On the 10th March I delivered a workshop on social marketing in Athens. The conference took place at Technopolis, an old Athens Gasworks, widely known as Gazi, next to Keramikos and a couple of Metro stops from the Acropolis.
The aim of the conference was to explore social businesses, specifically the Pan-Hellenic Social Cooperatives (KoiSPE), the first established form of social economy in Greece. The KoiSPE Federation was established against a backdrop of economic meltdown in Greece and sharing the sustainability strategies of these Cooperatives and exploring other European examples was of paramount interest. The KoiSPE structure specifically involves a high ratio of mental health professional to workers which is a legacy of the institutions they have developed out of.
Amidst much enthusiasm, exasperation, energy, anger, warmth and overall frendliness, the conference organisers tried to retain order as delegates came and went as they pleased (how very different from our own regimental vuvuzela-orchestrated conference was last summer!).
I didn't get to the conference until late on the Wednesday due to my flight times so ducked in to get a feel for the type of presentations being delivered to match their expectations. Translators were on hand and did a great job (I think!). They were a lot more text-heavy than I'm used to so promptly went back to my hotel to rewrite. The hotel had a great location though had the stale aroma of cigarette smoke we've so quickly become unaccustomed to...
The 3 day conference was heavy on content, with 2-3 hour marathon sessions at a time (you can see how attendance became a bit fluid) and the days running from 9am to 9pm! Presentations were in-depth, often challenging (and challenged) yet always appreciated. The sector in Greece faces many difficulties - but most of which we're all too familiar with - government spending cuts, lack of alternative funding, (inherited) workforce with a lack of business skills, a psychiatric environment and a huge hurdle with regards to developing businesses which are sustainable and selling goods and services which are marketable.
After an introduction from Alexandros Kraous on Social Economy in the European Parliament, good practice presentations from across Europe were presented and discussed. Belgium, Germany, Italy and France were represented and Sheila Durie from the SROI network had a stint. The various KoiSPEs then presented and discussed their own progress to heated debate. This was followed by issues relating specifcally to the challenges around employment and those with mental health needs.
My own workshop was scheduled to start at 6pm and duly began at 7pm. A respectable number of marketing stalwarts pitched up (almost exclusively women) and my host, Athena Frangouli (President of the Provisional Coordinative Committee of the Pan-Hellenic Federation of KoiSPE and Speech & Language Therapist at the Society of Social Psychiatry & Mental Health) gave me a great introduction. About half the presentation was about the difference between social marketing and marketing a social business - it may seem a little hair-splitting but was an important distinction to make due to budgetry considerations. I fielded a spirited Q&A (considering the hour) and could not have felt more at home.
I coerced Sheila into a much-needed pint at a local bar and we got back in time to have dinner at Athena's, accompanied by Bernard Jacob, Christiane Haerlin and Bob Grove. Athena's flat overlooked the Acropolis and set the scene for an evening of conviviality, great food and flowing wine.
After breakfast overlooking the aforementioned Acropolis I left my bag at the desk and had to take a closer look. It was packed, breath-taking and peacful - all at the same time. Had very little time so practically ran round navigating schoolchildren and tourists. Bit of a tick-box but worth it.
On my journey back I reflected on the last few days and am left hoping they manage to make the KoiSPEs work and vowing to visit them when next in the country.
Sara McGinley