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Event Agenda

Day 1

Thursday 8th March 2012

08:45 - 10:25    Event Registration

10:25 - 10:30
Welcome address by
Debi O'Donovan, Editor, Employee Benefits

10:30 - 11:00
A Pensions System Which Encourages People to Save Towards their Retirement

• What can be done to reinvigorate private pensions to help people start saving for their retirement?
• Will auto-enrolment in its current form reduce the burden on employers?
• How can financial education be improved and people be encouraged to save from a young age?

Gregg McClymont MP, Shadow Pensions Minister

11:00 - 11:30
Selecting and Running the Right Pension Plan for your Organisation

• What constitutes good corporate governance around contract-based schemes?
• Establishing a governance committee for the defined contribution (DC) scheme
• How should employers select appropriate consultants, adviser and/or providers and when should they be reviewed?

Pensions Manager, UK Pension Scheme  

11:30 - 11:45    Coffee break

11:45 - 12:30
Panel Debate: Understanding the True Impact Auto-Enrolment Will Have on Employers

• Will auto-enrolment lead to levelling down or is minimum compliance not an option for the employer of choice?
• In the current economic climate will pension reform lead to continued nil/low pay rises?
• Will the value of other employee benefits diminish as a result of the extra cost of auto-enrolment?
• What role will Nest play in relation to existing pension schemes?

Richard Bartlett, Assistant Director Distribution, NEST
Miles Buckinghamshire, Chairman - Board of Trustees, Barnardo's Pension Scheme
David Pitt-Watson, Author, Building the consensus for a People's Pension in Britain
Chaired by Debi O'Donovan, Editor, Employee Benefits

12:30 - 13:30    Lunch

13:40 - 14:20    Workshop 1

14:25 - 15:05    Workshop 2

15:10 - 15:50    Workshop 3

16:00 - 16:30
Case study: Informa plc
Preparing for the Cost of Pension Reform

• How can employers reduce the cost of scheme redesign and other costs in preparation for auto-enrolment?
• What are the hidden development and HR costs employers need to be wary of?
• What options are there for employees unwilling to participate in a GPP via pensions salary sacrifice?
• What is the impact of pension reform on the overall reward strategy?

Thomas Humphris, Head Office HR and UK Reward Director, Informa plc

16:30 - 17:15
Panel Debate
Investment Strategies for Default Funds in DC Schemes

• Should pension scheme members be encouraged to make their own fund selection choices?
• What impact would a default fund committee have on its operation and return on capital?
• How can employers ensure employees understand the risk and what they will get at retirement?
• What are the advantages of compelling employees into certain investments based on age and attitude to risk?
• What makes a good default fund in today's economic climate?

Tim Middleton, Technical Consultant, Pensions Management Institute
Mike Acred, Pensions Manager - Performance and Reward, LV=
Speakers to be confirmed
Chaired by Debi O'Donovan, Editor, Employee Benefits

17:15 - 19:30    free time

19:30 - 19:30    Drinks reception

20:00 - 22:30    Gala dinner

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Day 2

Friday 9th March 2012

09:00 - 09:30
Case study: BT  
Engaging Employees with Share Plans

• How can employers communicate its share plans to employees to encourage and increase their understanding of the plan?
• What strategies can increase participation in today current economic climate?
• How can share plans create a closer identity of interest between employees and shareholders?
• What part can share schemes play in the total reward and benefits package?

Francis O'Mahony, Head of Employee Share Plans and Share Registration, BT UK

09:30 - 10:15
Panel Debate: Holistic Approaches to Workplace Saving - New Era of False Dawn?

• Should pension schemes be structured as one component of a wider workplace savings package?
• What can employers do to help employees understand the true value of flexible savings platforms?
• How is the use of workplace Isas, share schemes and workplace self-invested personal pensions (Sipp) evolving?
• How do employers ensure staff make informed investment choices in the current economic climate and understand the importance of diversification to help safeguard their savings and minimise their investment risk
• What communication strategies can be employed to convey the true value of flexible savings platforms?

Francis O'Mahony, Head of Employee Share Plans and Share Registration, BT UK
Jenny Davidson, Director Compensation & Benefits EMEA, CSC
Tina Harris, Head of Employee Platforms, The Platforum
Mike Sullivan, Head of Employee Benefits and Pensions, Veolia Environnement UK

Chaired by Debi O'Donovan, Editor, Employee Benefits

10:20 - 11:00    Workshop 4

11:05 - 11:45    Workshop 5

11:50 - 12:30    Workshop 6

12:40 - 13:20
Educating your Employees about Saving for Retirement
To ensure employees do not opt out of auto-enrolment, employee engagement and education remain key.  PENSIONSFORCE, a National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) initiative, provides face-to-face group guidance sessions in the workplace with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of planning and saving for retirement. For some employers this more traditional route may not be practical. This session discusses some of the alternative solutions employers have adopted.
Frances Corbett, Educational Development Manager, PensionsForce, NAPF

13:20 - 13:30   
Conference Summary and Close
Debi O'Donovan, Editor, Employee Benefits

13:30 - 14:15    Lunch & Depart

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