The #cipdACE16 Blogsquad Essentials

kitlist

Right so it’s nearly time for the conference and time to pack all the essentials for the trip!

So what exactly does a blogger need in their essentials kit? I have quite a few items that I need to take with me in order to bring the conference to life. Here is my essential ACE kit list:

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • a long life battery pack (this is a must, no power = no blogging!)
  • a notebook (I don’t mind a bit of old school)
  • my trusted pen

My husband Mark kindly bought me a fantastic bag that I can fit everything in as well so that I don’t have my hands full all the time. He’s very proud that I made this year’s blogsquad and he will be following the event from home as it happens. Thank you Mark for all the support, I wouldn’t be here without you!

#cipdACE16 Exhibitors – Who I’ll be Visiting!

The CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition is the biggest HR event of the year and although it’s been going for nearly 70 years and I’ve been in HR for 10 years; this is the first one that I will get to attend! 400 people will be attending as well as 180 exhibitors so there is plenty to cover in the two small days that the conference runs for.

The theme for this year is “shaping the future of work” so it’ll be interesting to hear the thoughts of those leading the conference sessions but don’t forget about the themes and trends coming through from the exhibition area! I’ll be making my way around the exhibition area and hopefully bring some Periscope action live from this area, here are just some of the people I’ll be visiting throughout the two days.

  • Acacia Learning Ltd at stand F22, I would not be where I am today without these wonderful people. I studied my CIPD Level 3 with them back in 2011 and they supported me through my nomination at the CIPD awards in 2012 in the Michael Kelly Outstanding Student of the Year Award. I was a highly commended runner up and they were all there on the night with me. You will not get greater support than what Acacia gave me and I can’t wait to see them again!
  • DPG plc – at stand C10. I have done some work with DPG and it’s always good to pop along and show some support to those who have supported you in your career, I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store and what they think the future of work looks like
  • JVP Group at stand B75, I’m excited about this one as they’re doing complimentary caricatures and I’ve never had one before! Perhaps you could do a whole blogsquad one for us?!
  • The Happiness Index at stand B60. I’m looking forward to seeing the future of wellbeing as it’s a subject I am really passionate about
  • Fitnut at stand A15 again it centres on employee wellbeing but it’s an all in one solution so it’ll be interesting to see what they get up to
  • Perkbox at stand G132, I have been interested in what they have to offer for a while but like always it’s difficult finding the time so I’m looking forward to checking them out!
  • CIPD Steps Ahead at 3pm on both days – as a very proud ambassador it’ll be great to finally meet other ambassadors and support the team with their Steps Ahead talk

There are so many more that I’m sure I’ll get to stumble upon during my time there so I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone. I cannot believe the event is almost here, it’s incredibly exciting!

 

Forterra HR Team at DMU Graduate Fair

If you’re heading to the graduate recruitment fair at De Montford University, please pop over and visit the Forterra stand! The fair is running on 25th and 26th October and looks set to be a busy couple of days for the team.

My colleagues Sarah and Timi will be waiting with prizes, goodies, games and lots of information on why a career in manufacturing with Forterra is a great choice to make.

Sadly I cannot be there as I am covering the office but do pop over and say hello to them as they’re looking forward to meeting everyone, plus they have worked really hard to make the event a success so thank you ladies for doing a great job and remember have fun!

There will be updates on the company Twitter feed – follow their day @ForterraUK and feel free to tweet along.

I hope you all enjoy the event.

 

#InspireHR A New Feature Coming Soon

inspire

I have had the pleasure of attending a few inspirational events lately and have met some wonderful people who have given me that extra motivation and I thought, don’t we all need that from time to time?

So I started thinking; I’ll create a monthly blog feature to inspire HR professionals by reviewing the works of others to inspire and really get that fire back in our bellies! I will be ranging in subjects such as self-confidence, motivation, mediation and a whole lot more!

My first feature will be on 1st November and if you would like me to feature your work, please email me at natalieellis084@gmail.com

#cipdACE16 Blogsquad Assemble!

avengers

I am so excited to be announced as part of this year’s blogsquad at the CIPD’s Annual Conference and Exhibition which is taking place on 9th and 10th of November in Manchester Central.

The blogsquad is made up of 8 HR/L&D/OD professionals brought together in an Avengers style fashion to bring you the happenings of this years event. We are not professional bloggers so expect the unexpected! We will be working our way through keynotes, seminars and exhibitions and pretty much bringing the event to life using the power of social media.

Our job is pretty simple but is by no means a walk in the park! We will be using a plethora of social media methods between us to deliver up to date information about what is going on as and when it happens throughout the entire event; bring on the plasters for our sore thumbs!

The mediums that I will be using are; Periscope, Twitter, Instagram and of course my blog here. If you want to join in or ask us a question, feel free to comment, come and meet us at the event (I am happy to have a selfie with you!) or tweet us.

It is genuinely fantastic to have been asked, my blog is still in it’s early stages but I have managed to build relationships with so many people all over the world – just by writing my thoughts on a blog, it’s pretty amazing stuff really when you think about it!

It is a real privilege to work with these people and I know I keep saying how excited I am but I simply cannot wait to meet (that’s right I’ve not met any of these guys yet!) and work with these incredibly talented and knowledgeable people.

So anyway; who are the blogsquad?

the-avengers-quotes-iamkyon-37014564-499-500

Tim Scott – I love Tim’s blog, I like to think of him as our very own Ironman, resourceful, confident and loves gadgets! I regularly read his musings and think he really brings his subjects to life

Gem Dale – I like to think of her as the Nick Fury of the blogsquad; knowledgable, smart and brilliantly funny. I am a huge fan of her blog, adore the frankness of her subjects and above all she is a master of blogging

Ian Pettigrew – He is the Hawkeye of the team; organised, knows everything that is happening and works very quickly. He is a blogging master, I know for certain I won’t be as fast as him but I certainly aim to try to keep up!

Damiana Castle – This lady is simply beautiful inside and out, she lives and breathes HR in a very holistic and inspiring way. She is our Captain America; proud, disciplined and always thinks of different viewpoints without judgement

Gary Cookson – (sorry Gary, someone had to be Hulk!) whilst he is certainly not green; Gary is a highly experienced HRD who knows his strategic subjects so I’m excited to work with someone with expertise outside of my comfort zone and hope to learn a lot from him over the two days

Amelia Tickle – I speak with Amelia regularly on Twitter and is such a get up and go kind of lady, she’s highly motivating so hopefully as a fellow newbie we can work our way through the event together, she is definitely our Black Widow; always finding solutions, is flexible in her approach and always has a plan!

Finally it’s the lady known as Priyadotcom – she is now known as our Thor; she is a powerhouse and definitely a force to be reckoned with when it comes to blogging! She is a fan of wine (as am I!) so I think we can work well together. On a serious note, I love her fresh-feel blog and how it can appeal to everyone at all levels, she is very inspiring and I can’t wait to meet her

As for me, I’m probably more like Loki…

So there we have it, this year’s blogsquad are here to entertain and inspire throughout #cipdACE16, time to buckle up and kick social media butt – blogsquad assemble!