Breaking audience records for a business event with a difference
Challenge
The CIPD Festival of Work, now in its fifth year, was already a remarkable success story, drawing thousands of people professionals to London’s Olympia for a two-day event that explored themes around the future of work and the learning revolution in the workplace – and all of it with a ‘festival’ vibe that went far beyond the usual business conference. In 2023, having incorporated hybrid speakers into the programme and successfully recovered revenues following the pandemic, the challenge was to plot a course for the event’s sustainable growth, and reflect the structural changes affecting the wider events market.
Solution
Making the Festival – run in partnership between Wonderly and the CIPD – wholly free to attend made sense not just to encourage wider participation, but to enable the content to broaden significantly to bring a wider business audience into the fold. The new, improved content proposition included seven different stages focusing on everything from core HR and learning topics such as employee experience or ED&I through to responsible business and internal communications, with the aim of exploring and enhancing the links between the people profession and business strategy. This was underlined by a headline speaker line-up that included comedian Katherine Ryan and TV presenter Fearne Cotton alongside entrepreneur Kanya King and neuroscientist Dr David Rock.
And, of course, the ‘festivalisation’ was dialled up even further. Visitors could take part in a ‘hackathon’ to explore practical solutions to the challenges discussed at the event, speak to experts at a legal drop-in clinic, get a massage or play with a puppy in the Wellbeing Village, or borrow a human ‘book’ in the People Library.
Solution
The CIPD Festival of Work was launched in 2019 with a clear mission to be more than just a business conference. With engaging speakers and a diverse array of exhibitors, alongside a programme of immersive and interactive features (from therapy dogs to a unique ‘people library’), it has engaged thousands of people in an intelligent discussion about the future of work and the role of people in business. In 2022, more than 6,000 people registered as visitors and delegates at London Olympia alongside a highly engaged virtual audience.
Results
The Festival delivered spectacularly in its core aim to take the CIPD’s ‘better work and working lives’ mission to a larger audience. Registrations were up 125% year on year and the number of attendees increased 134%. Revenues were up 16% and the on-site exhibitor rebooking rate of 94% was a record. The plan now is for the Festival of Work to become even more spectacular in 2024, as it moves to a new home at Excel, with plans to surprise and delight its audience even further.
125%
Increase in registrations year-on-year
94%
Record rebooking rate
16%
Increase in revenues year-on-year
