CIPD Festival of Work

Overview

CIPD Festival of Work is a UK conference, exhibition, and learning platform for HR and people professionals. Its programme combines evidence-led sessions, practical workshops, networking, interactive activities, and exhibitor demonstrations across HR technology, employee experience, leadership, wellbeing, employment law, and learning and development.³⁸

The event is positioned between a professional conference and a commercial HR solutions exhibition. The 2026 edition reported more than 12,500 attendees, 210 exhibitors, 150 sessions, and 130 speakers, indicating a substantial role in the UK HR-events market.³ It is notable for its CIPD curation and for connecting professional development content with vendors of HR software, workplace technology, learning platforms, and related services.⁸⁹

History

The Festival of Work was founded in 2015 as a UK event focused on workplace and people-management issues. It is curated and delivered by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR and people development. CIPD works in partnership with Haymarket Media Group Ltd to deliver the event. The event has developed into a large annual exhibition and conference covering HR technology, employee experience, leadership, wellbeing, employment law, skills, and learning and development.

Product Lines

Manufacturing

Not applicable: CIPD Festival of Work is an event and content platform rather than a manufacturer. Its in-person programme, exhibition, digital content, and related services are delivered through CIPD and its event-delivery partnership with Haymarket Media Group Ltd.

Notable Products

• CIPD Festival of Work - Annual UK conference and exhibition bringing together HR, people, and workplace professionals.
• Festival on Demand - Digital access to selected Festival sessions and event content for remote viewers.
• Festival Content Programme - Curated conference programming covering workplace technology, employee experience, leadership, wellbeing, and skills.
• Exhibition and Solutions Showcase - Exhibition area featuring HR software, workplace technology, learning platforms, and business-management providers.

Reputation

The Festival is positioned by professionals as a major UK gathering for HR, people, and workplace learning, with value arising from its breadth of sessions, vendor access, networking, and CIPD affiliation.³⁹ Its practical and topic-based format appeals to attendees seeking applied guidance on issues such as employment law, AI, retention, employee experience, and workforce skills.⁸ As with similar large trade events, the combination of educational content and exhibitor activity can make the experience commercially oriented, and the available public material does not establish independent attendee-satisfaction measures.