A Day at the CIPD Festival of Work 2026

Earlier this month, some of the Research Team at The Survey Initiative – Ben, Em, Nick and I – spent the day at the CIPD Festival of Work at Excel Centre in London.

It was a great opportunity for the four of us to step away from our usual day-to-day projects, spend some time together as a team and explore the ideas, conversations and technology currently shaping the people profession.

The Festival brought together HR, people and workplace professionals from across a wide range of sectors. With hundreds of stands, speaker sessions and interactive demonstrations across the venue, there was plenty to see throughout the day.

Hearing different perspectives

One of the highlights was the speaker programme, which covered a broad range of workplace topics, from leadership and employee experience to skills, performance and technology. It was also exciting to see well-known speakers such as Richard Osman as part of the line-up.

For us, the sessions were a useful reminder that many organisations are facing similar challenges: how to retain good people, support wellbeing, build effective leadership and create workplaces where employees feel listened to and valued.

These are all themes we see regularly through our own work at The Survey Initiative. As a team, it gave us an opportunity to reflect on the importance of not only gathering employee feedback, but helping organisations understand what it is telling them and use it to make meaningful improvements.

Exploring the Festival floor

Away from the sessions, we spent time exploring the exhibition space and speaking to organisations offering services across HR technology, employee benefits, recognition, learning and workplace experience.

There was a strong focus on AI and technology throughout the Festival, with many providers demonstrating how digital tools can support organisations and employees. It was interesting to see how quickly this area is developing, particularly in relation to employee communication, feedback and day-to-day HR processes.

Of course, the day was not all serious discussion. We also found time to try out some of the more interactive stands, including a humanoid robot, a racing simulator and a reaction-based game. These were definitely some of the more memorable moments from the day and gave us plenty to talk about afterwards.

Time together as a team

As well as learning more about the wider people profession, the Festival was a valuable chance for the four of us to spend time together outside of the office.

Working in research often means balancing multiple client projects, survey launches, reporting deadlines and presentations, so it was refreshing to take a step back and explore the sector from a different perspective.

We came away with plenty of ideas, fresh conversations and a renewed appreciation for the role that employee insight can play in helping organisations create better working lives.

A big thank you to the CIPD for hosting such an engaging event, and to everyone we spoke to throughout the day.