Practitioners Forum 2023
Join us at Practitioners Forum, our number one training and development event which takes place on Thursday 23 November at The Studio in Manchester.
Practitioners Forum is the number one training and development event for people working in co-operative businesses – large and small.
Choose from up to 20 sessions across five specialist forums. It's the perfect professional development opportunity for people working across one or more of the following areas:
Membership • Governance • Finance • HR • Communications
Our mix and match format enables delegates to choose the sessions which benefit them most from across the forums.
We've a range of ticket options – member (30% off standard price), non-member and bursary tickets (50% off).
Programme
Read on for what's announced so far – we've LOTS more to come! Sign up for email updates or keep an eye on our social media for updates: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook
Governance
- Beyond the AGM: How to get members to participate in governance – Emma Laycock, Co-operatives UK
- Board dynamics: What do we want to see and how to deal with poor behaviours – David Alcock, Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP
- Elections, AGMs and more: Using technology to encourage member engagement – Emma Laycock, Co-operatives UK and Ben Thomas, Mi-Voice
- Sustainability reporting for co-ops – Speakers TBC
Elections, AGMs and more: Using technology to encourage member engagement
Emma Laycock, Co-operatives UK and Ben Thomas, Mi-Voice
Join Emma Laycock, Head of Co-operative Advice, to hear about the latest best practice guidance around elections and member engagement. She’ll be joined by Ben Thomas, Director of Mi-Voice - Democracy Technology Ltd, who will host a discussion on the use of technology in enhancing membership engagement during democratic events conducted by co-ops. The session will explore the role of technology in improving processes such as voting in elections, annual member meetings and AGMs. It will also examine how adopting an 'outcome-based' approach to elections, supported by technology, can lead to increased engagement and a broader pool of candidates, while ensuring inclusivity.
Membership
- Using diverse and inclusive language for your membership – Dr Leanne Dawson, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion consultant, author and academic
- Know your members: maximising the value of your data – Sian Basker, Data Orchard
- Targeting young members with digital – Amrit Singh, Rebel Creatives
Finance
- Accounting for your co-op – Patrick Morello, Third Sector Accountancy
- Digital strategy: Opportunities and risks for finance teams to leverage new and emerging technology – Matt Lomax, Mazars Accountants
- New and emerging cyber threats – an ethical hackers guide – Yasmin Ramadan, Mazars Accountants
- Raising capital and social investment options – John Dawson, Co-operatives UK and Melanie Mills, Big Society Capital
HR
- Employment Law Update – Emma Bagshaw, Nexa Law
- Supporting Neurodiversity in the workplace – Snoof Kattekop, The Brain Charity
Employment Law Update
Emma Bagshaw, Nexa Law
Emma Bagshaw, employment and immigration lawyer at Nexa Law, will examine recent and upcoming changes in employment law and implications for businesses. The spotlight will focus on areas having most impact on co-operative businesses.
Communications
- How and why you should add audio and podcasts to your comms strategy – Clare Savory, ASFB Productions
- Getting creative with video: Telling your co-op story – Amrit Singh, Rebel Creatives
How and why you should add audio and podcasts to your comms strategy
Clare Savory, ASFB Productions
The term 'podcast' is very much on trend. But its not all celebrities and big brands making use of this popular comms channel. Internal and member led organisations are also tapping into podcasting as a relatively low-cost strategy to inform, educate and entertain. Whether you're looking to share content with just your members or to the wider world, expert podcast producer Clare Savory of ASFB productions offers 15 things to think about in this specialist Co-operative skills session. From dispelling myths about tech, to understanding hosting platforms, to finding the right platform and strategy for your co-op - there's plenty to dig into. Prepare to be inspired!
Getting creative with video: Telling your co-op story
Amrit Singh, Rebel Creatives
With the dominance of video-based social media platforms, we all know video should be core to any content strategy. But this can sound time-consuming, expensive and even scary to the most experienced and well-resourced marketing teams. Mr Amrit Singh is joining us to say it doesn't have to be this way! In this interactive session, you'll learn why empowering others to use video will unlock a wealth of authentic content from the people that know your business best – your members, workers and customers. Join this session to find out how, in a matter of minutes, you can create content that's worthy of telling your co-op's story.
Practitioners Forum 2023 – book your place
Support for your co‑op
Events and training
