NETWORKING Conference to promote International Volunteering

The Conference offers- visibility/networking/learning, this will act as a global meeting where organisations can have bilateral and multilateral meetings – providing them with the chance to get to know in more depth each other’s projects and needs, round tables will take place, inviting experts in marketing and promotion and successful financial management (entrepreneurs, institutions, expert IVS organisations).

• Bilaterals/Multilaterals networking meetings;
• Round tables inviting organisations with expertise on marketing and promotion and successful financial management to share their stories;
• Future planning of activities together;
• An in-depth look at issues facing the IVS network and how we can respond to this through the trainings offered by the Capacity building;
• Experts will be invited for an open conference, which will focus on ‘Building Partnerships for Successful Volunteering Projects’, it will provide an opportunity between the Conference participants and the external invitees to engage, exchange and develop cooperation. The objective is to provide more information about possibilities to strengthen cooperation between the IVS sector and external stakeholders in order to promote and improve volunteering opportunities for young people.

The day-by-day program – this may be subject to change as the Conference program develops
The Conference will start with introductions and explanations about the program flow and the activities included in the project.

It will include peer-to-peer training – presentations of best practices coming from NGOs having experience in one of the training themes – communication and marketing or on finances. 10 presentations will take place, 2 rounds of 5 presentations followed by two rounds of workshops, the participants will be able to join two workshops. Each workshop will last for one hour and will give time to go into more depth on the good practices and for the participants to ask any questions.

There will be three sessions for bilateral and multilateral meetings over the three days, these will be organised in such a way that the participants will be given a timetable and will be asked to fill in the slots to have the meetings. Each slot will last 30 minutes. This will give the participants an important time to learn from each other, to develop partnerships and possibilities for future cooperation.

Experts on Marketing and Communication and Finances will be invited. There will be one session per expert and all participants can join both presentations.
The participants will develop the guidelines for the Local Hub activities. They will develop a common vision for the project and work on a process document for the project.
External stakeholders invited for the conference will engage in round tables with the participants – this will give the chance to hear presentations from each of the stakeholders coming from institutions, universities, agencies, the corporate sector, etc… and for participants to in turn share information about their local projects.

The open conference will focus on Building Partnerships for Successful Volunteering projects. Speakers will be invited to take the stage and the conference will follow with a question-and-answer exchange. The objective is to provide more information about possibilities to strengthen cooperation between the IVS sector and external stakeholders in order to promote and improve volunteering opportunities for young people.

Natalie has been inspired by and passionate about non-formal learning since her first experience that happened more than 20 years ago. As a trainer and facilitator, she supports learning processes and personal development of youngsters and adults (alone or in groups) since 2002. Since that time she has also been in the volunteering field and for many years now actively involved in CVS-Bulgaria and SCI. Natalie loves to meet people, create new learning opportunities and facilitate group processes.

Katalin has long term experience on finance in for-profit and non-profit sector as an economist. She is an expert in leadership, strategy, and Lean business development. Held various finance management positions at multinational companies in Hungary and France and served 2 terms as a member of International Executive Committee of Service Civil International. After a sector shift 3 years ago she worked at a hungarian NGO aiming to support lonely elderly by volunteer service. Just recently she opted for the challenge to drive organizational change at BHRG Model in Budapest. She believes that everyone can learn finance and that it can be easy and fun.