It’s Voice 11. Here’s the last post in the series giving you a brief overview of the Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurship sector conferences in March, I’ll cover how you can get involved and get some of the useful information if you’re not able to attend them all (which is highly likely as they all seem to be at the same time!).

3. Voice 11

Voice 11 is an annual conference run by The Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC), the UK’s national body for Social Enterprise. SEC is the voice for the social enterprise sector and works to showcase the benefits of social enterprise and represent the work of it’s members to influence national policy and share good practice. SEC has run Voice since 2005 when it was set up to bring the sector together and support social enterprises in their work, Voice is the UK’s largest Social Enterprise conference. 

Who is the conference aimed at: 1500 delegates and 130 exhibitors from social enterprises, third sector and public sector organisations, private sector companies, senior cabinet ministers, MP’s and social enterprise policymakers and investors. The conference is relevant to individuals thinking of setting up a social enterprise, those social enterprises just starting up through to those social enterprises looking to grow.

Where & When will the conference take place: the conference will take place at the O2 Arena in London on 30^th March.

What is the theme: the theme of this year’s conference is on doing business helping the sector to deal with current challenges and helping it to create/ take advantage of new emerging opportunities. It’s about doing business, bringing in new business and helping to make the external business environment supportive and fertile to social enterprise.

What topics will be covered: Can social enterprise deliver public sector reform, Localism – can citizens deliver a future for our neighbourhoods?, Big society bank, how social accounts help measure social impact, Private sector meets social enterprise, supply chain networking, UnLtd Big Venture Challenge, Supporting your business and Meet the Social Enterprise Mark, Social franchising and The challenges of growing a social enterprise, CIC Association: turning a micro boom into a macro effect, Social enterprises in the Big Society and Growing through partnerships, Start-up and survive and Turning ideas into enterprise, Legal forms for social enterprise: the right choice and IT solutions, Commissioning social enterprises, Is social enterprise the future for charities?, Young Social Enterprise including Think Big with O2, Ethical Fashion, Young Enterprise panel and showcase and more.  To view the full programme go to the Social Enterprise Coalition website.

As mentioned there will also be arrange of organisations present who will be showcasing their social enterprises including: 3SC a not-for-profit partnership that unites a range of innovative organisations across civil society to bid for and deliver public service contracts, Anthony Collins Solicitors a law firm dealing with social enterprises issues, The big Lottery Fund, the online social enterprise business directory BuySe.co.uk, CAN supporting social enterprises and charities to grow, Charity Bank, ClearlySo a global marketplace for social enterprise and investment, The Co-operative, The Department of Health and lots more. To view a full list of exhibitors go to the Social Enterprise Coalition website.

Who are the speakers: there are many interesting speakers including the following,

• Claire Dove Chair of the Social Enterprise Coalition
• The Rt Hon Andrew Lansley MP – Secretary of State for Health
• Simon Devonshire – General Manager, Small and Medium Business, O2
• Hugh Biddell – Head of Charities and Public Sector, Natwest
• Arthur Potts Dawson – Chef and accidental social entrepreneur
• Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive, Social Enterprise Coalition
• Nick Hurd Office for Civil Society (OCS)
• Nigel Kershaw Big Issue Invest
• Hazel Blears, MP
• Claire Fox Institute of Ideas
• Bill Eyres O2
• Nigel Lowthrop Hillholt Farm
• Mark Walton, CIVA Waterways
• Lucy Siegle The Observer
• Simon Parker, New Local Government Network
• Mila Chambers P3
• Ceri Jones Social Enterprise Coalition
• Uday Thakkar, Red Ochre
• Craig Dearden-Phillips, Stepping Out
• Alastair Wilson, SSE
• Caroline Mason, Charity Bank
• Clive Barton, Serco
• Richard Jacobs, Yes And Training
• Lance Gardner, Open Door
• Gordon Morris, Age UK Enterprises
• Geoff Walker, Sandwell Community Caring Trust
• Fiona Blacke, National Youth Agency
• Joe Swann, My Social Innovation

For more information on the speakers click on the Speaker biographies on the Social Enterprise Coalition website

The Social Enterprise Awards: At the evening dinner the winners of The Social Enterprise Awards will be announced. The awards celebrate the most inspiring and successful social enterprises in the UK. The awards have been sponsored by CAN who will be giving a prize of £16,000 to the overall winner and 3 runners up. For more information on the awards and form information on how to attend the dinner visit the SEC website.

How can you get involved: you can follow the conference on twitter by using the tag #voice11 also by following @SE_Coalition. For an update and overview of the conference sign up to get the Social Enterprise Coalition newsletter. You will also find conference updates on the Social Enterprise Coalition facebook group.