Blog
News, ideas and updates from The Meaning Team and friends.
18 March 2023
Meaning is dead. Long live meaning!
It’s time to make it official.
28 March 2021
Living with uncertainty
An update on Meaning’s plans… there are no plans! And that’s okay.
13 August 2020
Meaning postponed until 2021
We’ve made the tough decision we knew we might have to make. The next Meaning has been postponed until Thursday 11 November 2021.
9 January 2020
Seven big thoughts and ideas from Meaning 2019
In her review of Meaning 2019, Claudia Cahalane pulls out the big ideas that had the most impact on her thinking. In this guest post, she reflects on democracy, ownership, co-ops and more.
3 December 2019
Meaning 2019: a review
Meaning 2019 was bursting with challenges, ideas, stories and emotions. To help us digest everything that was shared in Brighton 14 November, we asked Anca Rusu of ethical.net to tell us what she thought…
27 November 2019
Putting a price on Meaning
Balancing sustainability, viability, fairness and inclusivity in our ticket pricing…
22 November 2019
Meaning 2019: a visual tour
Coach, artist and CEO of Conscious U* shares her visual notes from Meaning 2019. A beautiful and creative journey through a day of challenge, inspiration and hope.
6 November 2019
Tony’s coming back to Brighton…
Tony’s Chocolonely is a brave brand doing things differently in an industry full of problems. We learned loads at Meaning 2017 – so we’ve invited Tony’s back to Brighton. And they may have some treats for us…
3 October 2019
Guest post: Trialing the four day workweek
Support for a shorter working week is gathering political momentum, but implementing such a policy will be a complicated process. How many organisations can afford to put people before profit and make the shift? Well-being company Memiah are walking the talk in conducting a rigorous four-day-week trial with their 30+ person team. Memiah exec Amie Sparrow explains how the trial is designed…
24 September 2019
Guest post: Consumer or citizen? Reframing our role in society
If we’re serious about rethinking the workings of our economy, we must also reconsider our own identities. Are we mere consumption machines out to get the best deal? Or are we citizens, able to participate in society with intentions beyond self-interest?
18 September 2019
Guest post: Mindfully meaningless – now what?
Mindfulness – the new opiate of the people or a vital survival tool for modern life? Or both? Mark Leonard examines the missing element in contemporary mindfulness practice – one that could transform it into a catalyst for systemic change.
9 May 2019
Meaning 2019 is go. Time for the big reveal.
Our event director Louise Ash reveals what keeps her awake at night, and how the first five Meaning speakers are going to help with that.
16 April 2019
Meaning Spotlight: Anand Giridharadas
Meaning Spotlight, at Brighton’s Old Market on 9 June, promises to be an evening of insightful analysis, shocking honesty, and informed analysis of where we’ve gone wrong – and how we can get back on track.
6 March 2019
It’s Meaning game night – play the 2030 SDGs Game with us!
Plagued with existential anxiety about the future of the planet? Desperately wondering what you can do to make a difference? Same here. Join us for an evening of game play as we collectively explore our role in meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
28 February 2019
Making purpose matter: 3 tensions to accelerate your purpose journey
We work amid a growing recognition of the value of purpose in our organizations. BRIDGE Partnership’s James Boddy acknowledges the role of purpose, while warning of mistakes that are often made on this journey.
18 December 2018
Atif Choudhury: serial social entrepreneur
At Meaning 2018, we met Atif Choudhury. As well as being co-founder of Zaytoun, he leads an organisation called Diversity and Ability, with a strong message about opportunities for disabled and neurodiverse people.
21 November 2018
Meaning 2018 review: the search for meaning
Meaning 2018 was a day that brought global concerns together with personal stories of loss and empowerment. Editor of Ethos magazine Lucy Chesters provides a thorough overview of what was shared and what was learned.
7 November 2018
Humility and hope in the future of business
Our friends at Roffey Park Institute are partnering with us on this year’s Meaning. We got to know their new CEO Robert Coles to find out more about his vision for the future of business.
31 October 2018
Bridging the gap between art and business
Amy Whitaker continues a fine tradition that seeks to understand the blend between the worlds of business and the arts.
29 October 2018
A businessman and a comedian walk into a bar…
From the Cambridge Footlights to the boardrooms of FTSE 100 companies – we find out what’s shaped Neil’s personal mission.
23 October 2018
Business as unusual: meet the disruptors
Tired of the hackneyed claims of disruptive innovation? We think these companies are doing it for real. And doing it for good.
23 October 2018
Interview: Nikki Gatenby, author of SUPERENGAGED
What does it take to lead a succesful team of happy, fully engaged people?
17 October 2018
Conscious business leadership with Timothy Henry
Ahead of his talk at Meaning 2018 we caught up with Timothy Henry to find out more about his personal journey to conscious capitalism.
11 October 2018
The future world of work
What do you want to be when you grow up?
10 October 2018
This love thing. It’s problematic.
Just why is ‘love’ a four letter word at work?
23 May 2018
A Quest for Meaning — join us to watch a remarkable film
Two young men’s voyage around the world to learn different ways to think and live.
28 March 2018
Meaning Fringe 2017 — the events
A review of the wonderful community-driven gatherings that made 2017’s Meaning bigger and better than ever before.
6 December 2017
Meaning 2017 — creativity, community and fringe innovation
As the dust settles after our sixth annual gathering, we look back on Meaning 2017
21 November 2017
On pity and politeness, or why charities need a communications rethink
Are pity and charity the most appropriate responses to people are need, or should we reframe our responses with a more respectful attitude?
17 November 2017
Is shared ownership a way of connecting people to meaningful work?
An exploration of whether we work differently when we own a part of the company we work for.
7 November 2017
Who do we choose to be?
What is the significance of Margaret Wheatley’s voice in the search for better, more mindful leadership?
29 September 2017
Purpose eats chocolate for breakfast…
Hear the story of a business created to disrupt a much-loved industry with a troubling secret.
11 July 2017
When art meets economics…
An artist and an economist meet to discuss how we might adapt our lives to the challenge of climate change.
13 June 2017
Meet Meaning 2017’s guest director…
An introduction to a handful of our thought-provoking Meaning 2017 speakers
22 May 2017
Your invitation to organise a Meaning 2017 Fringe event…
We’re asking you to make Meaning 2017 better than ever
17 March 2017
A carbon-conscious event case study
What we did to measure, reduce and offset the environmental impact of Meaning 2016.