Social Enterprise Festival 2024
Event description
The Social Enterprise Festival returns in 2024!
The Social Enterprise Festival is back, bringing together 70+ NSW and ACT social enterprises with
1,000+ conscious consumers and members of the public on Saturday 3 August at UTS.
The Festival is a free, family-friendly event where you can learn more about social enterprises, get
hands on with a range of market stalls and workshops, and connect with like-minded individuals and organisations.
Experience the largest market for social enterprise products and services in NSW and ACT, including ethical
goods and services, artisan products and delicious food and beverages.
Hear from social enterprise leaders, experts and supporters discussing the state of play in the social enterprise movement and igniting critical discussions around the role of consumers and social enterprises in building a fairer economy and society.
Join hands-on activations and engaging workshops that are designed to educate and inspire, from a cooking
demonstration, to a yoga movement workshop, to green cleaning to learning CPR and many more.
Ticket informationÂ
Free entry. Register to secure your ticket. Donations are appreciated to help bring the festival to life.
Getting there
Please note street parking is limited.Â
We suggest traveling to the venue via train, bike or foot. There are (limited) bike racks located on Mary Ann Street.
From Central Station/Railway Square
You can access the UTS Business School direct from Central Station.From the Central Station tunnel, follow the path towards Darling Square along the Goods Line. UTS Business School is located a 5 minute walk from the Central station tunnel on the left handside.
From Darling Harbour
Take Tumbalong Drive Southbound towards Central Station. Tumbalong Dr leads into Quay Street. Turn right at Ultimo Road and walk along the footpath to UTS Building 8. Entry to the building will be on your right.
Paid parking options nearby
 •   Parking is limited to street meters and user-pay parking stations.Â
Two nearby parking stations are Market City (http://www.wilsonparking.com.au/go/wilson-car-parks/nsw/market-city#)Â andÂ
Novotel Sydney Central (https://www.wilsonparking.com.au/park/2108_novotel-sydney-central-citigate-car-park_169179-thomas-street-haymarket)
What to expect
At this year's Social Enterprise Festival you will be able to sample products, purchase gifts, talk to and learn from dozens of social enterprises, all in the one spot. Festival attendees can know that every purchase made is helping to create a positive social or environmental impact.Â
Through thousands of small acts, social enterprises and the people that buy their products and services can change the game - it’s a switch for good.
Food and beverages at the festival
Enjoy a variety of delicious and diverse food options throughout the day:Â
- FoodLab Sydney
- Shelf stable products from entrepreneurs & Fresh Auchma : an Iranian baked delicacy (savoury croissant filled with slow cooked chicken and saffron)
- SSI Ignite: Sangee’s Kitchen - Authentic Malaysian food
- Chicken biryani, Vegan biryani, Vegan Dhosa (savoury thin pancakes made with fermented rice and lentils) & Pani Puri (street snack made with potato and a unique spice blend, contains chickpeas. Served with tamarind and mint water)
- The Bread and Butter Project - pastries and baked goodies
- Sourdough breads, Chocolate brownie Bars, Mini pastries, Mini Sweet and Savoury pastries, Mini muffins & coffee from Rebels N MisfitsÂ
Market Stalls:
Â
Discover a wide range of products and services from over 30Â social enterprises including:
- OzHarvest Ventures
- Chocolate on Purpose
- Goods 4 Good
- ArtSHINE
- The Sewing Basket (Achieve Australia)
- Revolve Recycling
- Think+DO Tank Foundation (Lost in Books)
- Aunty’s Ginger Tonic
- CandleXchange
- Slak Flowers
- RoseyRavelstone Books
- WEFTshop
- Community Resources (Green Connect & Soft Launching)
- Circle Paints
- The Toucan Shop
- Wellbeing By SOTA&Co (The Global Safari)
-
Daventure Tours
- UTS Shopfront
- UTS Business School
- Humans of Purpose
- Farmwall
- The Freedom Hub
- Community Constructions
- Earthica
- Etiko
Workshops and Activations:Â
Participate in hands-on workshops designed to educate and inspire. Register separately to attend a
workshop:
- All day (10am – 3pm) THE RECONNECT PROJECT – Phone Repair Station (no registration required)
- 10:00am – 10:45am COLLECTIVE LEISURE – Yoga/Movement Session
- 10:00am - 10:45am RENEWY LIVING – Green Cleaning Workshop
- 10:30am – 11:30am REVERSE GARBAGE – Repair and Stitch Workshop
- 10:45am – 11:45am CPR KIDS – CPR and Choking Workshop
- 11:00am - 11:45am RENEWY LIVING – Green Cleaning Workshop
- 11.00am - 11.45am JOY OF GIVING - Pre-Loved Toy Workshop: Play, Learn, Swap
- 11:00am – 11:50am COMMUNITY FLOWER STUDIO – Mindfulness Botanical Painting Workshop
- 12:00pm – 1:00pm CPR KIDS – CPR and Choking Workshop
- 12:00pm – 12:45pm RACHA SYRIAN KITCHEN – Cooking Demonstration
- 12:00pm – 12:50pm COMMUNITY FLOWER STUDIO – Mindfulness Botanical Painting Workshop
- 12:00pm - 3:00pm  MANDALA MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP - REVERSE GARBAGE (Drop in - no registration required)
- 1:00pm - 1:45pm RENEWY LIVING – Green Cleaning Workshop
- 1:00pm – 1:50pm COMMUNITY FLOWER STUDIO – Mindfulness Botanical Painting Workshop
- 1.00pm - 2.00pm AURORAZ SOULFUL GIFTS - Bag Decorating Workshop for Kids
- 1:15pm – 2:00pm SING HIGH SING LOW – Singing Workshop
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm VELOCITY EMPOWERMENT – Empowering Organisations Against Gender-Based Violence Workshop
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm CPR KIDS – CPR and Choking Workshop
-
2:00pm – 2:50pm COMMUNITY FLOWER STUDIO – Mindfulness Botanical Painting Workshop
Inspiring Speakers:Â
Hear from leading social enterprise thought leaders, experts, and supporters discussing the current state and future of the social enterprise movement, as well as social enterprises' Big Ideas for helping people and the planet. Speakers include:
Opening panel 10:15-11AM Â
- Bronwen Dalton - Head of Department of Management, UTS Business School
- Adam McCurdie - Co-Founder, Humanitix
- Weh Yeoh - Co-Founder & CEO, Umbo
- Tom Dawkins - Founder, StartSomeGood
- Moderator: Kylie Flament - CEO, Social Enterprise Council of NSW & ACT (SECNA)
Topic:Â Where has the social enterprise movement come from? How did we get here? The trends that shaped social enterprise
Speakers:
__________
PEOPLE - Speaker series11:15AM-12:45PM
PANEL DISCUSSION -Topic:Â Â How do social enterprises put PEOPLE first?
Speakers:
- Dafne Araya-O'Sullivan - Instructional Delivery Manager, Generation Australia
- Andrea Comastri - Co-founder and CEO, Hotel Etico Australia
- Jade Kelly- Funeral Director, Tender Funerals Australia
- Moderator:Â Catherine Church - Managing Director, GoodChat
Followed by Big Ideas - Pitches from:
- ConFit Pathways
- Mates on the Move
- Muru Mittigar
- Unchained Solutions Pty Limited
- Youngster.co
- Yourtown
- Worldwide SHEroes
__________
PLANET - Speaker series1-2:30PM
PANEL DISCUSSION - Topic:Â Â Â How do social enterprises put PLANET first?
Speakers:
- Callum Champagne - Founder, Grow the Future Bega
- Aron Kurzydlo - Managing Director, Project Net Zero
- Kelly Barrett - Founder, Underwear for Humanity
- Moderator: Christie Gazal - Community Impact and Engagement, Hatch: Taronga Accelerator Program
Followed by Big Ideas - Pitches from:
________
Closing Panel 2:30-3PM
Topic:  Where to from here? What the future looks like for social enterpriseÂ
Speakers:
- Jessica Mendoza Roth - Founder, CEO, Social Impact HubÂ
-   Rebecca Iliffe - Social Entrepreneur and Program Manager, Australian Centre Rural Entrepreneurship (ACRE)
- Hedayat Osyan - Founder and CEO, CommUnity Construction
- Moderator:Kylie Flament - CEO, SECNA
Head to our website for
the full details on our workshops, stallholders and speakers.Â
About The Social Enterprise Council of NSW &Â ACT (SECNA)
SECNAÂ is the sector-led peak body representing the interests of social enterprises and entrepreneurs in NSW and ACT.
A not-for-profit organisation, SECNA exists to grow and connect the social enterprise sector, to advocate for social enterprises through policy change, and to secure greater investment in social enterprise.
Social enterprises are business that put people and planet first. They trade like any other business but exist specifically to make the world a better place.
Festival SponsorsÂ
SECNA is grateful for the generosity of the 2024 Social Enterprise Festival key sponsors, City of Sydney, UTS Business School, media sponsors GoodChat, supporters South Eveleigh, Westpac Foundation, ACRE and champions Leadership Space and Humanitix.
Stay in touch
Be sure to follow us for all the event updates on our website, LinkedIn, Instagram and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
For all event enquiries, please contact SECNA at hello@secna.org.au
The SECNA Team
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity