This year we are using the TicketTailor platform to sell tickets for the HSLA annual conference and dinner. This is being done to make the process more efficient for the HSLA committee organising the event. It is hoped that for those buying individual tickets the process will be straightforward. However, as this is a new process the below FAQ has primarily been drafted for those buying tickets for other people.

Furthermore, by providing this FAQ two weeks prior to the release of the combined dinner and conference tickets on 24 February 2025 it is hoped that this will give organisations time to plan buying tickets and find out required information such as whether the attendee is a HSLA
member or not.

Please read this FAQ fully before emailing admin@hsla.org.uk to request further assistance. This FAQ will answer:
 1. I am in a law firm / barristers’ chambers / other organisation and would like to purchase a table for people for the dinner. How many tables can I purchase?
 2. How can I purchase an exclusive table for my organisation (and guests)?
 3. I am booking a table where my guest is paying for their conference ticket but I am paying for their dinner ticket. What do I do?
 4. What information do I need from attendees in order to buy tickets?
 5. I wish to book an exclusive table but I do not know any/all the individuals attending yet, or at least some of their details.
 6. When are tickets released?
 7. Why are only certain types of ticket showing as available to purchase?
 8. I am no longer able to attend the event – what can I do?
 9. There is a £40 – £50 difference between the HSLA member rate and non-member rate for a combined ticket. Can I become a member of the HSLA and then book my ticket to get the reduced rate?
 10. Can I purchase tickets under the old method of sending a booking form?
 11. How much will the tickets cost?

1. I am in a law firm / barristers’ chambers / other organisation and would like to purchase a table for people for the dinner. How many tables can I purchase?

So that as many organisations as possible can attend the dinner this year law firms, chambers and other organisations can purchase one table that will be their exclusive table for them and their guests. Each table sits 11 people.
More than 11 people from a law firm, chambers or other organisation can attend the dinner but there will only be one exclusive table reserved for them and their guests. The remaining people will be allocated to other non-exclusive tables.

2. How can I purchase an exclusive table for my organisation (and guests)?

There will be six types of tickets on sale on the TicketTailor online platform (conference only, dinner only and combined tickets, each of those having a HSLA member and non-member alternatives). The person making the booking shall 1) click on the ticket purchasing link which
will take you to the TicketTailor website; 2) confirm, when prompted, that they are buying an exclusive table for their organisation and guests; and then 3) select the requisite types of tickets.

Tickets including dinner are limited to 11 in one transaction. For conference only tickets, 20tickets can be purchased in one transaction.

For example, an organisation wishes to purchase tickets for the following:- 5 employees attending the conference and dinner and are all HSLA members;

– 1 employee attending the conference and dinner and is not a HSLA member;
– 5 guests who are attending the conference and dinner but not HSLA members; and – 10 employees who are only attending the conference and are HSLA members.

In this scenario the person booking will purchase 5 HSLA Member – Conference and Dinner tickets; 1 Non-HSLA Member – Conference and Dinner ticket; 5 non-HSLA Member –Conference and Dinner tickets; and 10 HSLA Member – Conference ONLY tickets when they become available. If more people wanted to attend the dinner then a separate transaction will need to be made but they will not be part of the organisation’s exclusive table.

Please bear in mind that dinner ONLY and conference ONLY tickets will not be available until 9am 10 March 2025.

3. I am booking a table where my guest is paying for their conference ticket but I am paying for their dinner ticket.

We would suggest the buyer purchases a combined ticket and apportion the cost between them. Alternatively, the buyer can purchase a dinner ONLY ticket and the guest a conference ONLY ticket but they will have to wait until 9am 10 March 2025 to do this, by which time tickets may have sold out.

4. What information do I need from attendees in order to buy tickets?

When purchasing tickets you will need: 1) the person’s first name and surname; 2) the organisation they work for or are affiliated with; 3) their email address; 4) whether they are a HSLA member or not (this is important as it will effect the price of the ticket); and 5) their dietary requirements.

5. I wish to book an exclusive table but I do not know any/all the individuals attending yet, or at least some of their details.

We ask that as much information is provided as possible to assist planning the event. However, we recognise that sometimes it is not known who will be attending. In this scenario:

1) The person completing the online form should try to provide information about as many people as possible;

2) Where it is not known who will be attending the dinner please type on the form in the box “First name label” “Person” followed by a number e.g. Person 1 (if there are multiple unknown persons ensure the numbers are consecutive, e.g. Person 1, Person 2, Person 3 etc.). In the box “Last name label” please type the organisation they are part of or a guest of e.g. “Shoosmiths”. Therefore, the entries would be “Person 1
Shoosmiths”; “Person 2 Shoosmiths”; “Person 3 Shoosmiths” etc..

3) In subsequent boxes such as Organisation, email, dietary requirements please type “TBC”.

4) If you do not know whether the person is a HSLA member or not then in the first instance encourage the person to check and if they are not a member ask them to become a member to benefit from the lower price. If you still do not know at the time of purchase you must purchase a non-HSLA member ticket and please tick the box “unknown” when asked “Are you a current member of the HSLA (i.e. paid membership for 2025)?”. If the person subsequently becomes a member of the HSLA prior to the event then please email admin@hsla.org.uk following the event for a refund. Refunds will not be issued prior to the event.

5) When details are known about who is coming to the dinner, please email admin@hsla.org.uk with the subject header “Dinner 2025 – confirmation” and provide the name, organisation, email, dietary requirements and membership status of each individual.

6) Attendee details must be provided by 11 April 2025.

6. When are tickets released?
Combined tickets (conference and dinner) will be released at 1pm on 24 February 2025. An email will be sent to members on the morning of 24 February 2025 providing a link to purchase tickets.
Dinner only and conference only tickets will be released at 9am 10 March 2025 if they have not sold out already.

7. Why are only certain types of ticket showing as available to purchase?
Combined tickets (conference and dinner) are released two weeks prior to conference only and dinner only tickets. This is to give priority to those who attend the conference and wish to attend the dinner too.
Dinner tickets sell out every year and will automatically be withdrawn from the website whenthey have sold out.

8. I am no longer able to attend the event – what can I do?
There is a no refund policy for this event.
However, those who purchase tickets can transfer them up until 2 May 2025. In order to do so
please:

1) email admin@hsla.org.uk with the subject header “Conference/Dinner 2025 – transfer ticket”;

2) Copy in the person you are transferring the ticket to with details of their name, organisation, HSLA membership status and if attending the dinner their dietary requirements. Please note, if the transfer is made after 24 April 2025 there is no guarantee that the venue will be able to cater for the transferee’s dietary requirements but attempts will be made.

3) If the ticket is a “HSLA Member” ticket and the person attending is not a HSLA member then they will be charged the difference following the conference.
No transfers can be made after 4pm on 2 May 2025.

9. There is a £40 – £50 difference between the HSLA member rate and non-member rate for a combined ticket. Can I become a member of the HSLA and then book my ticket to get the reduced rate?

Yes. Annual membership for the HSLA is currently £75. Please go to https://hsla.org.uk/hslamembership-2025/ to sign up to benefit from the reduced rate for the conference and dinner.

10. Can I purchase tickets under the old method of sending a booking form?
No. We understand that change in process can sometimes cause difficulties, and we willendeavour to fix these for you after you have read this FAQ. However, using TicketTailor will significantly reduce the cost of administering the event and allow more funds to be used towards events that benefit HSLA members.
Therefore, no bookings will be made other than through the TicketTailor platform.

11. How much will the tickets cost?
Ticket types:

HSLA Member – Combined ticket £200 – Dinner only £125 – Conference only £100

Non-HSLA Member – Combined ticket £250 – Dinner only  £175 – Conference only  £140