More than 11,000 people took us up on the offer to ‘come curious, leave inspired’ at this year’s Festival of Work. We came together across two days to celebrate the future of work, gather and share insights, and form new connections.

Jam-packed with interactive content led by inspirational thought leaders and industry experts, enriching networking opportunities and immersive activities, the positive energy and excitement was contagious. 

Numbers at a glance: 

  • 2 days  
  • 11,480+ festival-goers 
  • 130 content sessions across 7 stages 
  • 180 exhibitors 

Here’s a recap of our busiest Festival of Work to date

Day 1

Dr Daniel Holme kicked off day one with an outlook on AI and the future of automation, asking the important question "What does the right automation look like for your business?". We came back to the human element of the event with Stacey Dooley MBE and Elliot Rae hosting a thought-provoking session on how we can break barriers and ignite change. Alex Mahon re-enforced this sentiment with a candid reflection on her career and fostering courage within a modern workplace.  

Day 2

We welcomed Dex Hunter-Torricke, who captivated the audience with his presentation 'The Global Tapestry: Decoding the future of technology, leadership and society'. Sessions throughout the day explored the important questions of innovation, responsibility and values that leaders and organisations will face in the future.

“I went curious, and left inspired...such a good day at the CIPD Festival of Work.” 

Marc Earnshaw, Talent Development

On both days, in addition to the talks, festival-goers had a range of activities to choose from. Whether it was participating at the popular Hackathon roundtable discussions to exchange knowledge or attending a yoga session at the Wellbeing Village, everyone left rejuvenated and inspired to continue making an impact on the world of work. 

The CIPD Festival of Work will be back next year on 11 and 12 June 2025 at ExCeL London and we hope to see you all there.

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At the CIPD, we champion better work and working lives. We help organisations to thrive by focusing on their people, supporting economies and society for the future. We lead debate as the voice for everyone wanting a better world of work. 

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