What I’ll be looking out for at the CIPD ACE conference

Blog Author
Emily Allen
Product Manager - HR & L&D

Ahead of next week’s CIPD ACE conference, MOL Product Manager, Emily Allen, has a number of suggestions for topics and sessions to keep an eye out for over the two days of the conference. Don’t forget to join MOL for our free seminar at the CIPD ACE conference at 12pm on Thursday 12 November.

Like many of my fellow HR colleagues, I am looking forward to two days of learning and networking at CIPD ACE. Although the format this year has changed, there are still plenty of great sessions to benefit from. 

With so many fantastic speakers scheduled for the two days of the conference, it can sometimes get a little overwhelming when making your choices of which sessions to attend. With this in mind, I have summarised my own thoughts and plans for the conference.

As we head towards the end of 2020, it is clear to all of us that Covid 19 will continue to be a significant challenge for HR colleagues over the coming months. There are a number of sessions available to join that will be discussing how it’s changed our lives and ways of working, crisis leadership, managing risk and how HR can manage it effectively.

I am also taking a keen interest in sessions that focus on organisational cultures, mental health and wellbeing that have had an even greater focus in the current climate. I am especially looking forward to hearing from Mo Gawdat, one of the keynote speakers at ACE, who wrote an insightful book on happiness. Wellbeing is a real key component of the conference this year. 

Another important aspect of this conference that we should all keep at the forefront of our minds is equality and inclusivity. Another of the keynote speakers, Reni Eddo-Lodge, is the author of ’Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ and will be discussing key learnings from her work. 

There are so many interesting topics and sessions out there for delegates to take part in. I have however narrowed down a list of a few sessions that I will be trying to catch over the two days. 

Wednesday 11 November:

• 10:00-10:45 A conversation with Reni Eddo-Lodge – what key learnings can the people profession take away from Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race? 
• 11:05-11:45  Closing the ethics gap – helping organisations find their moral compass with Gina Miller, Peter Cheese, June Sarpong OBE and Farrah Storr.
• 12:00-12:40 Increasing your influence – unlocking the power of emotional intelligence and vulnerability with  Mo Gawdat.
• 13:40-14:30 Crisis leadership – maintaining trust and responsible business in challenging times with Veronica Hope and Hailey Sara Bennison.
• 14:45-15:35 Pandemic perseverance – lessons learnt in mental health and wellbeing from working through COVID-19 with Cheryl Samuels, Tali Shlomo, Matt Elliott and Paul Farmer
• 16:00-16.50 From epidemics to employment law – navigating risk and disruption in the wider macroeconomic landscape with David Frost,  Sue Coe, Tilly Harries and Sara Khoja.

Thursday 12 November:

• 10:00-10:45 Speaking truth to power – how our everyday choices affect workplace culture with Megan Reitz.
• 14:10-15:00 Facilitating a neurodiverse workforce as a standard practice with Kirsty Cook, Leena Haque and Bill Budd.
• 15:15-16.05 How do we open up our recruitment channels to support a truly inclusive business? with Dev Modi, Emma Cusdin, Becky Coleman and Christos Tsaprounis.
• 16:20-17:00  Managing the crisis – how the people profession can become heroes of business today with Josh Bersin.

I will also be taking part in a session of my own on Thursday 12 November where, along with my colleagues Mike Spick and Paul Jager, we will be sharing our own expertise by discussing online learning. We would love for you to join us.