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 information

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.

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.

Two nearby parking stations are Market City (http://www.wilsonparking.com.au/go/wilson-car-parks/nsw/market-city#) and
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.

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:

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 Misfits

Market Stalls:

Discover a wide range of products and services from over 30 social enterprises including:

Workshops and Activations:

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:

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

Topic: Where has the social enterprise movement come from? How did we get here? The trends that shaped social enterprise

Speakers:

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)

__________

PEOPLE - Speaker series11:15AM-12:45PM

PANEL DISCUSSION -Topic: 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: Catherine Church - Managing Director, GoodChat

Followed by Big Ideas - Pitches from:

__________

PLANET - Speaker series1-2:30PM

PANEL DISCUSSION - Topic: 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 enterprise

Speakers:

Jessica Mendoza Roth - Founder, CEO, Social Impact Hub
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.

About The Social Enterprise Council of NSW & ACT (SECNA)

SECNA 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 Sponsors

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

See you at the Festival!

The SECNA Team

Contact the host of Social Enterprise Festival 2024