Delegates at the 2019 Social Business Wales conference will be encouraged to ‘be more pirate’ by Sam Conniff-Allende, author of the critically acclaimed book of the same name.
The rebels of the high seas were the original social entrepreneurs he says, and can offer inspiration to businesses of today. Having mentored thousands of entrepreneurs around the world, Sam will be sharing his unique take on business development at the event, which takes place at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, on 25 September 2019.
“As capitalism continues it’s existential crisis and global leadership disappears even further up it’s own arse, this truly is the time for social business to show it’s courage, ambition and imagination, he says. “We have the answers, we have the evidence and we have the leaders, it’s time to make sure your story is heard. I’m proud and excited to be coming back to Wales to share my message, meet with my comrades in Social Business and return to the homeland of the pirates, who I think all of us can draw real inspiration from in times like these.”
The conference will bring together social businesses from across Wales to learn from experts in areas such as digital marketing, business leadership and procurement, through a series of masterclasses. There will be a special contribution from Wrexham-based social enterprise, Eternal Media and Cwmni Bro Ffestiniog on the transformational impact they’ve had on people’s lives. And adventurer and endurance athlete, Lowri Morgan, will talk about how she is motivated to overcome barriers and challenges to succeed.
The event comes as new research shows that the social business sector is worth £3.18 billion to the Welsh economy – an increase of 34% on 2016. The ‘Mapping the Social Business Sector in Wales’ report, commissioned and published by Social Business Wales, also revealed that there are 2,022 social businesses in Wales, employing an estimated 55,000 people.
“Going into this year’s conference, confidence is high within the sector, with the vast majority of social businesses expecting to experience growth over the next few years,” said Glenn Bowen, Enterprise Programme Director at Social Business Wales.
“However, the sector faces numerous challenges that pose a risk to continued growth and sustainability. Measures to address issues around ageing leadership, and access to suitable funding options, for example, need to be designed and implemented to secure the sector’s long-term health. It’s a sector that, with support that targets start-ups, growth and sustainability, can continue to grow as we navigate through the impact of the Brexit process.”
Businesses attending the event will also be able to connect with a range of exhibitors from the public, private and social enterprise sector in Wales – including a number of the finalists from the Social Business Wales Awards 2019.
- The conference costs £10 to attend, with tickets available online. The event follows the Social Business Wales Awards ceremony, which is held on the previous evening (24 September) at Venue Cymru.
