About Our Educational Event

Initiated in 2015, the Today’s PA Conference is a yearly event taking place in September at a renowned venue in Central London. It brings together Assistants from various parts of the UK and beyond, providing both high-quality educational content and excellent networking opportunities. Each year, the Conference attracts over a hundred Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, and other office professionals.

 

This year, the focus is on communication – how to effectively communicate with your manager, colleagues, and teams. We’ll also explore the latest technology that enhances communication skills. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain essential knowledge for your daily work and to connect with fellow professionals.

Practical Tips

The whole day is focused on Assistant education and practical tips that can be implemented back at work.

Award Winning Host

Educational conference hosted by multi award-winning Assistant training company - Today’s PA.

Worldwide Appeal

Today’s PA has trained Assistants from over 4000 companies in excess of 80 countries.

Microsoft Mastery

IT tips from Paul Pennant, Microsoft certified expert who has trained Assistants from Microsoft.

Networking

Learn from your peers - this event brings together the finest Assistants in the UK and from around the world.

Handouts

All delegates will receive a PA Pack of Practical Pointers, Percy Pigs... and a Pen.

Our Speakers

Jess Coles
Management Coach and Consultant

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Jess Coles
Management Coach and Consultant
Daniel Dzikowski
Author, High Performance Executive Coach and Business Psychologist

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Daniel Dzikowski
Author, High Performance Executive Coach and Business Psychologist
Paul Pennant
Founder - Today's PA, Certified Microsoft Trainer

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Paul Pennant
Founder - Today's PA, Certified Microsoft Trainer
Yvonne D Dowie
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Specialist, Coach and Culture Change Speaker

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Yvonne D Dowie
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Specialist, Coach and Culture Change Speaker
Sarah Howson
Founder & Director at Strategic PA Recruitment & Strategic PA Network Founder

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Sarah Howson
Founder & Director at Strategic PA Recruitment & Strategic PA Network Founder
Marianne Whitlock
Director at Strategic PA Recruitment & Strategic PA Network

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Marianne Whitlock
Director at Strategic PA Recruitment & Strategic PA Network
Koren O’Connor
Head of Secretarial Services at CMS

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Koren O’Connor
Head of Secretarial Services at CMS
Jacqueline Bulmer
Assistant Secretarial Services Managers at CMS

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Jacqueline Bulmer
Assistant Secretarial Services Managers at CMS

Event Schedule

It's a three-day event. Day 1 - Teams Masterclass, Day 2 - Outlook Masterclass, Day 3 - Conference Day. You can book three days, two days or Conference Day only. Days 1 & 2 are only available to Conference attendees and cannot be booked on their own.

Paul Pennant
Founder - Today's PA, Multi Award-Winning Assistant Trainer

Maximise Your Microsoft Teams Experience with Paul Pennant.

In a world where effective collaboration is key, many still underutilise the powerful features of Microsoft Teams. Join Certified Microsoft Trainer Paul Pennant in a transformative session that goes beyond basic calls and meetings. Discover the overlooked potentials of Teams, learning to integrate applications, manage documents efficiently, and streamline communications with simple yet powerful tools. This session is more than a guide; it's a gateway to enhancing your professional efficiency and collaboration capabilities. Embrace the full spectrum of Teams functionalities with Paul and redefine your workday dynamics. Prepare to unlock the hidden powers of Microsoft Teams and revolutionise your approach to digital collaboration.

We’ll start with some basics:
✔ Getting started with and navigating Microsoft Teams
✔ Creating, joining and editing Teams and members
✔ Using text chats and channels, sharing files, taking notes and using whiteboard
✔ Adding Wikis, Tabs and Apps
✔ Using Search and Command functions

Later in the session you will learn some amazing advanced features that will make you look more professional, save you time and achieve better results while working with your manager and/or team.

Paul Pennant will show you how to:
✔ Make a Teams call from any email received by clicking one button
✔ Use Breakout Rooms
✔ Add “Chat to me in Teams” in your email signature
✔ Give access to your Channel even if they are not a member
✔ Find the email address for any Channel you created
✔ Invite guests to join your private Team conversations
✔ Email a conversation to Outlook
✔ Add Workflows
✔ Add “Meet Now” button to your Outlook Quick Access Bar
✔ Carry out live polls while in a meeting
✔ Have a sophisticated filing system
✔ Co-collaborate on documents
✔ Protect files so they cannot be edited
✔ Mute chats from busy Teams so you can get on with your work
✔ Use PowerPoint Presenter mode allowing you access to: your presentation, notes, future slides, chat panel, videos of delegates
✔ Integrate MS Forms, Survey Monkey, Zoom, Trello and MailChimp to your chats and channels.

This day is only available to conference attendees and cannot be booked on its own.

Paul Pennant
Founder - Today's PA, Multi Award-Winning Assistant Trainer
Paul Pennant
Founder - Today's PA, Multi Award-Winning Assistant Trainer

Master Microsoft Outlook with Paul Pennant: A Course for Unleashing Productivity.

Unlock the full potential of Microsoft Outlook in this essential course by Paul Pennant. Dive into the underused features of Outlook and learn how to save time and reduce stress in your daily workflow. Discover advanced task management techniques, innovative calendar functions, and efficient mail organisation strategies. Enhance your collaboration with insights into integrating Outlook with Teams. This course is more than just a tutorial; it's your path to transforming Outlook into a powerhouse of productivity and seamless organisation. Join Paul and revolutionise the way you manage your digital life with Microsoft Outlook.

Paul has been teaching time saving and productivity tips in Outlook since 2005 and has helped 1000s of Office Professionals. The average delegate attending this course discovers they can save themselves over 90mins a day.

Important Information: In this course, we will be focusing on the Classic Outlook version, rather than the New Outlook version. Additionally, the content is tailored for PC users and is not designed for Mac users.

This course will cover the following areas:

Outlook Tasks
✔ 16 Ways to add items to your Task list
✔ Mastering Categories with Tasks
✔ 90 sample Categories used by past delegates
✔ Assigning a Task as an email
✔ Co-work by sharing your Task list
✔ Using Tasks to manage projects

Calendar
✔ 5 ways to convert an email into a Meeting Request
✔ Sending your Calendar availability as an email
✔ Colouring all appointments automatically without using categories
✔ Managing time zones seamlessly
✔ Scheduling appointments quickly using overlay
✔ Using FindTime to automatically find out when everyone is free for a meeting
✔ Creating your own calendar with personalised data

Mail
✔ Creating Outlook groups to enable true collaboration
✔ Sending personalised emails to 1000s – even with attachments
✔ Colour coding incoming emails
✔ Advanced searching of emails
✔ Creating custom search folders for future use
✔ Changing the subject and content of any email you receive
✔ Using Quick Parts for brilliant email templates
✔ Using Rules to manage incoming/outgoing emails

Teams
✔ Learn all the ways Outlook and Teams work together

This day is only available to conference attendees and cannot be booked on its own.

Paul Pennant
Founder - Today's PA, Multi Award-Winning Assistant Trainer
9.00 - 9.05

Ella Marshall

By the Conference chair Ella Marshall

Dive into our lively icebreaker, a perfect way to get acquainted with fellow Assistants, setting the stage for a day filled with ease and friendly interactions.

Jess Coles
Management Coach and Consultant

How well your boss thinks of you impacts what you work on, your professional development, your enjoyment, and your career progress. The best bit – there is a lot you can do to encourage your boss to think highly of you, which doesn’t involve signing yourself up for lots of extra work to try to impress them.

Learn (or improve) critical actions to impress any boss and improve your most important work relationship. I have used these actions consistently with lots of different bosses throughout my career, gaining 13 promotions in 13 years, many in amazing companies like Innocent Drinks. Proactively and successfully manage your boss with honesty and authenticity.

10.20 - 10.40

Daniel Dzikowski
Author, High Performance Executive Coach and Business Psychologist

In his talk, Daniel will delve into the fascinating realm of hidden emotions and their profound impact on our daily lives. It's a fact that most individuals harbour concealed emotions, and these clandestine feelings significantly influence how we perceive the world around us. When left unattended, these emotions cloud our judgment and obstruct our ability to gain a clear and unfiltered understanding of various situations, the people we interact with, and, most importantly, ourselves.

A crucial aspect of this exploration lies in recognising that these emotions if left unaddressed, act as a formidable constraint on our capacity to communicate effectively. They become the unseen barriers that silently erode the quality of our personal and professional interactions.

This talk aims to shed light on these covert emotional influencers, offering insights into how they manifest and the consequences they impose upon our communication. By bringing these emotions to the forefront and providing strategies for addressing them, we aspire to liberate our communicative prowess, enhance our connections, and unlock the doors to a more fulfilling personal and professional life.

Unlock the secrets to a successful professional partnership in this panel discussion. Discover from industry experts the dynamic and integral roles both managers and assistants play in driving organisational success. Gain insights into effective communication, mutual respect, and strategic collaboration that make this relationship not just functional but exceptional.

Panellists:
Jess Coles, Management Coach and Consultant
Koren O’Connor, Head of Secretarial Services at CMS
Jacqueline Bulmer, Assistant Secretarial Services Managers at CMS,
Ella Marshall, Senior Account Executive at Figma
Paul Pennant, MD at Today's PA

12.15 - 13.15

Yvonne D Dowie
Culture Change Speaker

You will be taken on the journey of 5 C’s, in how You, the Assistant, can be supported by others to build bridges to achieve success through effective communication.

Paul Pennant
MD, Today’s PA

In the dynamic and demanding role of Assistants, leveraging cutting-edge technology is key to efficiency and excellence. In this session, we'll explore how AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are revolutionising the landscape for Assistants. We'll delve into how ChatGPT's advanced conversational capabilities can streamline communication, manage schedules, and provide instant information, while Copilot's coding assistance transforms the way EAs handle technical tasks and data management.

This presentation will highlight practical examples and strategies, demonstrating how these AI tools empower Assistants to enhance their productivity, creativity, and decision-making skills, ultimately leading to a more effective and innovative support system for business leaders.

15.00 - 15.30

Paul Pennant
MD, Today's PA

In today's rapidly evolving business environment, effective communication and teamwork are pivotal for success. This session offers an insightful journey into the world of SharePoint as a transformative tool for communication. We will explore how SharePoint facilitates seamless collaboration, breaking down silos and fostering a culture of shared knowledge and ideas.

We will delve into practical strategies for leveraging SharePoint's features - from document management to integrated communication platforms like Teams - to enhance team efficiency and productivity. By harnessing the power of SharePoint, businesses can not only streamline their internal processes but also create a more engaged and connected workforce, ready to meet the challenges of the modern workplace.

Sarah Howson, Marianne Whitlock
Strategic PA Recruitment

Discover the art of impactful CV communication in our interactive 'CV Clinic' designed for Executive Assistants. Acquire skills to strategically showcase your strengths, with a special emphasis on creating a powerful first impression. Elevate your professional profile and feel inspired to create a CV that not only showcases your career journey but also effectively communicates your value to prospective employers.

16.30 - 16.40

Paul Pennant
Founder - Today's PA

Pricing

Early Bird rates are valid till 1st of March 2024.

For group discounts (8 delegates and more) please contact us at info@todayspa.co.uk.

Early Bird
Days 1, 2 & 3
£999
1 delegate
2 x Full Day Workshop
Full Day Conference
Drinks Reception
Prizes & Surprises
Early Bird
Days 1 & 3
£699
1 delegate
1 x Full Day Workshop
Full Day Conference
Drinks Reception
Prizes & Surprises
Early Bird
Days 2 & 3
£699
1 Delegate
1 x Full Day Workshop
Full Day Conference
Drinks Reception
Prizes & Surprises
Early Bird
Day 3
£399
1 Delegate
Full Day Conference
Drinks Reception
Prizes & Surprises

Past events

Testimonials

“I would just like to say thank you for such a fantastic event. This was my first PA conference and I took away some really valuable tips, tricks and contacts back to the office. The set-up, venue and speakers were a brilliant choice.”

 

Charlotte Smith
University of Cambridge

“Most importantly it was beneficial to the business because of what was learnt at the conference. I understand the importance of a PA far better than I did before and the impact I can have on my bosses and the business. I also have a better grasp on how I can help my bosses in their day to day activities by getting to know their priorities/strategies inside and out.”

 
Nikita Yeomans
SHS Sales & Marketing Ltd
 

“I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and found the speakers to be very informative; a very diverse and good selection of speakers there. I took away a number of pointers that I can transfer to my own EA role.”

 

Kirsty Whitton
Deloitte LLP

“I thought the conference was excellent and really well organised.  The whole day had a great positive feel to it and the gifts between the sessions were a lovely idea (even though I didn’t win one!), as were the personalised hand-outs.  It was inspirational hearing people’s individual stories, in particular Kath, Eleanor and Frances.  I also really enjoyed the talk from Sir Simon Mayall who was delightful. Your chairman was great too – he should definitely be involved next year.  The venue was also fab and I liked the free photo from the headshot guy – great idea.”

 

Sue Henderson
Laura Devine Solicitors

“Firstly I feel rejuvenated as a PA + excited to get back to work on Monday feeling motivated.”


Ali Foster
Lloyds Banking Group

“I have never felt mores inspired in awe and excited about both a conference and being a PA. It was one of the best days of my career. Today was exactly what had been missing. I listened to such amazing speakers reiterate that we matter, we are valued, we are not JUST a PA! I felt inspired to network, to use social media (I started a LinkedIn account over lunch), to get information and advice from other PAs in the same situation. I finally feel confident about my role as a PA, that I have the power to use this career in any industry. I feel like the world is my oyster. I am so much more than “just a PA”. I was one of 100 other epic PAs in that room who was shown by you that we mattered. It was a wonderful day and I’m so grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

 

Annie Naumann
Towergate

“The conference surpassed my expectations. I enjoyed it so much and felt empowered at the end and with a new lease of life for my new role as PA!”

 

Lucy Taylor
Seatriever International Holdings Ltd

“It has given me confidence that I’m not alone in my challenges and there is a great support network out there.”

 

Christi Hamrogue
BT Network

Venue

VISIT US

London Marriott Regents Park
128 King Henry's Rd, London NW3 3ST

CALL US

+44 20 7722 7711

About us

I’m Paul Pennant, Founder and Managing Director of Today’s PA.

 

Since the company was founded in 2005, Today’s PA’s focus has always been on providing highly practical training for PAs, EAs and other office professionals. Hundreds of testimonials tell us we have succeeded. To date, we have trained over 4000 companies and our graduates work in over 80 countries around the world.

 

We have been voted Best Assistant Training Provider in the UK seven years running at the PA Voice Awards🥇

 

Launched in 2015, the Today’s PA Conference is an annual two-day event held in August at a prestigious Central London venue. It gathers together the Assistant community from across the country and abroad, and offers high quality educational content as well as outstanding networking opportunities. The Conference attracts over one hundred PAs, EAs, and other office professionals each year.