Ahead of The Watercooler Event, taking place at ExCel in London on 23rd & 24th April, we asked the exhibitors to share what they’re looking forward to about the event and why now is the perfect time for the show. Here’s what some of them said (in reverse alphabetical order).
This isn’t the full list of exhibitors. The following responded to our invitation to comment. You can find the full list of the 130 exhibitors here. Insight from the co-located The Office Event exhibitors is here.
Smart About Health
We are coming into a pivotal moment in the workplace wellbeing space. After an influx of responsive solutions, good guesses and hyperfocus on workplace culture, we are now best placed to reflect on what has and what has not worked to radically improve performance and health in the context of work. The focus should now be on safety, evidence, and qualified people to drive clear goals for standards and measurable impact. Science and compassion should go hand in hand. The Watercooler provides us with a space to professionally reflect and meet companies who are aiming to truly support and develop their employees.
Smart About Health provides doctor-led programmes and training to support and improve the health and wellbeing of your staff. We partner with organisations who are investing in creating a healthy workplace to design and deliver tailored educational sessions to meet their unique demands. In addition to educational sessions, we offer: Leadership programmes; Manager programmes; ERG/EAG Groups and Staff Networks sessions; Champions Training.
The Sleep Charity
We are looking forward to chatting with visitors about the amazing subject of sleep and how to tackle sleep deprivation and support colleagues with sleep issues to minimise impacts in the workplace – especially when it comes to health and safety and driver fatigue.
Scentered
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought health and wellbeing to the forefront of everyone’s minds. Employees are increasingly aware of the importance of physical and mental health, and they appreciate employers who support them in these areas. With the rise of hybrid working we are seeing new challenges, such as isolation and blurred work/life boundaries and the rise of stress, anxiety and burnout in the workplace. Employers who address these issues and create an open healthy workplace culture are more attractive to potential employees and improve retention rates among existing staff.
Sara Davison The Divorce Coach
Sara Davison offers coaching support to help employees cope better with breakups, divorce and domestic abuse. It’s more than just allowing them time off it’s specifically designed tools and techniques to enable them to fast track their recovery and maintain their workplace performance. More in this interview with Sara here.
Salary Finance
The cost-of-living crisis continues to grip thousands of employees across the UK:
- 34% of adults have no savings or less than £1,000 in a savings account. (Money.co.uk)
- The average credit card debt per household is £2,452, and total unsecured debt per UK adult is £4,163 (The Money Charity)
- Only 28% of frontline workers believe their employer is supporting them enough through the cost-of-living crisis
- If HR professionals want to make a real impact on the lives of employees, it’s time to bridge the gap between C-suite priorities and the priorities of their people on the ground.
- You cannot have a truly holistic wellbeing platform without addressing financial wellness.
R;pple Suicide Prevention
Prioritising employee mental health and wellbeing has never been so important. A staggering 650 people in the UK tragically take their own lives annually due to work pressures (Hazards Campaign, 2022), and 13% of employees experience thoughts of self-harm or suicide (Champion Health, 2024). As we build the workplaces of tomorrow, prioritising mental health and suicide prevention should be a core value that goes beyond just words. Employers need to take proactive steps to create a supportive and secure environment, break down the silence around mental health and suicide, and foster a culture of inclusion through language and behaviour. A comprehensive approach includes utilising digital crisis intervention tools like R;pple to safeguard employees when they are most vulnerable and signpost them to support. R;pple Suicide Prevention is excited to be part of The Watercooler Event, and we look forward to helping more employers embrace our life-saving technology and create a safety net for those in crisis.
re;mind health
Anyone, regardless of background or circumstance, is susceptible to trauma. It is a significant contributor to mental ill-health and diagnoses such as PTSD, anxiety and depression, and has strong links to physical health. Symptoms are intrusive and devastate daily life. In fact, a high number of people in your workforce will be struggling with their mental health as a result of trauma symptoms, either through work related or personal experiences. Trauma needs to be better understood and specifically supported. In the UK, nearly as many people live with PTSD (2.6M) as they do with cancer (3M), yet it is taboo and most can’t get professional support. It costs employers an estimated £9billion in absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover. Supporting their employees will improve productivity, reduce sick days and ultimately save money.
Myla Health
With the recent global shifts towards remote work and increased awareness of mental health and overall wellbeing, organisations are seeking innovative ways to support their teams. We believe The Watercooler Event presents a fantastic opportunity to explore creative solutions that meet the needs of organisations who want to prioritise the wellbeing of their employees.
Hospice UK / Compassionate Employers
The Watercooler Event is a great chance to connect with employers and employees who care about being compassionate at work. Since the pandemic, people recognise how important it is to support each other during tough times like grief. Showing compassion at work matters for both people and profits. Employees should feel supported during tough times like grief or caring for loved ones. Many companies aren’t giving enough support, which is hurting their culture, retention, and productivity.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Hargreaves Lansdown is a Workplace Pension Provider that offers a Financial Wellbeing Service as part of their core proposition. They help members achieve their financial goals at every life stage and provide the products and tools to make that possible. Recent budget announcements may have an impact on how employees save and invest for the short/medium/long term, and we are in an ideal place to listen to delegates’ concerns and discuss solutions when they visit our stand and attend our workshop. Our overall aim is to generate brand awareness and secure follow-up meetings with people to discuss their workplace pension arrangements.
Gympass
Employee wellbeing cannot be ignored. Fostering an inclusive and healthy company culture is key for your company and employees to succeed. A recent Gympass survey found that 93% of employees consider their wellbeing at work to be as important as their salary. On top of that, nine out of ten companies keeping an eye on their wellness spending are seeing a positive return on investment. These returns come in the form of increased productivity, lower healthcare costs, and a reduction in talent management expenses.
Flu Clinic 2 You
A healthy workforce has never been more important. Seasonal illnesses such as influenza (flu) and Covid can impact businesses. Offering seasonal vaccinations and proactive health checks to employees also leads to a healthier and more productive workforce.
EyeMed
This is the perfect time for The Watercooler. Recent market changes and a spotlight on employee vision care and the employee journey have meant that there has never been a better time to review how you support your employees and how you can evolve this process.
Domestic Abuse Education
Each year we are seeing a surge in the number of people and businesses, including a huge portion of the FTSE100, who recognise the crucial role they play in supporting victims/survivors who are currently or have previously found themselves in an abusive relationship.
Doctor Care Anywhere
With sickness related absence at its highest ever level and 26% of patients having to wait more than a week to see their NHS GP, the UKs workforce is struggling to access the healthcare they need when they need it. Couple this with rising cost of health insurance premiums and claim costs, companies need to seek innovative ways to ensure their workforce remains healthy and productive and can aid in reducing absence and alleviating presenteeism, whilst also supporting their employees’ health and wellbeing.
Curious Vitae
There is overwhelming evidence, and now acknowledgement, that an engaged, skilled and motivated workforce will underpin the success of almost any business.
There is also a growing realisation that simply “ticking the box” through one off away days, mental health “courses” and generic wellbeing advice has a very limited, short term and occasionally negative effect.
This is therefore the perfect time for enlightened leaders and innovative suppliers to come together to find the authentic solutions that will maximise both personal and business potential over the long term.
Changing Minds Training
When isn’t the perfect time to improve our wellbeing? We look forward to meeting other like-minded leaders and individuals who are passionate about making mental health an everyday conversation.
Caldeira Consulting
The wellbeing industry is saturated with individual-led symptom support for stress which relies on people to improve their own management of stress and resilience. The time has come to disrupt that way of thinking. More can be done which leads organisations to higher productivity, better output and a better bottom line – as well as stress management.
At Work Wellbeing
Now is the perfect time for The Watercooler Event as organisations are actively seeking innovative solutions to navigate the post-pandemic work landscape.
With many companies encouraging employees back to the office, there’s a growing focus on creating a positive workplace culture, environment, and enhancing the employee experience to boost morale and productivity.
Ultimately, our participation in The Watercooler event is about showcasing the tangible benefits of our services and how they contribute to creating healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces. Our services, particularly seated acupressure massage, directly address these needs by reducing workplace stress, improving mental clarity, and fostering a sense of wellbeing.
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