Practical insights, advice and connections for HR professionals & business leaders tackling today’s people & organisational challenges

Join the Hereford & Worcestershire CIPD Independents Group for a high-energy, interactive half-day event bringing together HR professionals, business leaders and people decision-makers.

This event is designed to offer practical ideas, fresh perspectives and valuable opportunities to connect with others, with insights you can take straight back into your organisation.

What to expect:

Opening keynote

Expert keynotes and practical workshops exploring current people and organisational challenges

Trade stands where you can discover specialist HR expertise and solutions

Ask the Experts - choose the specialist table most relevant to you and have informal, practical conversations

Networking and Connection Corner - designed to make connecting with others easy and useful, whether you love networking or usually avoid it

Opportunities to share issues with others, creating potential collaborations and new professional connections

Key topics

Sessions will explore current challenges including people strategy and business risk, employment legislation, organisational change, culture and engagement, leadership, recruitment and retention, employee relations, and innovative approaches to HR support and professional development.

What will you gain?

You will leave with practical ideas, useful tools and resources, fresh perspectives and new professional connections. You will also have the opportunity to speak directly with experienced HR specialists and explore different sources of support without the pressure of a sales pitch.

Our aim is that every attendee leaves with at least one valuable new insight, one meaningful new connection and practical actions to take back into their workplace.

The event is designed to be modern, practical, honest, inclusive, interactive, solution-focused and commercially relevant - with genuine value at its heart.

About the speakers

Andy Holmes - Director, Career Space

Area of expertise: Career coaching and mentoring, first-line management, career development, process improvement and commercial support.

Session: First-Line Management and Career Coaching

Andy will explore how a combination of coaching and structured management training can help those who have found themselves promoted into management positions based on their technical skills. With a focus on neuroscience and the benefits of providing space to think, he will consider practical ways to support employees while helping organisations develop their people and improve performance

Claire Lawton -Managing Director, Acorn Support

Area of expertise: Practical HR advice, employee relations, absence management, performance management and employee engagement.

Session: Claire will explore how business leaders can manage challenging people issues, including absence, disciplinary matters and performance concerns, in a fair and effective way. She will share practical approaches to resolving employee issues, supporting managers and creating a positive workplace while protecting business performance.

John Heseltine - Director, People Transformation and Change, Our Journey

Area of expertise: People-centred change management, organisational transformation, people-related risk and protecting business performance during change.

Session: Change Management

John will explore why the people impact of organisational change is often underestimated and how this can lead to disengagement, lost productivity and avoidable costs. He will demonstrate how identifying people-related risks early and understanding employees’ experiences can help leaders make better decisions and achieve successful, sustainable change.

Liz Crutchley - Founder and CEO, Orange Orchid

Area of expertise: Equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging, culture change, psychological safety and inclusive leadership.

Session: Diversity Rocks - Conversations That Matter

Liz will introduce Diversity Rocks®, an engaging approach to starting meaningful conversations about identity, inclusion and belonging at work. Through thought-provoking conversation cards, participants will explore different perspectives, challenge assumptions and identify practical actions that help create workplaces where everyone feels they belong.

Liz Gait - Founder, EG People Development

Area of expertise: Leadership and organisational development, executive coaching, learning and development, organisational change and performance improvement.

Session: Insights Discovery - The Power of Understanding Yourself and Others

Liz will introduce Insights Discovery, a personality preferences framework that helps people understand themselves and how they relate to others. Through interactive activities and reflection, participants will explore the four colour energies, improve their communication and discover how appreciating different perspectives can strengthen teams and workplaces.

Ruth Dawson

Description supplied by the event organiser.