Conference 2023

This conference was held in Lincoln in February. As well as panel discussions and academic papers, discussion centred on the position of consumer co-operatives today, with the aim of sharing and showcasing ideas about how Societies engage with members - from members investing in their societies, to increasing members share of purchases, to involvement in society democracy.  Questions explored included:

What today is best practice in member engagement? 

It is said that the Covid pandemic has advanced the use of IT in business by twenty years in two. How have Co-ops embraced online meetings and member events? 

Has this led to an evolution in member democracy? 

Today we have more data about our members and their purchasing habits than ever. How is this shaping our relationship with them?  

The Conference was designed as blend of presentations, discussion and visits, allowing attendees to consider ‘What Works Well’ from different angles, to give space to engage colleagues in discussion, and to provide an opportunity to reflect on how good practice in one place might be adopted elsewhere and how ideas might best be acted on.