The benefits of dog therapy and mindfulness exercises were just a few of the highlights at this year’s CIPD Festival of Work — and YuLife was at the annual show, answering questions and giving away tote bags, water bottles, keychains, pens, and, in keeping with the wellness theme, pulse point essential oils to help festival-goers relax amidst the noise and the crowds. More than 11,000 people descended on the ExCeL London on 12-13 June for the two-day event showcasing the latest innovations, workplace technology, and business management tools and services. The festival featured 130 content sessions across seven stages giving attendees insights into what the future workplace might look like and offering plenty of opportunities to forge new connections.Speakers included TV presenter and journalist Stacey Dooley MBE, Alex Mahon, Chief Executive of Channel 4, and Dex Hunter-Torricke, Head of Global Communications and Marketing at Google DeepMind. Organisational design, change management, and the skills agenda, including green and digital skills, and workforce planning, were just a few of the themes covered.Nadia Elgaddal, Growth Marketing Specialist at YuLife, was one of a team of 4 manning the YuLife stand. “You only have a few seconds to capture people's attention on the Expo floor, so we completely re-invented our stand design to shout out the YuLife employee app and user experience at a glance,” Nadia explains. Many of the visitors to the stand were also keen to find out more about employee engagement. “A lot of people were saying, ‘Hey, I already have Group Insurance and employee benefits in place, but no one's using it’. While that's a shame, we know we can help out here, because we focus so much on engagement. Wellbeing is not prescriptive but something that everybody approaches individually, so what you provide as an employer should be equally flexible. That was a big theme that came through from talking to people.”There were a range of interactive features at the festival for attendees to immerse themselves in, including hackathons, an employment law drop-in clinic plus – new this year — an AI Lab and Social Impact Hub. Nadia was particularly impressed by the Wellbeing Village, which was offering talks and advice on all aspects of mental and physical health, as well as breathing workshops and mindfulness exercises. “As an attendee, you've probably still got calls and emails to do, so to have that dedicated space to be able to be still in the eye of the storm, check your emails and just take a break was massively important,” she explains. There were also plenty of opportunities to network with teams on the neighbouring stands. “There's a little bit of friendly competition, but it's actually really lovely to be able to interact with people who are doing the same thing as you,” says Nadia. “There's quite a nice level of camaraderie. I feel like CIPD really nailed that. There’s a nice atmosphere and the organisers are so generous with their time in terms of making sure that you get the most out of the event, before, during and after it. They're a pleasure to work with.”Nadia is already looking forward to the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition on 6-7 November 2024 at Manchester Central Convention Complex and is hoping the groundwork made at the Festival of Work will pay dividends going forward.“I want to turn up to the next one and capitalise on the buzz YuLife has already created. Because people already know us, we can cut straight to the guts of what the HR community wants – which is world-class benefits that their employees love and use.”For more information about CIPD conferences, exhibitions and events, visit events.cipd.co.uk.About YuLifeYuLife is working to reimagine the insurance industry by protecting lives, rewarding living and inspiring life. We’re on a mission to transform traditional insurance into a life-enhancing experience each employee will value and use daily. How does it work?Our award-winning app uses behavioural science and game mechanics to reward your people for living well while offering protection in case of crisis. And with our top-rated employee assistance programme, your team gets access to mental, financial and social support, virtual GPs, nutritionists, life coaches and more to help them live their best lives.Because we believe that your employees should benefit from their insurance from day one — and that wellbeing should be accessible every day, for everyone.Request a demo for your team today.