Introduction

The annual ed tech extravaganza aka the Bett show is almost upon us, and this year it is being run by a different organisation. It’s early days, but the following is promising I think:

The seminar sessions seem more school-oriented than has been the case in the last few years. That’s my impression anyway.
There is a downloadable agenda! It’s rather sad when a pdf version of an agenda causes whoops of joy, but it is so much better than trawling through the truly dreadful online version. It’s not as good as a downloadable spreadsheet, but at least it’s a start. My next request if any of the organisers happen to be reading this: make the option to add a session to your calendar work with other applications than only Microsoft.
There are some new sections -- see tomorrow’s post.
The Education Show is going on at (almost) the same time next door: on the 24th and 25th January.

The remainder of this document is divided into two main sections: a set of useful, generic, tips, followed by a selection of the sessions that appeal to me. Note that these are very much personal choices, just to give you a flavour of what’s on offer, but you should definitely download the agenda yourself and select your own.

Useful Tips

The following is good advice based on experience.

Register In Advance

You can register on the day, but it takes a while, and only serves to reduce your time looking at stuff. Registering takes 5 minutes, using the links on the Bett show and Education show websites, given below.

Buy A Travelcard

If you come from out of London then you may not know that you will need to pay for fares in advance. Also, buses no longer accept cash. A one day travelcard will get you around hassle-free and also save money on individual fares.

Plan Your Visit

Bett is so vast that it’s worth spending a bit of time planning your visit. The list of exhibitors can be searched for on the Bett website. You can use the filters there to help you plan who to see. For example, you could select Secondary, and Tablets, and you’ll be presented with a list of suppliers that meet both criteria. On the app, you can also see where the suppliers are on a map of the venue.

Walk Around Aimlessly

This is the exact opposite of the preceding point, of course. Nevertheless, there is definitely mileage in walking around without any particular goal in mind, because you may well come across something you didn't know was there, or that you needed to see.

Get Some CPD

There’s an extensive seminar programme, so if you can do be sure to look through the list on the Bett website or on the app, and select a few. They are all free, but some, like the Escape Room, need to be booked in advance, while others, such as those in the Bett Arena, tend to be very popular and have long queues to get in. The answer? Plan to start lining up early!

Personal Comfort

Take a bottle of water and wear comfortable shoes. Excel, where the exhibition is held, is air-conditioned, which dries the atmosphere, and the floors are concrete, which kills your feet. Yes, there is a carpet, but one so thin you wouldn’t notice if they took it away.

Business Cards

Get some business cards made and take them with you. They make networking a lot easier and you can use them to enter the various prize draws that are usually to be found!

Take Water With You

Plus, look out for free bottles of water on some stands.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

The floors at Excel are concrete, covered by what feels like a really thin carpet. If you’re not sensible, your feet will be killing you by the end of the day.