CIPD15 – one month to go…

With a month to go, I’m really excited about this year’s CIPD conference for a few reasons. 
Firstly, it is the only occasion in the year when most of the people I “see” every day on social media are in one place. It’s amazing to think that three years ago I would have known no-one at the Conference… What happened? I discovered Twitter and the rest as they say is history. Through that one great hub I “met” so many others and after years of being a standalone HR professional in almost every sense of the word, I felt reconnected and reinvigorated.

Secondly, this is my second year in the CIPD’s official blog squad. I genuinely feel this is an immense privilege and will do my best to share my experience of attending, the things I learn along the way and the people I meet with the many people who can’t make it for whatever reason. While the name might sound a bit prep school-y, the blog squad is an outstanding bunch of people with varied backgrounds and I cannot wait to work with them again (and some for the first time!). Last year I found the whole experience truly exhausting but incredible fun. I could still felt the post-event buzz weeks later. I also brought back some really useful stuff from the conference that I have put into practice in my day job.

Thirdly, I am speaking this year! I was dragged unexpectedly on stage by Perry Timms to talk briefly about the Hackathon in 2013 but this time I’m on the schedule officially, participating in a debate about hierarchical management with Andy Swann. I’ve been doing some occasional public speakingy things for a while but this is in the form of a (slightly modified) Ignite debate, which I’ve never done before. I’ve gone from being really excited about it to incredibly nervous now it’s appeared on the horizon. I’m hoping I’ll go back to really excited soon! I am looking forward to it in a slightly masochistic way. I’ve found in the past that I learn well from being thrown in at the deep end, even if it’s not always the most comfortable experience at the time!

So, that’s three reasons why I’m looking forwards to CIPD15. What about you?

See you there?