Edinburgh's Business Festival

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have all faced many challenges, and been forced to rethink some of the ways we live, work, and have fun. In addition, many businesses and leaders have had to re-evaluate their leadership, operations and increasingly, their purpose.

The concept of purpose-driven business has gathered momentum in recent years and even more so during the pandemic, when many people realised that ‘businesses as usual’ could not carry on. Companies who have a commitment to a purpose beyond simply profit and growth have been proven to have weathered the storm most successfully. In fact, in the last financial crisis, certified B Corps were 63% more likely to survive than other businesses of similar size.

At the EBF, we’ll be exploring this topic in more detail through expert panel discussions, keynote sessions and practical workshops designed to help us understand and move forward with more purpose.

Edinburgh’s Business Festival is open to all, from entrepreneurs to business leaders to policy makers, we welcome you all to join us.

Tickets for the festival are now available to book! Tickets include access to all of our events over the two days, so you have the flexibility to choose which sessions to participate in, meaning minimal disruption to your diary.

30th March Programme:

9.00-10am Open and first keynote

10.30-12.00pm Speed Networking session

1.00pm-2.00pm Workshop: Communicating your purpose to customers

Victoria Allison, Creative Director at STV, will share her top tips on building purpose-driven marketing campaigns for your business. During the workshop, Victoria will highlight some great examples of purpose led advertising and how they achieved their campaign goals.

2.15pm-3.00pm Keynote session: Zoi Kantounatou, Co-founder and CFO at FutureX

Zoi is a Co-Founder and CFO at FutureX, a learning and community platform that educates and upskills entrepreneurs who want to build better businesses. Over the past 10 years Zoi has worked across Scotland, India, Greece and Silicon Valley working together with more than 1,000 entrepreneurs. In Scotland, FutureX has delivered some of the biggest entrepreneurial conferences; Startup Summit & Impact Summit with hundreds of participants attending every year.

3.30pm-5pm Panel discussion: What does purpose driven entrepreneurship mean for Scotland’s economy?

YouGov polling from 2020 revealed that half of UK business leaders believe an organisation should be driven primarily by purpose, not profit. In addition, a survey from McKinsey found that 72% of employees believe that purpose should be a greater focus than profit.

As we work to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, we are at a unique point in history. We have the opportunity to build an economy which is fairer, greener and more inclusive. Collaboration and positive impact from business is needed more than ever – and we all have an active role to play in this.

The big question remains - what does the rise in purpose-driven entrepreneurship actually mean for the future of Scotland’s economy? Join us to find out.

31st March Programme

09.00-09.45 Keynote session

10.00-11.30 Workshop: Becoming a B-Corp

Becoming a B Corp can be a daunting process, but B Corp certification is an increasingly valuable way that a business can signal your commitment to being a force for good, giving equal prioritisation to people, planet, and profit. It also provides a detailed framework to help you measure and improve your social and environmental performance.

Come along to our workshop to hear from business leaders who’ve already been through the process, and experts who help businesses like yours along the journey.

13.15-14.45 Panel discussion: Building a sustainable future for Scotland – what is the legacy of COP26?

In November 2021, Glasgow hosted the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). This was arguably the most important meeting since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, and the tipping point for dramatic global climate action.

Scotland's hosting of COP26 was described as a once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire Scottish businesses to go further and faster towards a net zero transition.

The Scottish Government has set an ambitious national target of becoming a net zero society by 2045, and the City of Edinburgh Council had pledged to reach net zero carbon in the capital by 2030 - only 8 years away.

Now that COP26 is over; how do we continue building momentum with the net zero agenda? What is the real legacy of COP26 in Scotland?

15.00-16.00 Workshop: Two P’s in a pod – Harnessing the power of your Purpose + People

In 2022 the companies who will win are those that put their employees at the heart of everything they do. Attracting, Recruiting and Retaining great people is all tied to purpose. No matter the size of your business –if you have a clear purpose and take care of your people as your only asset they will take care of the customers and the customers will come back.

Join us at this workshop hosted by Social Good Connect, and learn:

• What comes first, purpose or people?
• How creating happy employees brings value to your bottom line
• How to create an environment of people who feel valued, cared for and inspired to give a deeper level of engagement

16.15-17.00 Keynote Session: David Duke MBE, Founder and CEO, Street Soccer Scotland

David Duke MBE is founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland and Street Soccer London, non-profit social enterprises that use football to help create positive change in the lives of socially disadvantaged adults and young people. David has most recently set up Change Centre Scotland, a sport and education centre with a vision to tackling isolation, homelessness, supporting mental health and well-being by creating on site personal development and self management support.

Alongside his own social enterprises, David regularly sits on Government task forces and advisory groups, is an Advisory Board Member for UNICEF (Scotland) and also a advisor to AR26 Charity, founded by Scotland Captain and Liverpool FC star, Andy Robertson.

He is a regular contributor at international forums and global events such as TEDx, Beyond Sport Global Summit, COP26 and Social Enterprise World Forum.

David was named The Sunday Times ‘Change Maker’ of the Year and a CNN Hero in 2016. In 2019, he wrote and delivered Scotland’s New Year message for BBC1 Scotland. He has been recognised by Glasgow Caledonian University and Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University, both awarding him Honorary Doctorates for his considerable societal contributions. Further to these achievements, David was awarded an MBE in the 2018 New Years Honours List.