One of the things I took away from the Social Enterprise World Forum was to spend funds whenever possible and support fair trade vendors.
This conference was unique in many ways. Instead of bottled water bottles, water was served from pitchers. Food provided for several of the events include fair trade wines, fruit, and chocolate. So the conference itself not only supported these fine establishments but also raised awareness to the attendees of the variety of social enterprises that are available and encouraged delegates to seek these vendors out whenever they host such an event.
In addition, one of the featured booths at the conference, Determined to Succeed, showcased a local high school that was recognized for its educational programs in social enterprise. I purchased a Shared Earth jute bag from the booth which benefited the organization. Scottish high school students had raised 1000 pounds over the two and 1/2 day event which will help educate 200 students for an entire year in Africa.
I'm now looking at other ways I can include social enterprises into 1000 Cranes business practices. I will keep you posted in the weeks and months to come!
How can you integrate fair trade and social enterprise vendors into your business practices?
What can you do to educate your customers about fair trade organizations?
What can you do to influence your conference planners to consider using these vendors?
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