Events: frequently asked questions

The King's Fund is an independent charitable organisation working to improve health and care in England. Our events are a key source of income, and this income enables us to continue with our charitable objectives. 

There are costs associated with running in-person conferences such as venue, catering and promotional materials to name a few. We also have a team of dedicated events professionals, content experts, and digital, marketing and finance support that work on these events. Given these costs it is sometimes necessary to charge for attendance at an in-person event, to ensure we can deliver a high-quality event experience. Any profit that is made from these events goes directly towards achieving our strategic priorities. You can find out more about how we are funded here.

We offer a limited number of bursary places for people with lived experience to ensure a balance of voices in the room. To apply for a bursary place please email us a short paragraph explaining why you wish to attend.

Yes. Please select your tickets and once you're through to the registration form on Eventbrite, you can amend the 'payment method' from credit card to 'pay by invoice'.  

Please note, there is a £20 + VAT surcharge to cover the cost of processing invoices. This is in addition to the ticket price and will be added to your invoice. There is no charge for paying by debit or credit card.

Cancellations confirmed in writing more than 14 days before the first live session will be refunded in full via the same payment method. We regret that no refund can be made after that date, however, if you contact us before the event start, we can offer a transfer of your ticket to another event taking place in the following six months. Please email us at [email protected] with confirmation of your original booking to cancel or transfer your ticket. On completion of the confirmed booking the delegate and their supporting organisation are liable for the fees for the event (regardless of whether payment has been made).

We offer a discount for group booking booked under the same order and organisation for more than 3 delegates. Please email us at [email protected] to get the discount.

• 3-4 delegates (10 per cent discount)

• 5-6 delegates (15 per cent discount)

• 7+ delegates (20 per cent discount)

If you have accessibility requirements you would like to discuss, please email us at [email protected]. We will also ask you for this information during the registration process.

When you register, you’ll be taken to a confirmation page inviting you to add the online event to your calendar. This calendar invite contains the link to the event auditorium. Click this link at the time of the broadcast to join the discussion. Reminder emails containing the link will be sent closer to the day of the event. You can use the same link to watch the event on demand.

For the best viewing experience, make sure you are using an up-to-date web browser. We recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox.

Format and time 

High-quality, up-to-date content is delivered to you via an online platform that is open for four weeks. During the first week, you will have the opportunity to log in, test your connection and become familiar with the setup. The live sessions will take place over two in the second week, giving you the option to catch up on demand until the end of week four. 

Virtual conferences mean you can digest content at your own pace and work around a busy schedule. You can pause and rewind presentations and put your questions to our expert speakers. There is an activity feed for public conversations and the option of one-to-one networking. Virtual exhibition stands enable you to interact with a range of organisations that will share expertise and information – all at a time that suits you.

Networking 

If you choose to opt-in to networking, you will appear on the attendee list, where other delegates will be able to click on your profile and see whether you are online or offline.  

If you discover someone that you would like to talk to, you can send them a message, invite them to have a one-to-one video conversation or exchange virtual business cards during the week that sessions take place. The messages and calls are encrypted and entirely private. If you are offline and another delegate sends you a private message, you will receive an email notification so you will never miss out. You are in control, so you can choose whether to accept or decline invitations and you can change your settings at any point in the four weeks, either to opt-in or opt-out of networking. 

On your profile, you can share as much or as little information about yourself as you’d like, including your contact details, photo and biography, social media profiles or any websites you would like others to see.

During sessions, you can post questions for the speakers, make notes, take part in polls and take part in the session chat where you can interact with other delegates. 

Resources  

As well as the video content, we will share pdfs of the slides and other materials in the resources section. The exhibition will also contain links, videos and documents from the various exhibitors.

Taking notes

If you use the note-taking functionality during the sessions, you can access these later. They will be saved in the platform until the conference closes (at the end of week four) and you can email yourself a copy.

Exhibition

Virtual exhibition stands enable you to interact with a range of organisations that will share expertise and information – all at a time that suits you.  

We invite registrants to submit questions during the event using the Slido functionality on the left-hand side of the event auditorium.

If you have accessed the auditorium multiple times, Slido might ask you for an access code. This will be emailed to you automatically and you’ll need to enter the code to continue using Slido. Please note this does not affect your overall access to the event or the video.

• Before the event, tell your colleagues that you are taking part and block out the time in your diary.  

• Make sure you are using an up-to-date web browser on a laptop or desktop. We recommend the latest Google Chrome for the best delegate experience. 

• Make the most of the online community by taking part in the live Q&A sessions and opting into networking.  

• In week one, introduce yourself on the activity feed. This is an easy way of ‘getting your voice in the room’, starting conversations and establishing new relationships with colleagues in health and care.  

• Avoid as many distractions as possible so you can immerse yourself in the sessions as you would at a physical conference. Treat each session as a meeting, put your phone on silent and close down your emails. 

• If you know you won’t be able to watch certain sessions live, you can submit your questions in advance and put aside time in the third or fourth week to catch up on demand. 

• Each session is approximately 75 minutes long and there is always at least a half-an-hour break between sessions so you can take a screen break or catch up on emails. 

• Make sure you secure time in your diary at some point over the four weeks to visit the exhibition stands or the resource hub, where you will find free resources and can have conversations with experts from across the health and care system.

When the event is taking place, we will be on hand to offer technical support, but it is worth using the extra time before the first session to log in and test your connection, just in case. 

To ensure you receive the joining instructions and information leading up to the event please check that @kingsfundmail.org.uk domain is whitelisted by your IT administrator.

Throughout the conference, we will share pdfs of the slides. You will find these at the bottom of each session page and we will post links to related resources in the chat and on the activity feed.

The portal is open for four weeks when you will have the opportunity to either watch, save or download these materials.

Once the platform closes, you will no longer have access to these resources so please ensure you save everything you need beforehand, including any slides, materials in the exhibition and notes you have made.

Please note, you will not be able to download the video presentations.

• Fresh-air ventilation (HVAC) is provided in all rooms to reduce potential viral load.

• Cleaning staff will be on site throughout the day. There will be increased cleaning of all high-contact surfaces.

• Hand sanitisers are available throughout the building.

• Catering staff will wear appropriate PPE to protect delegates.

We recommend that all delegates complete a Covid-19 lateral flow test before attending an event – and to attend only if they test negative. This is the most effective control measure.

We ask delegates to wear a face covering while in common areas of the building. We recommend all guests retain the same seat throughout the event.