Social enterprises and charities from across the South West will get the advice and expertise they need to compete, flourish and grow at a unique one-day exhibition staged tomorrow.
The exhibition at the UWE Bristol Exhibition and Conference Centre is hosted by the university’s Bristol Business School in partnership with the Social Enterprise Mark Company and RISE, the regional infrastructure organisation for social enterprise in the South West. RISE will also host its annual conference at this event.
The event forms part of a new UWE-led initiative, Social Innovation in Business Research Partnership, which will capitalise on UWE’s knowledge transfer expertise to link up social enterprises with academic and commercial partners and practitioners to help them develop the skills, contacts and opportunities they need to take them forward.
The event is made possible by a grant from the Intellectual Property Office and is supported by specialist accountancy firm Saffery Champness, Bristol law firm Veale Wasborough Vizards and Moon Consulting, the Bristol-based executive recruitment company.
Event organiser Dr Lorna Collins of Bristol Business School said: “Social enterprises are increasingly important to the UK and their ability to create, develop and deliver social innovation to assist communities of all kinds is crucial in the current economic climate.
“While there are plenty of innovative ideas, there is a failure to communicate them widely or to develop them adequately and a lack of adequate skills and knowledge prevents these social innovations from becoming widely successful.
“Through the Social Innovation in Business Research Partnership we aim to readdress this gap. We have established an online community where experts and practitioners can share advice and information with social enterprises virtually. We have established with help from our supporters a one-day exhibition where expertise and knowledge can be shared. There will also be a series of workshops after Christmas hosted at UWE which will focus on particular issues of intellectual property.”
Gordon Morris, managing director, Age UK Enterprises will give the keynote address at the conference.
The exhibition will include workshops by expert providers on themes such as protecting your brand, impact marketing, developing a licence agreement and preparing to franchise. There is the opportunity to hear from social entrepreneurs, who are leading and innovating in their field, talk about their experiences, triumphs, challenges and winning ways. Professional advisors and intellectual property experts will also be on standby to offer advice on disciplines including finance, accounting, legal, purchasing, marketing and planning.
The support continues with free membership to the Knowing and Growing Online Community, an innovative network that will connect 120 social enterprises with a host of practitioners and strategic partners to exchange ideas and best practice.
Attendance to the conference is free for individuals and all UWE staff and students. Tickets to exhibit at the event are £30 for organisations who wish to have an exhibition space.
