Sponsor Information

Having spoken to several of our ticket holders we have found that we have several delegates with underlying health issues - including one of our organising team - and a lot of nervous attendees.

DDD East Midlands Conference is an inclusive event to celebrate and explore the great technical talent across the region, so we don’t want you spending the day anxious about covid, we want you to be having fun!

To ensure the event is as safe as possible for all in attendance we are taking the following precautions and ask that you help us by cooperating with them.

An image showing the cautions in white text against a blue background

On arrival at the event

When you arrive we will do the following:

Check your temperature

We will do this by using a “thermometer gun,” a device that is equipped with an infrared sensor that can quickly measure surface temperature without making any contact with a person's skin.

Ask you to provide proof of at least one Covid vaccination

You can do this via the paper card you carry in your wallet or by showing us your digital “NHS Covid Pass”.

To get the NHS Covid Pass you’ll need to register on the NHS App and download it to your phone ahead of time. To register, the process takes around 5-10 mins but it can take up to 24 hours for the NHS to process so please do this ahead of time. You can then save the pass into your digital wallet for easy access

If you have medical reasons why you have not been vaccinated please let the volunteers know. We understand there will need to be exemptions for some cases.

Prove you have had a negative result on a lateral flow test in the last 24-48 hours

We would like you to do this by entering your negative result athttps://test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/report-result/login-choice.From this you will receive an email or text message to confirm your negative result, which we would like you to show us upon arrival.

If you cannot prove a negative lateral flow result we will have a testing area at the venue where you will be asked to do one in real time before joining the conference. Please bear in mind this will take 30 mins as a minimum so arrive early!

Ask you to choose a wrist band.

The wrist band will indicate if you are socially distancing or not.

Red band: Please keep your distance.

Green band: I'm not socially distancing.

We thank you in advance for being respectful about peoples choices around their social distancing requirements.

Throughout the day

It is not a socially distanced conference so there is no requirement for you to keep your distance from your friends, but please be respectful of others who may want to keep their distance.
Face mask wearing will be optional, depending on your comfort levels.
We will provide hand sanitiser around the venue for use throughout the day

Thank you for your patience

These additional checks will mean it takes a little longer to check you in than we would usually like, but hope you understand we are taking these precautions so that everyone feels safe and relaxed and can enjoy the event.

Code of Conduct

Please familiarise yourself with the Code of Conduct.

All involved in the DDD East Midlands Conference are subject to Code Of Conduct Page.This is not just for the day of the event, but for all presence of DDD East Midlands including Social Media.

Please make sure you are familiar with it and adhere to it at all times to create the most inclusive and friendly event for all involved.

Should you have any concerns regarding the Code of Conduct before, during or after the event, please contact the organisers. See the contact page for information.

Before The Conference

Tickets

Certain tiers get guaranteed tickets to the conference. How many depends on the tier that you are sponsoring at. Rachel will provide you with your custom Eventbrite code to access your tickets with.

What to do with the tickets

If you have an exhibition booth we suggest you use tickets to ensure there are 2 - 3 people managing the booth.

There are a number of ways you can use your remaining tickets:

Give them to internal employees.

This conference is a great way for your employees to get free training, take part in valuable networking and have a lot of fun.

Run a competition.

You could do this online using social media or something else. Use this opportunity to promote your company and give people a great impression.

Sponsor a diverse candidate.

You could run a diversity scheme, to support people who want to come to the conference but haven't been able to get a ticket.

Donate to a meetup as a "sponsor prize".

There are a multitude of meetups in the East Midlands who would love to give tickets to their attendees. To promote your own business and provide a great opportunity to someone you could provide tickets to a meetup as a prize.

How to access tickets

Head to Eventbrite using this link

Click the Register button

Click where it says "Enter promo code" (see the image below) and enter the code we have provided to you.

A new category of ticket should be displayed to you. Select the number you want and fill in the details on the form.

If you are giving away tickets away as part of a promotion, competition or donation to meetup; then you can pass this code on to those who are taking the ticket.

PAT Testing

If you can, get any devices that will be plugged in PAT tested before the event.

Due to venue insurance restrictions, we need to be sure that anything that may be plugged into a socket on the day either:

Has a current PAT test sticker/certificate
Is less than one year old. Please ensure that where electrical items are less than a year old, evidence of this is provided.

This includes any laptop chargers or phone chargers.

We will provide limited PAT testing on the day, with speakers being priority candidates for this service. This service will be available between 8.30am - 10.30am the day of the conference. Registration for the event opens to the general public at 9.00am so there is a window in the morning where exclusively speakers and exhibitors can queue to get their devices PAT tested.

Setup The Day Before Conference

Time To Setup

You will be emailed a time slot closer to the event, in which you can set up your exhibition stall. This time slot will be somewhere between 18.00 – 21.30 on the 2nd of October (the night before the event).

We have to arrange this into time slots due to the limited vehicle space at the venue. If there are any restrictions you have regarding time slot, please let us know in advance.

On the day of the event, the organisers will be at the venue from 08.15. You may turn up any time from then. Attendee registration opens at 9.00am.

Parking

Please use the loading bay on South Sherwood Street during your allotted time.

The entrance to the South Sherwood Street loading bay on a busy road and right next to a bus stop. We ask that you do not obstruct this entrance, but instead, only park within the loading bay.

Please limit yourselves to using one vehicle at a time.

Lift Restrictions

Below are the lift restrictions. Please keep these in mind for anything you are bringing for your exhibition stall.

Lift	Dimensions	Max Weight.
Loading bay lift	Open topped x 1000 mm x 1470 mm	1000 kg
Newton lift doors	2100 mm x 1100 mm	1000 kg

Transport On The Day

Taking the train

Head to Nottingham Train Station

Nottingham Station is the mainline train station close to Nottingham city centre. The train station is a 15 minute walk from Nottingham Conference Centre, but for those new to the city, it might be easier to take a taxi or use Nottingham’s tram NET (Nottingham Express Transit) system. Directions to the station tram stop are signposted throughout the train station building. The Conference Centre is located between the Royal Centre and Nottingham Trent University tram stop. Take a tram heading to either Phoenix Park or Hucknall. Exit the tram at the Royal Centre, continue down Goldsmith Street taking the first right turn onto Burton Street where you will find the Nottingham Conference Centre entrance on the left.

Driving

Directions to Park and Rides

From the north, exit the M1 at junction 26 and follow the signs for the A610 towards Nottingham city centre.

There is a Park and Ride (tram) facility situated close to the M1 junction 26. The Park and Ride (Phoenix Park) site is clearly sign-posted off the A610.

Leave the tram at the Nottingham Trent University tram stop which is located on Goldsmith Street and walk past the main University entrance, turn left on to Burton Street where you will find the Nottingham Conference Centre entrance.

From the south, exit the M1 at junction 24 and follow the signs for the A453 to Nottingham city centre.

The Queen’s Drive Park and Ride is located just off the A453 (Queen’s Drive), follow signs for A453 / Queen’s Drive Industrial Estate and merge on to the A453 (Queen’s Drive). The Park and Ride is located on the opposite side of the road to the retail park and is clearly sign-posted.

Alight from the Park and Ride bus on Lower Parliament Street (Victoria Centre); Nottingham Conference Centre is a short walk away.

Car parks

Car parks in the city centre are clearly signposted from all major approach routes. There are two car parks close to Nottingham Conference Centre, Trinity Square car park on North Church Street and Talbot Street car park. For satellite navigation systems please use the following information:

Trinity Square car park: postcode NG1 4BR
co-ordinates 52.956785,-1.149316

Talbot Street car park: postcode NG1 5GG
co-ordinates 52.956143,-1.154433

Setup On The Day

Arrival

You can arrive at the venue any time after 7.15am on the day of the event. This will give you the opportunity to do any last minute set up and settle in before registration opens at 9.00am.

If you need to use the PAT testing service we are providing, that opens from 8.30am.

Signing In

All those who are looking after your exhibition booth that have a ticket through your sponsorship will have an Eventbrite ticket. On coming in, a crew member will scan the QR code on your Eventbrite ticket. You will then be directed to fill in your lanyards.

General Conference Day Information

Power

There will be some electricity sockets available on the day. DDD East Midlands will provide extension cables on request if you will need multiple ports on the day. Please contact Jessica: jessica@dddeastmidlands.com at least two weeks prior to the event.

Due to the venues insurance policy we require that any plugged in devices are PAT tested and have an in date sticker.

We can provide PAT testing for a limited number of devices on the day, but priority will be given to speakers for the available slots. Where possible please have your devices that will be plugged in on the day PAT tested.

Exhibition Stall Staff

We expect that you have 1-3 people working at the exhibition stall. These are included in your ticket allowance for the event. Please have these people register their ticket at check-in on the day.

Exhibitions stalls can be visited throughout the whole day, including during talk sessions. We expect you will be most busy during the breaks.

Health and Safety

There will be space behind exhibition stall partitions for storage. Passageways, stairways and fire exits shall be kept free of obstruction; all loose packaging must be removed to keep walkways free from tripping hazards.

Exhibitors exhibit entirely at their own risk. Nottingham Conference Centre and DDD East Midlands are not liable for any losses or damage to property which may occur.

In the opening ceremony, there will be a briefing about fire evacuation procedures. If you are unable to attend the opening ceremony please request this information from either Moreton or Jessica.

Wifi

Free Wi-Fi is supplied by the venue. There will be separate access codes provided for staff/exhibitors and attendees. Access details are provided on the day.

Catering

Lunch and snacks will be provided on the day.

All food is prepared in kitchens where nuts, gluten and other allergens could be present. As the menu descriptions cannot include all ingredients, please let us know prior to arrival if any of your representatives have a food allergy, and we will try to cater to them.

Exhibition Stalls

Space

The exhibition space you will have will be 3 meters x 2 meters.

What Is Provided?

Provided table size: 170 cm x 150 cm
Grey poster boards. 7 foot tall by 3 foot wide.

What Is Recommended To Bring?

Linen
Anything for decorating your exhibition stall and background screens (swag, banners, leaflets, promotional material).
(If included in your sponsorship) Banners away from your exhibition booth

Restrictions

Please avoid bringing any displays with automatically moving parts, unless you can be assured that they will not be left unattended
The height/weight restrictions of the lifts.

Packing Up Day Of The Conference

Collecting your exhibition items.

You will be emailed a time slot closer to the event, in which you can bring a vehicle to the venue to collect any remaining items from your exhibition stall. This time slot will be somewhere between 16.30 – 18.30 on the 2nd of October (the day of the event).

We have to arrange this into time slots due to the limited vehicle space at the venue. If there are any restrictions you have regarding time slot, or you don’t think you will need one, please let us know in advance.

Location: We ask that you use the loading bay on South Sherwood Street.

Contact

See the ways to contact the team on the Contact Us page.