What do I need to hand before I join the Conference?

We suggest you print a copy of the Conference Brochure (or have it available on a separate device) to check the agenda, read the speakers bio information and read about the participating employers. 

Have a pen and paper ready as we’ll be asking you to do some self-reflection during the workshops. You’ll be planning your professional introduction, and you’ll want to note down advice, tips and your action plan.

Do have a read through our top ten tips for making the most of our Back to Your Future Conference 2023 here

Working Lunch 

We have scheduled lunch breaks (12:40-13:15 on Day 1 and 12:20-12:45 on Day 2). During lunchtime the platform will be open to allow you to explore the employer booths and chat 1-2-1 with other returners, if you wish.

What time should I enter the Conference?

The Women Returners Conference Venue in Hopin will be live at 9:00 each day. You cannot enter before then. Please enter by 9:20 at the latest, in case of any problems and to give you time to look at the Schedule and the Conference rooms before the 9:30 Welcome and Conference Introduction from Julianne our CEO.

How do I enter the Conference?

1. Click back on the Women Returners Conference Hopin link in your Joining Instructions email OR if you requested an email confirmation when you registered, open the email from Hopin (Thank you for registering ..) and click on Join Event (blue box).
2. If you have a Hopin account sign in or you will only see the Conference Landing Page and will not be able to enter the event.
3. Access the event by clicking “Enter Event”.
4. This will take you into the Live Conference Reception. You’re in!

What should I do if I’m having difficulty accessing the Conference and it’s past 9:00 on 10/11 May?

1. Check you are using Chrome or Firefox, not Brave, Safari, and Microsoft Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge (laptop/pc) or the Hopin App (mobile/ipad)
2. Check you are signed in to Hopin, if you have an account
3. Check you are using the Hopin link for the Conference
4. If you need further assistance email info@womenreturners.com 

I’m late entering the Conference – what should I do?

Go straight to the Stage to see what’s on. In a break, you can visit the Women Returners booth in the Expo area where Julianne’s Welcome and Fireside Chat with Hazel, our Deputy CEO, will be showing from 11am. All sessions on the Stage will be recorded and available to Conference attendees from Wednesday 17 May for 30 days (see below for more details).

Do I enable my microphone and camera?

Your microphone and camera will be disabled for the live sessions on the Main Stage and in the Employer Expo Booths.

For the Networking area click on ‘join now’ and in the Sessions Room click ‘share audio and video’.  This will prompt Hopin to request permission to access your camera and mic.

If you need to manually provide Hopin access to your mic and camera, please follow the instructions here

What should I do if I experience any technical difficulties during the event?

Please visit us in the Women Returners booth or email info@womenreturners.com

Where can I meet other returners at the Conference?

There are two ways to meet other returners in Hopin. 

Throughout the conference, in the Networking area, you’ll be able to enjoy 1-2-1 video chats. You’ll be randomly paired with another returner – just like meeting at an in-person venue in the coffee queue or talking to the person sitting next to you.

On Day 1, from 13:15-14:30 in the Sessions area, you’ll find a range of video meet-up rooms by sector. You can join the room of your choice to chat with others, either by sharing your microphone and camera or by writing in the chat box. 

How do I interact with the Employers at the Conference?

Our 5 employer sponsor partners – FDM Group, J.P.Morgan, Lloyds Banking Group, Moody’s and Workday – all have their own employer booths in the Expo area. You can drop in to learn more about them and their returner programmes and register your interest with them. Do join them for ‘Employers Live’ on Day 2 at 12:45-13:30 when they’ll be talking live in their booths. You can ask questions in the booth chat box but you will not be able to join them on camera in Expo. As the booth will be open to all who are visiting, please don’t ask employers for any specific feedback on any applications you may have already made or give them a link to your profile – this should happen off of the platform.

On Day 2, at 13:30-14:30, our employer sponsor partners will be in the Sessions Area ready to chat to you! You can pop in and out of their video chat rooms and join them on camera to talk informally with their programme managers, recruitment team or hiring managers.

Can I ask questions to the speakers during the Panels, Workshops and Keynote?

It depends on the structure of each session. Each Panellist or Workshop hosts will tell you at the start if they’re taking questions at the end of the session. Please do post any questions or comments in the Stage chat box during each live Panel or Workshop session on the Main Stage. One of the Women Returners team may be able to answer if the presenter doesn’t have time to do so and, if not, we’ll follow up with answers whenever we can after the event. . 

If I miss a Panel, Workshop or Keynote, will I be able to watch it?

Recordings of the live sessions on the Stage will be available for 30 days after the Conference on a password protected area of our website. We will send you a link by Wednesday 17 May to access the recordings.

Where can I get information when I’m in Hopin?

Come and visit us in the Women Returners Booth in the Expo area and type your questions into the Booth chat. We’ll respond as soon as we can. 

I’m lost! How do I get around Hopin? (you can find a copy of this information in the Hopin Guide in your Joining Instructions email)

The left-hand menu is your navigation bar and lists the 5 areas of the Conference: Reception, Stage, Sessions, Networking, Expo. To enter an area, you click on its icon. During the day, there will be a red “NOW” or “LIVE” tag on the left-hand menu that tells you where the activities on the agenda are happening. For most of the day, that will be the Stage, with certain times in the Sessions, Networking and Expo areas.

Reception This is the first area you will come to. You will find our welcome message, the agenda for the day (under Schedule), and logos for our Employer Sponsor Partners which link to their online information pages. You can think of the Reception area as a venue’s lobby, it’s the information hub. There is an ‘Event chat’ function on the right-hand side which shows the global event chat – all attendees can post messages, which are visible to everyone throughout the platform. We recommend that you do not use the ‘Event chat’ function but instead use the chat function in each area, for example Stage, Sessions or Expo Booth.

Stage This is where you will spend much of the day – just like the Main Stage at an in-person venue. Here you can watch the Fireside Chat, the Returner and Employer panel conversations and the expert workshops. The timings for the different sessions on the stage can be found in the agenda on the Reception page (under Schedule) and also in the brochure sent to you. You can ask questions to the panels and workshop presenters by typing them in the Stage Chat function, and, time permitting, these will be answered during or at the end of each session – just ensure the right-hand chat is toggled to Stage.

Sessions This is where you can meet and chat in small groups to other returners with similar sector backgrounds (Day 1, 13:15-14:30), employers (Day 2, 13:30-14:30) and the Women Returners Coaches (Day 1, 13:30-14:30 and Day 2, 14:30-15:00). To join a video chat, click on ‘share video and audio’ and you will be asked for permission to share your camera and mic. You’ll then appear on screen beside other attendees in the session. If you are camera shy initially, you can join a session room to watch the conversation going on and post comments or questions in the Session chat box – just ensure the right-hand chat is toggled to Sessions (rather than Event). However, to make the most of the experience do try out joining by video. Note that there can be a maximum of 14 people on screen at one time.

This is where you will meet 1-2-1 with other returners, recreating the “tea and coffee break” conversations that are important at an in-person event. This is also where you can edit your profile to include a picture and relevant information about yourself. We have scheduled time during the 2 days for you to say hello to other returners, practise your introduction and share action plans. You will speak on video to one returner at a time, for a period of 3-15 minutes (timings will vary during the day). To start the conversation, click on the ‘Ready’ button. You’ll be asked for permission to share your video and mic and once you accept, you’ll be matched with another returner. A timer in the upper right-hand corner will let you know how long remains in each chat. When time is up, your meeting will automatically end. You can then click ‘Ready’ to be matched with a new participant. You can leave a call at any time. If you want to swap contact information with the other person, please do this before the time ends. 

Expo This is where you can learn more about our Employer Sponsor Partners and the Returner Programmes they run. Throughout the event, you will be able to watch their video content. On Day 2, between 12:45-13:30, the employers will host an ‘Employers Live’ session. During this time the employers will be live on video in their booths chatting about their returner programmes and responding to questions posted in the chat. If you would like to ask a question of an employer, just type it in their Booth chat box – just ensure the righthand chat is toggled to Booth. You will not be able to share your video in the employer booths.

If you are interested in hearing more about their Returner Programme, please click “Register Your Interest”, and your name, email and any profile information will be sent to them. During the Conference, you are able to visit as many booths as you wish.

You will also find a Women Returners and City CV Expo booth. The Women Returners Coaches will be live in the Sessions area on Day 1 from 13:30-14:30 and on Day 2 from 14:30-15:00. The City CV team will be live in their Expo booth on Day 2 from 14:30-15:00. Feel free to pop into the session room or booth during this time to ask your questions.