October Talk and (Home) Feast: The Offers and Needs Market
By Mario Paredes
Someone in your community has the missing piece to help you move your ideas and projects to the next level; the trick is to know who they are. An Offers and Needs Market (https://www.postgrowth.org/offers-and-needs-markets) is a fast process where you (virtually) meet likeminded people who want to create a better economy, and who are willing to connect. The idea is to identify and exchange passions, knowledge, skills, resources and needs. You can do it for free, bartering, or for a set rate.
The benefits are increased community engagement, higher social capital, and a vibrant local economy aiming at being better – not bigger.
The process was developed by Donnie Maclurcan in 2011. He also founded the Post-Growth Institute, www.postgrowth.org, which steers the Offers and Needs Markets.
Markets have been run in more than 30 locations worldwide, engaging over 1200 people, with 53% of participants finding a possible collaborator. Not only that, 50% of people report an increased willingness to trust others, and 77% find it easier to express their needs and offers.
The Offers and Needs Market follows a 10-stage process to inspire participants to embrace community exchange:
- Exploration of offers: You decide what to offer, and you can offer anything
- The offers market: You hear all the offers in your group
- Networking: Connect with the people whose offers interest you
- Exploration of needs: You list what you need for your projects and ideas
- The needs market: You hear all the needs in your group
- Networking and rotation: Connect with the people whose needs interest you
- Prioritising offers and needs: Decide on what need and offers are more important for you
- The offers and needs market: You hear all the needs and offers yet to be matched
- Final networking: Connect with the relevant people
- Celebration: Celebrate!
Participants are in for an increased level of connection with their community, plus the process itself is an opportunity to discover and to value what you have to offer. This event is a way to connect with existing resources in order to support and amplify the knowledge and practice already out there.
Do you need to prepare anything?
Get started finding your ‘offers’ and ‘needs’ before the event. Take 3 minutes today to come up with an answer to each of these questions:
- What do you really enjoy, but just don’t have the chance to do?
- What information (however trivial) do you know better than most people?
- What ability does everyone compliment you on?
- What obstacle in work or life is frustrating you right now?
- What would help your business or passionate project take off?
- What knowledge or skill do you wish you had?
Write down your answers and remember to have a pen and paper handy on the day.
AJ Tennant
….is a communications expert and facilitator working for passion not profit. After years working with agencies, charities and government he turned green. He now supports purpose-driven organisations, to better communicate with each other, the media and their audiences. He’s a media team leader and spokesperson with Extinction Rebellion.
DATE AND TIME
Thursday 15th October 2020 from 7pm to 9:30pm
ONLINE ACCESS
Links for the digital screening and zoom forum will be emailed to participants who have registered via Trybooking at 5.30pm the day of the event when bookings close
TICKETS
$10
Please note that bookings for this event will close by 5.30pm the day of the event.
