic and Wellbeing village.
Food and drink on the Festival floor
Check out the Social cafe for a variety of hot and cold drinks and grab-and-go options like sandwiches, salads, snacks and cakes. Looking for a hot food option? Head over to the street food trucks in the Meet and Eat area where you’ll find:
Bian Dang, serving up some tasty breakfast and Taiwanese lunch options, including well-balanced boxes of steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables and a choice of twisted chicken or claypot aubergine. (Caters for halal, vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free).
Nazari, serving up wraps and mezze bowls, inspired by the dishes and flavours of North Africa, Spain and the wider Mediterranean. Choices of chicken, falafel and halloumi or all three!. (Caters for halal, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free).
Don’t forget to bring a reusable cup to get a discount off your hot drink, from the Social cafe inside the hall, or at any of the HEJ cafes on the boulevard.
Help desk
If you have any queries during the event, please visit the help desk located to the left of the main entrance inside the hall.
Headline Artists sessions
Headline Artists sessions will be live-streamed to the EDI, Responsible Business, Employee Experience, and Wellbeing stages.
Seats are allocated on a first come first served basis, so arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Stacey Dooley, MBE on Wednesday 12 June, 10:45-11:45
Alex Mahon on Wednesday 12 June, 14:15-15:15
Dex Hunter-Torricke on Thursday 13 June, 14:00-15:00
Multi-faith prayer room
The multi-faith prayer room can be accessed through the grey door next to the S9 entrance on the boulevard.
Phone charging
Charging points are located in the boulevard (next to Venue Services and at hall entrances N4, N7 and S9). Just £2.00 for the first hour, or £4.00 if you drop it back within 24 hours.
Q&A and polling
To participate in speaker Q&A and interactive polling (where applicable), login to the event platform, go to the session (via Festival line-up > Stages), then select Q&A.
Quiet room
One of our features for this year’s Festival is a dedicated quiet room onsite. Designed for anyone who needs it. Please feel free to come here to regulate and de-escalate. Please be mindful of others while using this space. This is not a meeting space. If you require an area to hold a meeting please use the networking areas in the Social cafe, Meet and Eat, or the boulevard.
Security
Bag checks will be conducted as you enter the show. Please ensure you wear your badge and keep your personal belongings with you at all times.
Sustainable events
We’re committed to making our events more sustainable. Click here to find out what we’re doing and how you can help us minimise the carbon footprint of the event.
Water refill points
Cut down on plastic waste! Bring a reusable bottle with you and access any of the free water refill points, located in the main boulevard of ExCeL London, at any time during the Festival.
WiFi (sponsored by MHR)
Network name: CIPD FOW free Wifi
Password: MHRglobal