Social Enterprise Institute Annual Conference - 26 October 2007
The seventh SEI annual conference will be held at the James Watt Conference Centre at Heriot Watt University Edinburgh on Friday October 26th 2007. This year's event is sponsored by long term supporters of the SEI; RBS Group and the Scottish Executive. A new sponsor for this year is the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) and our partner for the event is Social Economy Scotland (SCVO). Thanks to our sponsors early bird and group discounts for delegates are available.These conferences have become a fixture on the social enterprise scene in Scotland due to their success in attracting award winning and cutting edge social entrepreneurs to present their successes, failures, plans and visions and their willingness to debate the burning issues of the day for social entrepreneurs and their supporters. This year's conference is no different. We will have an outstanding plenary session where keynote speakers will 'tell it like it is' and give practical advice to social entrepreneurs and our partners in the public and private sectors. This will be followed by a programme of 7 workshops (repeated) allowing for delegates to choose what themes are of most importance to them as they continue to develop their social enterprises. These themes are a mixture of best practice advice and the opportunity to be inspired by the innovative work of other social entrepreneurs. It is a truism in business that most businesses are 'me too' businesses where entrepreneurs observe an existing business operating and adopt and (hopefully) improve that business model. This inspiration element is often overlooked but it is one of the most effective ways for social entrepreneurs to learn before they leap. This year's conference will continue our tradition of showcasing some of the most successful and innovative social enterprises operating in Britain today.
Our conference themes this year are:
- Competing in Markets
- More Than Profit
- Successful Business Models
- Finance
- Successful Procurement
- Full Cost Recovery
- BME Social Enterprise
- Working with Offenders
- The Arts
- Asset Based Development
- Regulation
- Innovation
- Making Childcare Work
- Franchise and Acquisitions
- Community Interest Companies
- Modern Governance
- The Rise of the Professional Trustee
- Social Accounting
- Social Return on Investment and Partnership with Government.
More particularly we will examine the following major issues:
- The Scottish childcare sector and sustainability (very important after the demise of One Plus)
- How social enterprises are innovating and succeeding in working with prisoners
- How can social enterprises develop from the BME communities of Scotland
- The growth and potential of Community Interest Companies (CICs)
- How to govern a modern charity and the debate about the rise of the 'professional trustee'
- Removing the barriers to social enterprises winning public sector procurement contracts
- Social enterprise business models, investment versus subsidy and successful asset based development
- Social Accounting and Social Return On Investment (SROI)
- Franchising and acquisitions for major social impact
- The problems of 'full cost recovery' and what the sector needs to do about it
- Did Glasgow Council culture, leisure and sports services become a social enterprise? If so, what are the consequences and opportunities for other councils and independent social enterprises operating in these fields?
This conference is the place to meet and network with successful and innovative social entrepreneurs and their supporters. We hope that you can attend and discuss with them how to succeed in the more than profit sector. For further information and to complete a registration form please click this link.