SEWF 2022 - My Reflections

This week I was lucky enough to head along to the SEWF - Social Enterprise World Forum C.I.C. 2022, in sunny Brisbane, Queensland. It was an inspiring and action packed week and rather than give you a play by play or run down of the entire conference, I'm going to share what I felt were some significant highlights from the conference itself and what could be done better.

I'll keep any recommendations on improvement minimal because I know how hard it is to put on a hybrid conference of this size and scale. Also, there really isn't much to say here- the conference was by far one of the best I've ever attended.

For full transparency, I have no affiliation with the Forum. However, I was a speaker on day 1 of the Forum for the "Emerging Technology for Social Enterprises" session representing my employer Infoxchange . If anything, I feel this gives me more insight into the Forum rather than any biases that may follow from being part of the program itself.

1. The host city is a key partner in production and execution

The conference did an incredible job of making Brisbane a real partner in the production.

There were signs across Brisbane City promoting the forum. Locals seemed to be aware of the conference and know that it was on. Launching the festival at the Lord Mayor's office at the town hall gave the launch great momentum and a strong sense of government support and involvement.

Above is a terrific energy filled welcome to country from Shannon Ruska of Tribal Experiences.

The city wide marketing for the Forum was really well done by the Westpac Foundation but query whether this would be an affordable and possible marketing effort in any bigger or major global city centre.

This could have been improved using some QR coded flyers to optimise local and digital engagement.

2. First Nations co-design and participation elevated the conference quality?

Making First Nation's people and organisations a key part partner in planning and production made this the most truly inclusive Australian conference I've experienced to date.

This is the first conference I've been to that clearly put First Nation's people at the heart of the conference planning and execution.?A wonderful dance ceremony kicked off proceedings but I would have liked to see a smoking ceremony too. During the event I queried whether or why there wasn't more focus on welcome to country we part of opening each talk.?

The response I heard was that it was not felt to be necessary at such a first nations inclusive event. For me this was a very positive and reasonable response and one we can all learn from.

3. The setting, environment and activities were great as well as intentional spaces for connection?

The market stalls and activities were great and made hanging out and roaming around in the open spaces a real highlight.

The opportunity to purchase high quality goods from a range of social enterprises and particularly First Nation's owned social enterprises made this a wonderful holistic experience.

I came away with many pairs of socks from my friend Laura Thompson at Clothing The Gaps , linked here and a few wonderful kids story books telling First Nation's stories from Sally Morgan and Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr (pictured above) that we have started to read to my son, young Marlo. Check out these amazing books here.

4. Diverse and inclusive panels mean better conversations and participation?

Panels and talks were really diverse, inclusive and informal, relaxed and good fun with great audience involvement and participation.

Almost all panels had at least 50 percent female representation but also had strong representation from a First Nations panelist, speaker or moderator. This was fantastic to see as was the background diversity of many of the guests.?

One area for improvement would be to think beyond gender diversity to cognitive diversity and greater inclusion of people with lived experience and people with disabilities.

5. People are just starting to return to big conferences and want to reconnect

There was a good understanding at the Forum that that the main reason people were attending was to connect with other participants was really important and good opportunities existed throughout for this.?

A live poll indicated that about 42% of people's main reason for attending was networking and connecting with other attendees. This was a clear highlight of the event for many after a long covid related live event pause.?

I spent much of my time enjoying connecting with interstate friends and colleagues that I hadn't seen in about 3 years. Many others seem to have the same idea and you could see the breakout and main corridor areas packed with vibrant conversation and connection throughout.

I was thrilled to meet my second namesake overall and my first Michael Davis working in the same for purpose space. He was slightly less excited about this and also very reasonably more focused on enjoying a refreshing Portuguese tart at the time of photo (out of frame). The food was another highlight!

6. Technology to connect participants is key and always improving

No conference app is perfect but RingCentral Events did a pretty decent job of enabling ways to navigate the conference see the program, participants and speakers and to chat and ask questions in sessions.

Thousands of participants (around 3,500) both remote and in person were able to introduce themselves, ask questions, write to each other, connect and respond to live polls.

A bit of a downside was some issues accessing the correct version of the app and some limitations around being able to easily navigate session versus general chats and to search for speakers or attendees of interest.

7. All conferences can do more to minimise waste and upcycle general refuse

The commitment to running a sustainable and waste minimising event was impressive and valued by all participants. Collecting all lanyards at the end of the event for sustainable disposal, recycling or repurposing. No disposable plastic or paper cups used or containers used during the festival.

I would have liked to hear from more social enterprises and speakers about sustainability and how the best in the world are integrating such approaches into their operations.

It was also the perfect opportunity for a vendor to come on board and promote and sell more sustainable products for daily use such as reusable coffee cups and water bottles as well as more diverse applications.

8. Conferences can and should provide quiet spaces for reflection

Catering for those who need quiet and solitude at a conference was a masterstroke and very considerate of various needs.

Providing the quiet or meditation room was fantastic as it gave mindfulness and meditation practitioners a quiet place for reflection, contemplation and rejuvenation.

NB: the above shot is a stock photo, purely due to my poor photography skills and timing at the actual event itself. The room from memory was the perfect setup and enjoyed by many.

It was also very considerate in enabling full participation for those who experience various forms of over stimulation that can be detrimental due to their mental health or other ailments.?

A future consideration might be to provide other spaces that promote greater inclusion such as a parenting room and even day care facility that would enable young parents to fully participate physically in the forum.

In conclusion, what an amazing few days in Brisbane. The shot below is of the wonderful afterparty at GALLERY OF MODERN ART - GOMA Brisbane. A big thankyou to SEWF - Social Enterprise World Forum C.I.C. , co-hosts White Box Enterprises , the City of Brisbane and all partners for an amazing event. Looking forward to next year in Amsterdam!

You can learn more about social entrepreneurs, social enterprises and the wider purpose-driven business sector and listen to hundreds of podcasts featuring these changemaking people and organisations by tuning into Humans of Purpose . Head to our website or just search Humans of Purpose in any decent podcast player!