The Social Hub (B Corp™)’s Post

What makes the Creative Bureaucracy Festival so special? 👀 💚 It’s the people 💙! Inspiring personalities from around the globe who are committed to transforming public institutions and making a real difference. 💡 For those who’ve joined us before, you know our festival is far more than a conference. It’s an invitation to step out of your comfort zone, challenge conventional thinking, and reimagine the future of public administration. It’s a space where creativity and imagination spark bold ideas, new solutions, and actionable change for a better tomorrow. 🎯 This year, as the public sector faces complex challenges, we’re creating a platform to break free from the status quo. Together, we’ll uncover innovative approaches to strengthen democracy, foster equality, and build more resilient systems. 🤝 The festival unites public servants, leaders, and changemakers, encouraging collaboration across disciplines and questioning established norms. It’s a journey beyond the office, into uncharted territory, where meaningful transformation begins. ❗ Save the Dates ❗ 📍 Digital Kick-Off Day: 13 March 2025. Join our free online event 👉 https://lnkd.in/dit5ePYU 📍 Creative Bureaucracy Festival in Berlin: 5 June 2025. Get Early Bird Tickets 👉 https://lnkd.in/dgDZs9J6 We can’t wait to connect with you & co-create the future of public service! #CBF25 #CreativeBureaucracyFestival #publicsectorinnovation #publicsector #bureaucracy #transformation #policy #verwaltung #öffentlicherdienst #government #bürokratie #innovation

✨ What if we could reimagine the future together? ✨    This past semester as part of my minor value creators, I had the honour of working alongside Nora Stadler, Amelie Felchner, and Samira Gunselmann on a project, which challenged us to think big and connect with a diverse network of inspiring individuals from all sectors.     Our journey began with exploring the polycrisis—multiple crises happening simultaneously, are interconnected and reinforce each other. It culminated in addressing the crisis of imagination: the inability of society to envision a different future with alternative systems. After all, how can we work towards change if we can’t see what we’re striving for?     That’s why we created the What-If Street Festivals. 🌍✨   This initiative empowers communities to host their own festivals, filled with activities that inspire vision, experience, and action—all centred on collectively imagining a better future.    Want to learn more?  🎥 Check out our promotional video for an in-depth look at the concept.  https://lnkd.in/eXSiqidE 📘 Our blueprint offers step-by-step instructions on how to bring this festival to life in your own community.  https://lnkd.in/ei7jMymT   Big thank you for the time and all the valuable input that built the foundation of our product: Minna Salami, Megan Shipman, Michael Lawrence, Marcel Vester, Tom Bosschaert, Varun Mohan, Marc Buckley 🌍, Katie McKenna, Europa Bendig , Ethel-Ruth Tawe, Hubert de Munck, Jack Visser, Åsa Jarskog, Rob Hopkins, and Rüdiger Röhrig. And thank you as well to our wonderful coach Jaafar Mahfoud.    Imagine it, share it, and make it happen!💡🌟  #Polycrisis #Systemsthinking #Imagination #WhatIf #Crisisofimagination #FutureThinking #WhatIfStreetFestival

RCTF One-Year Anniversary Event Recap: A Celebration of Growth and Innovation Our one-year anniversary event was a huge success, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the continued support of our amazing community! With a strong turnout, the event truly showcased the collaborative spirit that drives the Rancho Cucamonga Tech Forum forward. Attendees enjoyed a hands-on hardware workshop that allowed members to roll up their sleeves and dive into the world of tech innovation. The highlight of the day was a fantastic presentation by one of our own members, who shared his inspiring development journey, offering valuable insights and motivating others to pursue their tech goals. As we look back on the growth and achievements of the past year, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been part of the RCTF community. Your participation, enthusiasm, and support have made this forum a place where innovation thrives. Up Next: RCTF Evening Pizza, Drinks, and Networking Mark your calendars for our next event! Join us next Tuesday, October 15th for an evening of casual networking, pizza, and drinks. Connect with fellow tech enthusiasts, share ideas, and build relationships that could lead to exciting collaborations. 📅 Date: Tuesday, October 15th 📍 Location: FoundrSpace in Rancho Cucamonga ⏰ Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to unwind and strengthen your connections within the tech community. We can’t wait to see you there! #RCTF #TechCommunity #Innovation #HardwareWorkshop #Networking #RanchoCucamongaTech #PizzaAndNetworking #EveningMeetup #BuildConnections

What does it take to transform a venue into a true community hub? It’s about creating a place where people feel connected, where culture and stories thrive. Battersea is a prime example of this transformation. Once an industrial giant, it’s been revitalized into a vibrant destination that’s more than a venue. It’s a hub where people gather for art, shopping, entertainment, and more. This evolution shows the power of visionary thinking and strategic planning in turning a venue into a thriving PLACE. At VPG, we help venues like yours make this leap—from an event space to a place where people want to return again and again. Let's talk about how we can bring your venue’s potential to life. #venueglowup #communityhubvibes #batterseapowerstation #transformyourplace #localvenue #eventsales #eventprofs #venuemarketing

What good is a seat at the table if you can’t get to the stage? Attending so many conferences this year has been incredible. I’ve met fantastic people, listened to incredible speakers, and argued. A lot. But they also highlighted just how far we still have to go to make events truly inclusive for everyone. Here are just a few of the accessibility barriers that made things challenging for me when attending these events (in person and virtually): 🛑 Registration isn’t put somewhere close. I’ve had to go to the opposite end of buildings, or even in a separate building! 🛑 I couldn’t get into a coffee room due to access issues (this was temporarily fixed, but the same issue cropped up again on later days). 🛑 I’ve struggled to get on stage for panels, because there are lips on ramps, stopping my wheelchair. 🛑 I’ve had sensory overload hit hard when giving talks due to very bright stage lights in my eyes. 🛑 Crackling mics in keynotes made it difficult to follow conversations. 📢 To be clear, these were largely venue issues. But it’s a reminder of how much thought needs to go into ensuring events are fully accessible. 💡 The takeaway? If we’re serious about challenging systemic barriers in our collections and institutions, we also need to challenge them in our events and venues. Accessibility isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of inclusion. (Photo taken at Tony Heaton’s 2023 exhibit: Altered in Leicester.) #Museums #AccessibilityMatters #InclusionInAction #Neurodivergence

I'm often asked my top 5 tips for a successful event, so here you go! 1: Do not have people on stage if they are not doing something. Only bring panellists or chairs up to speak and then find a graceful way to bring them back down! 2: Give people a chance to take it all in! Don't pack too much into your schedule and allow time for breaks and chatting. People need time to process, eat, use the bathroom etc. Sometimes our enthusiasm for the content makes us forget we are dealing with biological humans who have physiological needs! 3: Use as little video as possible and try to use it for dramatic effect rather than to give information. People are at a live event - they want to see real life people talking. 4: Allow panellists at least 10 minutes of time each plus q+a. They've travelled and prepared for this thing - let them make their points! 5: If you are designing an event, speak to a professional MC or events expert *early on* about your programme because once you've started booking things in, it can be often be tricky to walk them back. If you'd like to talk about how to get the most out of your next event, get in touch for a free pre-event consultation at www.whipsmartmedia.com I'll be at the Technology Industry Alliance's annual #TIATechfest tomorrow, (they do all of the above, btw), and it makes it for a really engaging day that's paced just right. Hope to see you tomorrow! https://lnkd.in/dZc9Ngs3

We have an important update on Mayfest to share with you. Over the last few months we’ve been doing some big thinking. And we’ve decided not to deliver a Mayfest programme in 2026. This year’s festival was a joy, but in the background we were battling with rapidly rising costs, partners facing economic challenges of their own, and a lower than expected box office. Despite our best efforts, we found ourselves stretched much too thinly. As a result, we’ve decided to not deliver a Mayfest programme in 2026. We haven’t taken this decision lightly. This pause is a strategic choice, a moment to breathe, rethink, and regroup. We need to find new ways to continue creating the extraordinary experiences you have come to love, but we also urgently need your help. Much of the vital work we do outside of Mayfest goes unseen—nurturing artists, hosting transformative residencies, and producing innovative new work. These things are just as crucial as stabilising our immediate financial future. That is why we’re launching a drive to raise £30,000. In all of our time doing this work we’ve never felt like the world needs joyful and thoughtful experiences of togetherness, beauty, reflection and solidarity more. And yet it's never been harder to make that happen. With your support, we can continue to do this. Read the full blogpost via the link below to find out how you can support our campaign. Thank you for believing in us, for standing by us, and for being part of this incredible journey. 💛 Read the full blogpost: https://lnkd.in/eFR46yxg

Manchester Tech Festival Founder and all-around excellent human posted today about 99 Second Talks. Below is the reply I added to her post. It could be useful if you're on the fence about public speaking. If you could also add your advice and encouragement to her post, that would be awesome pals (with luck you should see it linked below)! ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ To build on what Amy said above, here are two things that will make it easier to do. 𝟭) 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: The organisers and attendees of MTF want you to win! Speaking in front of a supportive, encouraging crowd helps take the edge off. And if I'm there, I'll be your personal cheerleader (although FYI - I cannot promise pompoms 😅). 𝟮) 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: One great format for this is 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵. This format is perfect because it's based on your personal story, real-world experiences, and personal anecdotes. It's much harder to be challenged about being "right" or "wrong" when you speak from your own experience and share your own insights. Here's how you apply these to Amy's negative self-talk examples above! 🐝 "𝙄'𝙢 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠": See 1) & 2)! 🐝 "𝙄'𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚": See 1)! 🐝 "𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙮": See 1) & 2)! 🐝 "𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩?": See 1) & 2)! 🐝 "𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚": See 2)! HTH 🙏🏾 https://lnkd.in/e2aWVP9U

Sync the City 2024 – what an event! 🙌 This year, I had the privilege of returning not just as an opening keynote speaker but also as a mentor for one of the incredible teams during the 54-hour marathon – emphasis on incredible! With 56 one-minute pitches kicking things off, it may well have been a record. That’s one solid hour of bold, diverse ideas: from AI-powered cold water showers to apps tackling loneliness among young people. I had the pleasure of mentoring the team behind Beacon, an AI-driven matchmaking platform for mentors and mentees, led by the brilliant Floyd Sayers. For those who don’t know, Floyd is a seven-year Sync the City veteran, making my job a little easier (thank you, Floyd!). Watching 10 strangers come together to build not just the AI behind Beacon but also craft a full brand, a website, and a solid business case with financials – all within 54 hours – was nothing short of inspiring. You should be immensely proud of yourselves. Achieving that in a few months is impressive; doing it in a few days is extraordinary. As a mentor, I also got a behind-the-scenes look at the sheer mountain of work the organisers handle to pull off this event. Wrangling 150 attendees, 20+ mentors and experts, a venue, tech, food, and everything else – I’m in awe. Norwich is incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated individuals in its community. Personally, I owe my career to the hard work and vision that makes Sync the City possible. To echo my keynote, remember, this is only the beginning. For anyone who is wondering what’s next after Sync the City, here are some things to keep the momentum going: Get along to "Sync the City 24: Next Steps" hosted by Akcela. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eWi4CaXv UEA students or graduates, reach out to the amazing team at UEA Student Enterprise for advice, support, and resources to help you take the next step: https://lnkd.in/eJpEkAcv Need some help, but not sure who to speak to? Feel free to drop me a message and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction. Norwich is, quite literally, full of people who would be more than happy to help.

Exciting news for those seeking a unique way to usher in the new year! Warsaw, Indiana, is hosting the 2025 Kickoff: Letting Go Plate Smash on January 18, an innovative event where community members can come together to literally smash away the negativity of the past and step into the new year with clear intentions and positivity. This act of breaking plates isn't just about shattering ceramics; it's a deeply symbolic gesture of release, allowing participants to let go of whatever holds them back. Beyond the smashing, the event promises a day of connection, live music, local food, and workshops aimed at personal growth and goal-setting for a transformative year ahead. With safety measures firmly in place, it’s an opportunity for individuals to engage in a meaningful ritual, surrounded by a supportive community, making it more than just an event—it’s a communal leap towards positivity and renewed energy for 2025. Let's embrace this creative approach to personal and collective renewal as we smash our way into a year of promise and possibility. #NewYear2025 #PlateSmash #CommunityEvent #PersonalGrowth #InnovativeCelebration https://lnkd.in/gFhvbwGU