Housekeeping

We hope you have an amazing experience!

It’s now time to download the Sched app on your mobile device to enable your Entry Pass and confirm your sessions. This only takes a minute, and will help us to help you….

1) Download the Sched app from the App Store or Google Play

2) Search “Festival of Learning” within the Sched App which will throw up the full title

Like this…

3) Register or Login

  • Create or update your schedule by adding at least one session
  • Print yourEntry Pass’ from the ‘Info’ tab (If accessing your Sched account from a mobile web browser, go to: Menu > Entry Pass)
IMPORTANT
  • If you signed up once already for an ‘Early Bird Ticket’, you still need to Register for a Sched account to access your Entry Pass
  • Venue: Adastral Park, Martlesham, Ipswich, IP53RE
  • This is super easy to find on Google maps, Waze or equivalent.
  • There is only one entrance to the park
  • More info can be found about general directions, public transport etc. on the Adastral Park website here: https://atadastral.co.uk/travel/
  • Please be ready to provide your name and show your ’Entry Pass’ when driving in to avoid delays
  • There will be a light refreshments buffet with teas, coffee, water, cake, sandwiches and all that kind of thing.

Please make sure you check allergy information with catering staff when on site should it apply. We are unable to make pre-arranged meals, and whilst all food is prepared with the utmost care, we are unable to confirm that all refreshments are  completely allergen free.

  • There will be vegetarian and vegan options as part of the buffet.
  • We know some people become very anxious about what food might be on offer… we will try to let you know nearer the day what will be on the menu, but we also have no issue at all with people bringing their own snacks or packed lunches should you wish – and you won’t be ‘told off’ for munching on your own food! 🙂

When contacting, please use a descriptive subject line so we can deal with your query as swiftly as possible​: [email protected]

OR

Speakers INFO 🙂

We are trying to cap numbers in sessions at around 15, although there are some larger and some smaller. The reason for this is to keep it intimate, with people being able to make genuine connections with their attendees, whilst also complying with safety regs over numbers of people in particular areas of the venue.

The Festival is much more about the ‘style’ of event than it is the size and numbers this time around…it is very much an ‘experimental’ approach and it’s our first step back into the ‘Festival format’ since the pandemic.

We know it will be a fantastic day, but we also know there will be some tricky things to manage – and some lessons we’ll learn about future Festivals.

We hope you’ll help us with that journey, by chipping in and helping out wherever possible – and by giving us your constructive feedback and tolerance of minor blips we ‘may’ face on the day….

These bullet points should hopefully explain how it differs from a normal ‘Conference’ format:

  • Numbers are limited to approx. 150 due to the size of the venue and delivery spaces
  • There are no formal breaks or lunchtimes
  • Sessions take place throughout the day, rather than in a linear fashion – (e.g. Keynote followed by breakout)
  • There are no ‘wrapping up’ speeches
  • Most of the spaces are quite open – with an ambient ‘buzz’, which means speakers do need to be aware that there will not be fully quiet space.

…think along the lines of BETT Show, Academies Show or Business Show (if you have ever attended) which will give you a sense of what we’re aiming to achieve.

Most of the sessions are what we’d call ‘tin-openers’ where you can ignite some interest and signpost people to further offers, websites, resources etc. although this is not always applicable.

  • Timings are really specific, because we need to manage the flow of people from one session to another as fluidly as possible
  • Most sessions are 25 minutes within a 30 minute capsule.
  • This means you should aim for 25 minutes delivery time (as long as you start on time)
  • There is very little leeway to overrun, as people will miss their next session
  • Some sessions are longer or shorter (where advertised)

Each delivery area will have a laptop (Chromebook) with a clock. There will also be a clock displayed permanently on one of the big screens in the exhition hall which is visible from most areas.

Some sessions have someone specifically assigned (either where requested, or where we already know is needed).

If you need someone to help in advance, let us know at [email protected], or you can flag this on the day so we’ll have a technician on hand to help you.

Yes, although in most cases this is not likely to be needed due to the relatively small numbers in sessions.

Should you wish to use presentation slides for your session….

  1. We will ask you to submit any presentations with the file name being the exact title of the session and email this as a cloud link (e.g. Google Slides / MS PPT Web version) rather than a ‘File attachment’ to [email protected], with the email subject line that includes the following information in this order:
  2. “Your name”
  3. the word “Festival”
  4. the Title of session

 

We ask you to be really specific with titles, so that your presentation does not get lost among other files, and can be quickly accessed at short notice from our central cloud folder

  • Each speaker delivery area will have its own laptop and screen set up. You will be able to access your presentation from this laptop from the cloud. (We can assist with this if you need help).
  • There will not be amplification / speakers linked to the laptop by default (if you need amplification, please email us at [email protected] with subject title “Festival Speaker IT Request” with a quick message and we’ll get back to you. One of the reasons is to do with the ‘noise bleed’ into other areas of the festival. However, we are also keen to ensure that you have everything you need, so please don’t hesitate to drop us a line.
  • We would prefer that you use the laptops provided, although in some circumstances we can support your own plug and play device if this is important to your session… please let us know in advance if this is needed by emailing: [email protected] with subject title “Festival Speaker IT Request”.

Most sessions are deliberately quite intimate, with small numbers, so that speakers can interact effectively in the festival-style environment.We will add some images here in due course, but here are the basics…

  • Delivery spaces are chosen quite near to the festival day. This is because numbers of people signing up to sessions, or the type and length of a session helps to make decisions on allocation. If you are at all worried about what type of space you will be delivering in, please contact Festival Director – Rob at [email protected]

  • Delivery spaces all have laptop / screen set up – with plug and play for your own laptop if need (see the other housekeeping points re: laptop setup)


The spaces are:

  • 2 x Pods: These two ‘Pods’ are semi-open spaces with around 20 seats (i.e. partitioned spaces but with open ceilings’) so there will be ambient noise from outside the pod that might creep in as people move around talking to exhibitors or grabbing a bite to eat.

  • Collab Space: completely enclosed, small presentation space for about 20 people – with small breakout spaces for between 4 -8 people in each breakout space.

  • Main Stage: an open area with large stage (approx 15 meters long) with multiple screens behind. This stage has amplification. The ‘Pods’ are in the same large hall space, so ambient sound from the main stage may propogate into the pods – but you shouldn’t find this intrusive if you’re in a pod, but something is happening on the Main Stage. If you are delivering on the main stage, the seating area at the front will hold up to approximately 100 people – although we will tend to keep audiences much smaller, to assist with flow and sound management.

  • Classroom: This is a small space, completely enclosed for up to a maximum of 15 people. It will be used for sessions that need complete quiet (e.g. Meditation).
  • In almost all cases this won’t work.
  • Because of the number of sessions taking place back to back in the same spaces, there will not be time to change laptop, which can inevitably lead to tech issues that may need ‘fixing’.
  • All presentations should be in the cloud, sent as a link to us at [email protected] by Thursday 26 October and they will be loaded onto our Google Drive system on Friday 27 October. 
  • We will be running all presentations off Google Chromebooks, so it will be a simple case of accessing your presentation from the Google Drive cloud.
  • USB sticks are not permitted
  • No, sorry – these are not permitted due to security issues raised within Adastral Park

Please see the other sections for more detail on sharing your presentation, but the basics are:

  • Submit your presentation as a link to a cloud file by sharing it with [email protected] and emailing to let us know you have shared (e.g. Microsoft PPT on the web, or Google Slides) by Thursday 26 November.
  • If you need to make changes in the background, you will be able to do so, but please email us to let us know and we can check that the changes have updated at this end.

UPDATE: WE HAVE RECENTLY MADE SOME TWEAKS TO SESSION TIMES (BY BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MINUTES) IN ORDER TO CREATE MORE TIME BETWEEN SESSIONS.

  • Yes it can…in occasional scenarios, we may let you know, or consult you on a change of session time. We try to keep these to a minimum, and we know that this can be inconvenient, but sometimes inevitable.
  • We generally assume that a small time change won’t affect a speaker too much, and that speakers will be on site for the whole festival unless we know in advance.
  • If you have time restrictions, we will usually already know about this through our general communications with speakers…. but, if there are issues or restrictions we don’t know about yet, please email [email protected] with subject line “Festival Time Issue”

There are three types of exhibition space:

  • Unlimited banner space

We can accomodate as many banners as you wish – as we will place them in different areas of the festival (e.g. around the edge / in delivery spaces). You can also bring your banner with you to your session (e.g. put next to you or behind you when you speak if you wish)

  • 12 x Tall Table Open Exhibition Spaces

Tall Table Open exhibition spaces are approx. 1.5 meters wide – enough for a banner and tall table (provided) to put leaflets or a laptop on. You can stand near this as much or as little as you like during the day to talk to people as they come and go. There will not be a formal ‘designated exhibition visiting time’.

  • 4 x Traditional 2m x 2m spaces

There are only 4 of these due to available space, and these are assigned to the main partners who have produced or supported the festival. The aim is to have as few ‘barriers’ as possible, so, for example. – whilst they are 2m x 2m, the aim is for exhibitors to be in front of any tables rather than behind if at all possible. 

When contacting, please use a descriptive subject line so we can deal with your query as swiftly as possible​: [email protected]

Nearer the day, we suggest copying in [email protected], and [email protected] to any emails.

Exhibitor INFO 🙂

There are three types of exhibition space. Although the exhibition is small and not the main focus of the event, all exhibitor spaces will be visible throughout the day in the main area / thoroughfare.

  • Unlimited banner space

We can accomodate as many banners as you wish – as we will place them in different areas of the festival (e.g. around the edge / in delivery spaces). You can also bring your banner with you to your session (e.g. put next to you or behind you when you speak if you wish)

  • 12 x Tall Table Open Exhibition Spaces

Tall Table Open exhibition spaces are approx. 1.5 meters wide – enough for a banner and tall table (provided) to put leaflets or a laptop on. You can stand near this as much or as little as you like during the day to talk to people as they come and go. There will not be a formal ‘designated exhibition visiting time’.

  • 4 x Traditional 2m x 2m spaces

There are only 4 of these due to available space, and these are assigned to the main partners who have produced or supported the festival. The aim is to have as few ‘barriers’ as possible, so, for example. – whilst they are 2m x 2m, the aim is for exhibitors to be in front of any tables rather than behind if at all possible. 

 

  • We would encourage you to access Adastral Park on Friday 26 October to set up in advance of Monday 30 October. Equally, we know this is not always feasible. Please email [email protected] if you would like access on Friday – with subject line “Exhibitor Friday Access” so we can ensure you are added to the security list for the day

  • You can access Adastral Park anytime from 8am on 30 October (We would encourage you to leave up to 10 minutes to clear security).

  • We kindly ask exhibitors to be set up and ready by 8.45am which is when the first people will likely to be arriving

  • Ask for the Exhibition Hall if you are unfamiliar with the site
  • Yes, if you need it. To confirm you need power, please email [email protected]

  • Equally, if you only need power for the whole time but need a place to charge batteries etc. this will be available.

The video below will give you a bit of an idea – although you’ll need to use your imagination a little… 🙂 

When contacting, please use a descriptive subject line so we can deal with your query as swiftly as possible​: [email protected]

Exhibition Layout

When contacting, please use a descriptive subject line so we can deal with your query as swiftly as possible