Content, networking, launches and competitions at The Watercooler Event

In case you’re still deciding whether to join us at The Watercooler Expo, I’ve summarised here (in the first of our series of event preview articles) a taste of what you can expect from www.makeadifference.media’s dynamic sister exhibition – with free-to-attend conference content – that’s dedicated to creating workplaces that empower both people and business to thrive.

Now in its fourth year, it’s two days of cutting-edge employee health, wellbeing, workplace culture, networking and product discovery – celebrating the future of work. Co-located with The Office Event for the full 360 degree workplace experience.

Taking place at ExCel in London on 7th & 8th May, the show brings HR, DEI, Wellbeing, Benefits, Occupational Health, Health & Safety, L&D, Employee Engagement, Culture & Transformation, Workplace Experience, Design and Facilities professionals together around The Watercooler to break down silos and connect all aspects of workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing.

Quality, free-to-attend, compelling content to bring you up to speed

With the government looking to employers to support their push to “get Britain working”, workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing have never been more important.

But with rising costs, evolving employee needs, and a shifting geopolitical climate, it’s harder than ever for employers to find the best way forwards – both for your people and for your organisation.

From compelling keynotes and panel sessions to partner-led workshops, The Watercooler Event and co-located The Office Event are packed with free-to-attend content to help you learn from the leaders. A great source of insight into what is and isn’t working, with practical tips that you can apply to your own organisation.

Featuring three tracks of mainstage sessions, plus 25 workshops, the agendas have been designed to keep you one step ahead in the fast-evolving world of work, workplace culture, health and wellbeing. You can see the full agendas for The Watercooler Expo here and The Office show here.

A diverse range of exhibitors to fast-track your supplier search

For workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing strategies to have real impact, they have to be embedded into every aspect of your organisation. In recognition, The Watercooler describes itself as “The place where workplace culture, employee health & wellbeing and workplace experience connect”. The range of solution providers exhibiting at the event reflects this.

Whether you want to support employees with bereavement, domestic abuse or fertility. Or you’re looking for ways to tackle toxic workplace cultures, train leaders, support Mental Health First Aiders, manage stress or create work environments that are neuroinclusive. Or you need a new financial wellbeing provider, EAP, PMI or employee benefits platform. Or you’re searching for the right way to meet menopause requirements or support the government’s mission to shift to preventative healthcare. The selection of solutions being showcased has something for you and your organisation – wherever you’re just getting started or you’re moving to the next level of implementation.

You can see the full list of all 100 ehibitors and sponsors here.

Unparalleled networking opportunities

If you want to find like-minded colleagues and share ideas and experiences, The Watercooler and The Office are the place to meet, using the event’s networking tool, which you can access when you register.

1-2-1 meetings are also available to connect senior decision makers who are serious about investing in solutions with suppliers. Both parties have to opt in to a meeting to ensure the best possible outcomes for all involved. If you would like to arrange 1-2-1 meetings with suppliers at the event, please drop a note to info@makeadifference.events.

There will also be the opportunity for members of the Make A Difference Leaders’ Club to join Leaders’ Club workshops and lunches on both 7th and 8th May. The Leaders’ Club is for employers only. Its aim is to advance best practice in workplace culture, health and wellbeing. You can find out more and apply to join here.

Launches, competitions and giveaways to add value to your visit

As well as opportunities for real-time networking and knowledge sharing, don’t miss the launches, give-aways and competitions including (in alphabetical order):

• Empresa Psychology brings years of experience in delivering high-quality, evidence-based training and supporting teams in high-stress environments to help your organisation achieve business excellence without compromising wellbeing. On Stand 428 you’ll have the opportunity to win a free Executive Coaching session with Empresa’s Founder, Clinical Psychologist, Dr Natalie Isaia. And if you want to see their approach in action, join their workshop: “How to Create Psychological Safety Through Compassionate Leadership” to learn how to foster trust, drive engagement and create a culture where your team truly thrives.

• Firstbeat want to know: Are you balancing your stress with enough recovery? Is your sleep restorative enough? Firstbeat Life is a professional HRV-based stress assessment that helps each employee boost their resilience, and at company level, supports those at risk. Stop by their stand for a chance to win your own stress assessment and learn how they’ve helped companies like Baker McKenzie, Cargotec and NHS build the resilience of their employees.

• FluClinic2U provides a quick and convenient way to check for Vitamin D deficiency, which is very common in the UK – especially during the winter months. Low Vitamin D levels can contribute to fatigue, muscle weakness, and a weakened immune system, all of which impact overall health and workplace productivity. They will be offering Vitamin D tests on their stand.

• Gov.uk Help to Save, the government savings scheme designed to support low-income individuals, will be exhibiting at The Watercooler. This year’s event is particularly significant as it coincides with a major expansion of the Help to Save scheme’s eligibility criteria. Starting in April 2025, Help to Save will be available to all Universal Credit claimants in work. This change will open the scheme to more people, enabling them to save and build their financial resilience with the support of a 50% government bonus. Visit their stand to find out how their scheme can support your employees’ financial goals and how it can be integrated into your employee benefits package.

• I Am Now believes that Personal Energy Mapping (PEM) for leaders reduces destructive conflict and that integrating PEM into leadership development training could significantly improve employee satisfaction, retention and reduce burnout. Visitors to their stand will be able to take a quiz, lucky dip and PEM tasters as well as access I Am Now’s Personal Energy Mapping e-book.

• Interaction are on a mission to Banish Boring Offices. They’ve been designing and building some of the UK’s best workplaces since 1992 – creating sustainable, people-first and beautiful offices that they believe your employees will love. On their stand W329 at The Watercooler, you can have a go at their giant steady hand game, put yourself to the test and see if you can beat their challenge – as part of their Perfection at Pace approach. Plus, there will be some great prizes to win, including their very own Interaction cookbook! Interaction will also be hosting scheduled meetings with their experts to chat about all things office, design and workplace strategy. Or you can just drop by the stand to find out how to create the perfect workplace.

• Mindful Business Charter will be exhibiting and presenting a workshop launching their white paper making the business case for wellbeing, for law firms, in-house counsel, their clients and beyond. The paper will examine how positive, preventative wellbeing initiatives, that look to reduce the causes of unnecessary stress, can actually reduce needless waste, reduce costs, reduce risk and increase revenue – creating healthier, more productive workplaces.

• MumPod® Company provides spaces and solutions for employers and service providers to support pregnant and breastfeeding parents. This will be their 3^rd year exhibiting at The Watercooler and finally this year they’re bringing a MumPod lactation pod to the event. So, if you need a comfy space away from the hustle and bustle and that isn’t a toilet, they invite you to come and pump in peace. You can find MumPod on stand W500 outside Theatre 2 near the main entrance.

• Ripple&Co is a workplace wellbeing company dedicated to transforming mental health support within corporate environments. At The Watercooler they will be bringing the ripple effect to life with two powerful and interactive sessions that attendees will want to plan ahead for: Step into the Scene: A Live, Immersive Manager Experience In collaboration with their client, Cadent Gas, they will be bringing their award-winning actor-led training sessions to the show floor. On their stand you can Get Hands-On with plato: The Future of MHFA Support – a brand-new, digital support tool for Mental Health First Aiders, designed in collaboration with Innovate UK, plato helps MHFAs track conversations safely and confidentially, while generating anonymised, aggregated data.

• Superwellness will be announcing their new Level 5 Diploma in Leading Strategic Workplace Wellbeing launching in Summer 2025. As part of this they will also be introducing the Workplace Wellbeing Profession Map^TM, the first of its kind in the UK, along with a self-assessment tool for wellbeing leads to discover their strengths and development areas.

• The Employee Experience Project helps accelerate progress towards your culture goals. Providing the tools, development and specialist support you need to cultivate a great culture in your business. At The Watercooler, as well as access to loads of free culture change resources and templates, they’ll be offering their flagship Culture Change Maker Accelerator for 50% off across the event. Visit their stand for your discount code and find more details about the course here.

• The Midlife Mentors is a thriving midlife coaching business. On their stand at The Watercooler, Founder James Davis will be sharing his just-released book The Midlife Male Handbook – a comprehensive resource designed to empower men over 40 to navigate the challenges of midlife with confidence and vitality. It offers actionable advice rooted in the latest research, including a 30-day programme focusing on diet, exercise, and mental wellbeing.

• The People Practice Group is a UK-based consultancy that helps organisations retain senior talent and experienced leaders by supporting expectant, new and seasoned working parents. At their stand they will be offering a Free Parental Inclusion Assessment & Audit exclusively. This expert-led assessment helps you understand how inclusive and supportive your organisation truly is for working parents, in practice not just through policies. Everyone who completes the audit will receive a tailored feedback summary after the event. Plus, all audit participants will be entered into a prize draw to win an Insights Session for free!

• Total Active Hub invites you to join them on their stand to learn how movement can be seamlessly integrated into your company’s wellbeing strategy. They are also offering the opportunity to win a ‘Move for Minds’ physical challenge for your business. In addition to the prize draw, all visitors will receive an exclusive 50% discount on their quarterly movement programme, making it easier than ever to embed movement into the workplace and create a lasting impact on employee wellbeing.

• Silver sponsor Wellhub offers employers and employees an all-in-one platform to support fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition and sleep. Luke Bullen, Wellhub’s VP UK & Ireland will be part of a session on the mainstage looking at how, with rising healthcare costs, organisations are shifting towards proactive strategies that promote long-term employee wellbeing while ensuring sustainable benefits management. This session will explore how a holistic approach integrating preventative care, mental health support, and lifestyle-focused benefits can complement traditional healthcare solutions such as Private Medical Insurance (PMI), Health Trusts, and Health Cash Plans to create a healthier, more resilient workforce. Additionally, attendees can pick up Wellhub’s guide: ‘How UK employers can combat rising costs’ from their stand.

This is just a taste of what’s on offer. For the full experience, take a look at the website, plan your day and join us in person on 7th and 8th May at Excel.