With impact investing gaining traction globally, Europe has emerged as a major hub for conferences and events focused on driving capital towards enterprises solving social and environmental issues. In 2023, key European impact investing conferences will bring together investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities in deploying private capital for positive impact. These events will cover major themes like clean energy, financial inclusion, healthcare access and sustainable agriculture. Some flagship conferences to watch out for are the Skoll World Forum, IMPACT Forum and the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA) Annual Conference.
Skoll World Forum driving large-scale social change through impact investing
The Skoll World Forum hosted annually at the University of Oxford is one of the most prestigious global events focused on social entrepreneurship and impact investing. The 2023 forum from April 18-20 will bring together over 1,000 international delegates including leading impact investors, innovative entrepreneurs, philanthropists and policymakers. With the theme ‘Accelerating Solutions in Crisis’, discussions will centre on catalysing progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals amidst global crises and building collaborative approaches to tackle pressing societal issues. This high-level forum will highlight impact investment opportunities across sectors like clean energy access, quality education, financial inclusion and sustainable agriculture across Europe and beyond.
IMPACT Forum connecting European impact ecosystem
The IMPACT Forum hosted by the European Venture Philanthropy Association is the key gathering for European impact investors and philanthropists driving capital towards high-impact enterprises. The 2023 forum in Paris from June 13-14 will focus on priorities and challenges for scaling the impact investment market across Europe. It will connect over 500 delegates from impact funds, foundations, financial institutions and social enterprises across 30 countries to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange on best practices. Key discussion themes will cover trends in outcomes-based financing, blended finance instruments to bridge SDG funding gaps, measuring and improving social impact, and developing supportive policy frameworks for the impact ecosystem.
EVPA Annual Conference 2023 discussing societal recovery through impact investing in Milan
As a key industry association for European impact investors, the EVPA Annual Conference is a top platform for exchanging insights on developing the impact ecosystem. The 2023 conference in Milan from November 15-17 will highlight sustainable and inclusive models of societal progress to drive recovery in the post-pandemic world. Centred around the theme ‘Investing for Societal Recovery’, over 500 participants will discuss impact strategies and innovations in healthcare, future of work, sustainable infrastructure and financial inclusion across underserved communities. The event will also analyse trends in gender and racial equity considerations among investors and social enterprises working to build resilient societies and balanced economic opportunities for all.
With increasing focus on stakeholder capitalism and sustainable finance in Europe, impact investing conferences in 2023 will spur networks, knowledge sharing and capital alignments to drive tangible progress on societal and planetary imperatives like climate action, reduced inequality and human development in the region and beyond.