From inclusive culture to engaged corporate communication: the BLF Summit will once again address a wide range of ESG topics

What challenges does the present time bring for responsible entrepreneurship? What is essential for creating an inclusive culture within a company or organisation? And what should be the stance of companies on sensitive social issues? These and many other questions will be addressed at the conference on the 25^th of October, which will take place in the event space Kulturama.

20 years of responsible entrepreneurship

“20 years ago, our conference was the first and for many years the only event in Slovakia focused on topics of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Today, we present it under the umbrella of the Business Leaders Forum association, which has been equally committed to the issue of responsible entrepreneurship for just as long. At the same time, we have adapted its content to a broader audience, who can watch the event online,” says Ivana Vagaská, the executive director of the Business Leaders Forum.

The opening of the event will focus on data from a survey on responsible entrepreneurship, which the Business Leaders Forum (BLF) association has been conducting with the FOCUS agency every other year since 2004. “Thanks to our continuous collaboration with the FOCUS agency, we can compare these unique data and thus get a picture of how the perception of responsible entrepreneurship by the Slovak public has changed over the last two decades,” adds Vagaská. The survey results will be presented by the renowned sociologist and director of the FOCUS agency, Martin Slosiarik.

Business topics as well as inspirations for personal life

Both local and foreign speakers will appear at this year’s BLF Summit. “We are very glad that Jonna Louvrier from the Finnish consulting organisation Includia Leadership accepted our invitation to the conference. Host Lukáš Bakoš will also discuss with her about what we can draw inspiration from in terms of the Finnish approach to diversity and inclusion,” describes Miroslava Gočálová, programme manager of BLF, responsible for the organisation of the event.

Another international speaker is Thomas Kolster, a renowned expert from Denmark linking topics of marketing, business, and sustainable development. He will present within a block of four 20-minute sessions led by host Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, who will also interview experts such as artificial intelligence expert Mária Bieliková and youth needs specialist Tomáš Pešek.

The event will also address the topic of engaged corporate communication and the stance of companies on sensitive social issues. Taking part in the discussion will be Petra Novotná from Slovak Telekom, Michal Meško from Martinus, advertising expert Róbert Slovák, joined by Martina Bechyňová from the Czech company Liftago, known for combating hate speech on social media with humour.

The SDG Awards and discussion tables will also be featured

A traditional part of the conference is the presentation of the SDG Awards. “The Pontis Foundation, in collaboration with the Tesco Foundation, will once again award recognition for contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, given to an organisation or individual with a compelling story, demonstrable impact, and the potential to inspire others,” adds M. Gočálová.

Among the most popular parts of the conference each year are the discussion tables, which will be accessible to in-person attendees at Kulturama. Once again, they will have the opportunity to informally delve into topics such as inclusive culture, supporting women’s health (not only) in companies, challenges associated with mandatory CSRD reporting, circular economy as part of ESG strategy, or Employee Resource Groups.

At Kulturama, we will welcome approximately 100 invited guests, primarily from BLF member companies. The general public will be able to watch the BLF Summit online from the comfort of their homes and offices completely free of charge.