About Marketplace - Speed Dating meets Wall Street
Presented by Volunteering Queensland in an Australian
first, Marketplace is an event that brokers relationships between
not for profits and community organisations and corporate, for profit
businesses. The aim is simply to support each group through information
sessions and consultation to understand the tremendous opportunities to
both parties, and then bring them together in an exciting spontaneous
Marketplace, where skills, ideas, people, and time is exchanged for partnership
in exciting, socially responsible projects. At Marketplace, Speed Dating
meets the Wall Street stock exchange as representatives mingle and barter
to meet their needs and realize opportunities.
The information sessions
Information sessions are scheduled in the lead up to National Volunteer Week to help corporate and community organisations who have registered for Marketplace to make the most of the event. You only need to attend one information session. The information sessions will provide information about Marketplace’s origins, examples of projects, and different ways that community and corporate organisations can contribute. An information kit will be provided at the information sessions. Following these sessions one hour will be available for one to one consultation to ensure all questions and challenges are appropriately addressed. We can also arrange consultation at another time to suit your needs to ensure your team is ready to make the most out of Marketplace.
The event
Marketplace is essentially a networking event with tangible, socially responsible outcomes. The aim is that by the end of the event, community and corporate organisations have met, matched a gift (a team of people, a set of skills) with a need, and agreed to work with each other. Marketplace produces partnerships for the good of the community.
Who will attend?
It is important to note that this is the first Marketplace to be run in Australia. Because of this, we intend to start small. We have just 25 community places and 25 corporate places. We aim to grow quickly, and present three Marketplaces each year, so if you miss out this time, watch this space! Another Marketplace is on its way!
Participants will be required to register, and it will be a first in first served basis.
How will we track the matches that happen at Marketplace?
A number of volunteers will be on site as Marketplace Officials. These volunteers will record the basic details of the agreements being formed and share the matches with the group during the post event drinks.
Who is responsible for the Marketplace partnerships?
The two parties that agree to the arrangement are responsible for management and implementation of the project. Volunteering Queensland can be contacted for assistance.
How will we measure the success of Marketplace?
Volunteering Queensland will follow up with Marketplace participants for evaluation purposes, and to track the successes and challenges of the matches made on the day. This will feed into making marketplace stronger and better the next time around.
The result
The opportunities of Marketplace are bounded only by our imaginations. Here are some potential outcomes of Marketplace:
• Whole of community building
• Effective and rewarding partnerships between the not for profit
and corporate sectors
• Team building with community benefits
• Much needed resources for not for profit and community organisations
• A new level of corporate social responsibilities
• Achievement of community needs
• ‘Hands on’ engagement in corporate community partnerships
rather than purely financial sponsorship