EMG is holding a CSR Workshop this summer in the heart of Cambridge, at the University of Cambridge. The CSR Summit, Cambridge, will be running this two day workshop, with a selection of sessions and networking opportunities with attendees from around the world and across the various sectors.
The following is an interview with Katarina McCartney, a consultant at EMG, who together with colleagues realised the inclusive opportunity in bringing clients and partners together with other CSR and sustainability professionals from across the world and is now organising and planning the CSR Summit Cambridge 2015, CSR workshop.
So, Kat, what spurred this idea to hold this CSR Workshop?
It fills a familiar need for our fellow CSR professionals to be given the opportunity to meet each other, to share experiences and to connect. We are seeing real excitement and expression of ambition surrounding CSR in the people we meet, we wanted to help drive this spirit forwards.
So it is mainly about networking and engagement?
Yes, but not just that, we will have certified workshops, where we will be sharing experiences of exciting range of CSR successes stories, concepts to strive for and ideas for ongoing connection.
We have planned for CSR Summit Cambridge to have a good mix of chances to network and chances to learn from other organisations experiences. The day will allow attendees to take part in workshops, chat during break-out and refreshments, hear presentations and participate in free-flow, as well as facilitated, networking sessions.
…..and, what’s the theme of the event?
Well, we feel there is a great opportunity in providing an uplifting, engaging and meaningful event, to bring together the many ‘open minds’ and ignite formal and informal partnerships. We hope to provide a refreshing message, that we can all engage in the idea that we should all being doing more good, not just less bad.
We have a range of focus areas, with certifiable CSR workshops in measuring and reporting, strategy and implementation, stakeholder engagement and communication and debate which will cover trends and best practice case studies.
This is EMG’s first CSR Summit Cambridge event, will you be holding others?
This year we have the CSR workshops as the main function of the CSR Summit Cambridge.
As this our first event of this kind, we have an exciting opportunity for attendees and their organisations; all 2015 attending organisations will be given the opportunity to become Founding Members of the CSR Summit Cambridge.
The CSR Summit Cambridge Founding Members Representatives, will be invited to take part in a special CSR workshop (during the 2015 event) to plan the summit into the future and will become a contact point for EMG to sound ideas with and plan events for our collective good.
We will, in this way, be able to plan events to cater for the ambitions and needs of those engaged in CSR and development of sustainable practices, ensure relevance of the summit and build a network for future engagement between attendees. We hope that founding member organisations will be proud of their affiliation with this event, as it grows in the future and will engage with the different staff strengths across their organisation in shaping this forum.
What are you most looking forward to for this event?
I am really excited about the event, meeting all the representatives from each organisation and finding out what the different sector’s ambitions and achievements are. The event itself has been planned to be fun, fun and informative, so it will be a good day in the office, however, I think it will be the relationships and ongoing partnerships made at the event, which I will most enjoy being a part of and hearing about.
Article: CSR workshop