Details on Employee Benefits Live can now be found at: http://www.employeebenefitslive.co.uk

Report on Employee Benefits Live 2010

Make a date in your diary to attend Europe’s largest benefits exhibition and conference, Employee Benefits Live, for free. The event will take place at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on 29-30 September 2009

Brown to tackle challenges

Well-known reward expert Duncan Brown will deliver the opening keynote address at Employee Benefits Live 2009. Brown, director of reward services at the Institute for Employment Studies, will speak on “Managing employee rewards during a recession”. He will focus on the key issue facing many employers, of how to motivate staff when they cannot offer pay increases.

He will discuss the challenges being wrought upon traditional reward models that have previously relied on market and performance-based rewards, regular and inflated pay, security benefits and mass provision.

Author and business speaker Jeff Grout will present the keynote address on the second day of the conference. Known for his dynamic and energetic oratory, he will inspire reward and benefits professionals with ideas on how to survive the recession and emerge even stronger in the upturn. Grout, author of What do leaders really do?, draws on his own experiences to challenge the audience’s thinking.

Other leading speakers from prestigious companies include: Jayne Tory, head of reward and recognition at Asda; Jim Cowan, senior consultant – remuneration and benefits at Royal Bank of Scotland; Paul Bissell, head of reward at Cable and Wireless; Sandy Wilson, European compensation and benefits director at Kellogg’s; and Michael Rose winner of Employee Benefits’ 2009 Compensation and Benefits Professional of the Year Award.

All sessions are free to attend and can be booked in advance online.

Get some financial advice on tax changes

The Finance Act 2008, which received Royal assent in July, will have a major impact on the future shape of reward and lead to a greater need for financial advice. The anti-forestalling measures included in the Act, which will apply until 2011, may cause high earners to prefer alternative forms of tax-efficient reward now that pensions have lost their tax advantages for those earning more than £150,000 a year.

Many in the benefits industry believe that these changes will lead to employers deciding to review and restructure their remuneration packages. Employee Benefits Live presents several opportunities to help reward managers cope with these changes

With many more independent financial advisers exhibiting than ever before, as well as reward consultants being on hand, visitors will be able to gather numerous views on the future of reward during their visit.

Register to attend the exhibition online in advance at www.employeebenefitslive.co.uk

In Brief

The conference runs alongside Europe's biggest employee benefits exhibition, which features a wide range of exhibitors. New exhibitors include the Personal Accounts Development Authority and multinational pooling provider Insurope.

Fleet exhibitors are making the most of the fact that more employers are reviewing their fleet structure to reduce their tax burden. This year, Opticar, Fleet Operations and Pendragon Contracts will all be at Employee Benefits Live.

How to book

It is highly recommended that you book online in advance, especially if you want to guarantee your place at popular conference sessions. Last year, many sessions were fully booked up several weeks before the event.

  • To register to enter the event and to book the free sessions, please go to www.employeebenefitslive.co.uk

CPD hours

Employee Benefits is a corporate affiliate of CPD, so all delegates attending sessions can request a certificate confirming the number of CPD hours they have earned. More details will be included in the Event Guide that will be handed out at registration.

Opening times

• 29 September: 9.30am to 5.30pm • 30 September: 9.30am to 4.30pm