The Hive Live 2023
Building on the success of The Hive, the free online group where we discuss all things data, especially personal data, in housing & other values-led sectors, we were proud to present the first in-person, all-day event; The Hive Live on 25th September 2023.
Taking the theme of going ‘From Blocker to Builder‘ one step further, The Hive Live was held in the stunning, and centrally located, Cosford Air Museum in Shropshire on Monday 25th September 2023.
This was truly a day for sharing knowledge, listening, learning, planning, and meeting friends old & new, in the interactive & engaging sessions. There was also time for a look around the fascinating museum and plenty of chances to network and make connections, before, during & after the day in-person, but also pre- and post-event with access to a private chat forum.
Why did we produce The Hive Live?
Like data management itself, it all starts with ‘purpose’. The purpose of The Hive Live was to bring people together to learn, share, plan, and build community, as we face the challenges of data management together. And we are delighted we achieved this!
There is never enough time for networking when we meet with like-minded and similarly enthusiastic professionals in the worlds of housing and data, so the event was largely interactive. The sessions included insightful and inspiring speakers but also engaging workshops to put into action the ideas we discussed around data, knowledge and information management.
The Housing Ombudsman’s Spotlight Report on Knowledge & Information Management, from May 2023, reports that ‘poor data and record keeping is ubiquitous’ and highlights the human impact they’ve seen, including ‘financial detriment, loss of heating and hot water, or residents being exposed to fire and other safety risks.’ The report includes 21 recommendations, the widest-reaching being to ‘implement a Knowledge & Information Management Strategy.’ That, not to mention the other 20 recommendations, is no small feat. But it is achievable, with the right approach, knowledge, tools and cooperation.
The Hive Live Schedule
The Hive Live Speakers & Facilitators
We were delighted to host this fantastic line-up of inspiring and engaging people from both the data world and the housing sector.
Ellie Dowsett, Data Protection Officer at Best Companies (the Workplace Engagement Specialists) will open the Hive Live conference with her insights on ‘Purpose’. Shortlisted for the Outstanding DPO at the the 2023 PICCASO Privacy Awards, Ellie is a passionate and engaging speaker, who blends her wide-reaching knowledge of business with data protection expertise, to bring a unique and enlightening view of data and privacy issues. A Cyber Wales, Cluster Manager for Data Protection and Ethics, Ellie volunteers her time and energy to produce fantastic events and build a great community.
Becky Tucker, director at House of Risk, will speak about ‘Risk Appetite’ at The Hive Live. Becky is a well-known and highly respected Risk and Assurance Specialist in the Housing Sector. Her knowledge and experienced combined with her confident, but calm and reassuring, approach make her the ideal person to have by your side when dealing with risky topics, such as data.
Jana Zacheva, director at Governance & Legal, will speak about the importance of the ‘Role of Governance’ in data management. Jana is a lawyer, a NED and a governance professional with a refreshing approach. With a wealth of experience in social housing as well as other sectors, Jana creates robust and fit-for-purpose governance solutions for private businesses and not-for-profit organisations.
Jo Leckie, owner of Big Picture Training, is a customer experience consultant and accredited customer service trainer, specialising in Social Housing and not-for-profit. Jo will explore the ‘impact of poor data management’ on customer experience and customer service, and what we can do to improve it.
Matt Baird, founder of Baird & Co. Social Housing Recruitment is the ethical social housing recruiter, Co-chair of Spring Housing Association, and founder of hugely successful The Social Housing Round Table, a free weekly discussion that has built an amazing community of those working in and around housing. At The Hive Live, though, he will be on the panel rather than chairing the discussion. Matt will share his insights on embedding a ‘positive data culture.’
Yusra Ahmad, Managing Director of Acuity Data, will speak on the panel about creating a ‘positive data culture‘, sharing her experience as a Digital & Technology Director with over 16 years’ experience in delivering data, product and analytics development and go-to-market strategies. Yusra is skilled in building and managing global cross-functional teams, forging strategic partnerships, and maximizing revenue growth through data and technology within the Real Estate industry.
Lisa Lippett, freelance communications specialist and yoga instructor, will speak on the panel about creating a ‘positive data culture‘. We are delighted to have Lisa sharing her combined expertise on both communication and wellbeing, which are more closely related than they may appear at first. After a wellbeing day for colleagues that Lisa contributed to, she received this feedback, which sums up her impact: “Lisa is a really intuitive teacher and her style is really inclusive so that everybody left feeling they had achieved something.”
Gary Breen, Group Lead for Information Governance at Orbit Group, will speak on the panel about embedding a ‘positive data culture‘, sharing his experience of developing the Information governance team and function. Gary is relatively new to data protection (getting into it through a former role when GDPR was coming in), but he is continually learning and sharing knowledge, and brings data to life in a fun and engaging way.
Dave Loudon, of Digital Bark, is a leading consultant, advocate and thought leader in social housing technology. At Digital Bark, Dave “gives your customer experience some bite, through Digital Technology”, and he will be facilitating an interactive and insightful workshop at The Hive Live. The workshop will shine a light on the challenges we face in data management and how to start tackling those issues. This is a workshop with a difference – there will be Lego, and there will be fun, as well as actionable takeaways!
Clare Paterson, director and consultant at CP Data Protection. With over 25 years of experience in quality assurance and risk management, including over ten years specialising in data protection, and 12 years in-house at a large housing association, Clare launched CP Data Protection to offer values-led sectors clear & practical advice on data protection, shining a light on the many benefits of good data management. Having presented jointly with Luke on ‘Blocker to Builder‘, and spoken about how the GDPR can be your greatest asset, Clare is excited to be bringing the theme to life at The Hive Live.
Luke Beckley, Data Privacy, Data enablement and Data governance speaker is proudly co-hosting The Hive Live with CP Data Protection. As a Data Specialist harmonising Data Protection and Data driven transformation, Luke’s insights and experience of ‘data management’ will be shared throughout the day. Luke and Clare originally spoke together on the topic of ‘Blocker to Builder’ in November 2022, and are excited to be taking the theme one step further at The Hive Live.
What people say about The Hive Online and ‘Blocker to Builder’
“You are doing a wonderful job bringing people together for discussions with The Hive. And I like the format you do of presenting the technical parts and key points of the topic, then lead in for discussion.”
Data Protection Officer
“Thanks for a great Hive session, I really enjoyed feeling part of a community and hearing others thoughts and ideas in a safe space.“
Liz Edwards, Best Companies
“After seeing the Blocker to Builder session by Clare and Luke, we went away and totally changed our approach to recruitment– we realised that instead of looking for candidates with data protection knowledge, we would be better off focusing our search for staff who had the right sort of skills.”
Data Protection Officer
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is The Hive Live only for the Housing sector and/or Data Protection Officers?
A. No! Everyone is welcome and will benefit.
While we will discuss implementing robust Knowledge & Information Management and the recommendations in the Housing Ombudsman’s Spotlight report, all sectors, especially values-led sectors and those adjacent to housing, will go away with useful ideas, knowledge, and new contacts. Data Protection Officers will gain practical advice & ideas, but it is ideal for “non-DP” colleagues too (or even more so!), as we will cover all data, not just personal data.
Q. How much does The Hive Live cost & what’s included?
A. The whole event, with speakers & interactive sessions (no break-out sessions, so no need to choose what to miss!), lunch, refreshments & parking onsite, plus access to a private chat forum pre- and post-event, is £165 (+VAT) per person.
Contact Clare@cpdataprotection.com to discuss group discounts.
Attendees will have a chance to see the museum and get 20% off in the gift shop! There’s no accommodation onsite, but you can download information about travel & local hotels here.
Q. How do I book, or cancel, a place at The Hive Live?
A. You can book via Calendly, pay via Stripe with a credit/debit card, and you’ll get confirmation & reminder emails. If you can’t pay by card please contact Clare@cpdataprotection.com and we will raise an invoice. In the meantime, you can reserve a space instead. Access to the chat forum is provided once payment is made. Please email us if you need to cancel; full refunds are given for 7 days after booking, then refunds are on a sliding scale, but we may use our discretion to refund more. Full T&Cs are here. You can also transfer your ticket for free.
Q. Can I reserve a place if I’m not ready to book & pay for a place at The Hive Live?
A. Yes, you can reserve a space and you’ll get reminder emails, so you can book today and pay when you receive the invoice. Use this link too if you have a discount code.
(Ignore the fact the reservation page says the event is 30 mins long, starting at 8.30am, it’s a tech thing!)
Access to the chat forum is provided once payment is made, and we can’t guarantee that you will definitely get a space until payment is made.
Please email us if you need to cancel; full refunds are given for 7 days after booking, then refunds are on a sliding scale, but we may use our discretion to refund more. Full T&Cs are here. You can also transfer your ticket for free.
Q. Can The Hive Live accommodate accessibility and/or dietary needs?
A. Absolutely.
We feel very strongly about inclusion, and understand the challenges of having dietary needs to accommodate.
Please contact Clare@cpdataprotection.com or Sue@cpdataprotection.com to discuss your needs in confidence and we will do everything we can to ensure you can enjoy The Hive Live event.
Q. What makes The Hive Live different to other data conferences?
A. The Hive Live is hosted by people with real experience in the world of data, especially customer data, and in the world of social housing.
We aren’t trying to sell you anything, just aiming to provide an event that gives maximum value in the form of actionable advice and networking; the type of event we would love to attend ourselves.
The Hive Live isn’t just for Data Protection professionals either; it’s for everyone working with and in data…and that means (just about) everyone! Customer facing, or behind the scenes, working with employees or suppliers, we all handle knowledge & information (a.k.a. data), and senior leaders especially need to be ‘clear about the importance of knowledge and information management, and their standards and expectations.’ (Housing Ombudsman.)