Voice11, the UK’s biggest social enterprise event

        30th March 2011 at the London venue, The O2

"Voice11 was a triumph of organisation, attendance and content and we were all made to feel very welcome and involved. The exhibition was wonderfully comprehensive, with an opportunity to meet, listen to and chat with many different people."                                                         Richard Worsley, The Tomorrow Project

Voice11 was brought to you by Social Enterprise UK (then the Social Enterprise Coalition) and 2011's event was the biggest yet with 130 exhibitors and 1,300 delegates, including social enterprises, third sector and public sector organisations, as well as private sector companies supportive of social enterprise PLUS senior cabinet ministers, MPs and social enterprise policymakers and investors.

The focus of Voice11 was on doing business, bringing new business into the social enterprise sector, and making the external business environment truly supportive and truly fertile to social enterprise.

At a time when social enterprises face big challenges and so many opportunities, we know that bringing business opportunities to working social enterprises is the most practical thing we can do.

• 
  Voice11 was held at The O2 in London
• 
  Peter Holbrook, CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition, welcomes delegates to Voice11
• 
  Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, announced an extra £10m for health social enterprises
• 
  Arthur Potts Dawson, the 'Accidental Entrepreneur'
• 
  Delegates in the Voice11 Live Quarter
• 
  A vibrant debate on the role of social enterprise in public services chaired by Guardian journalist Patrick Butler
• 
  Peter Holbrook helps to launch new social enterprise events company Sensevents at Voice11
• 
  Delegates enjoy lunch in the picnic zone at Voice11
• 
  Business Secretary, Vince Cable, makes some closing remarks at Voice11
• 
  The next generation of social entrepreneurs from Ecovation make another successful sale

Highlights

• Keynotes and participation from Senior Cabinet Ministers, Government Ministers and MPs
• Debates and workshops with high profile speakers from the social enterprise movement, public and private sector 
• Workshops on how to turn ideas into business plans, pitch for investment, win new business and grow your social enterprise
• Exhibition Zones – Start Your Social Enterprise, Grow Your Social Enterprise and Move to Social Enterprise
• Networking and Young Social Enterprise Zones

And the chance to: 

• Find out about opportunities to access funding and business support
• Meet public service commissioners – find out what they need and want from you if you work or want to work in public services
• Learn new skills –social marketing, pitching for business, financing growth, getting into supply chains
• Influence the future of the Social Enterprise Coalition – our new name, our new strategy, how we interact with our Members to help them become the champions for social enterprise in their region, community or sector and find out about an upcoming national campaign to empower and support members to build their influence and the wider impact of the social enterprise movement

The Social Enterprise Awards, the nationwide competition that celebrates the work and achievements of the UK’s most inspiring and successful social enterprises, followed Voice11 in a live event at indigO2.