This document discusses Le Mat, a social brand and franchise system developed by social entrepreneurs in Italy to create jobs and opportunities for excluded people through sustainable tourism. It describes how Le Mat began with one small hotel in Italy and has grown to include over 16 locations through a social franchising model. The document outlines the vision, mission and values of Le Mat, which is to use tourism and hospitality jobs to empower people and communities. It also provides details about the process required for a new organization to become a Le Mat special place, including training, consultation, and quality standards required to use the Le Mat brand.

3. Le Mat
a social brand and franchise system
developed and owned by social
entrepreneurs
London, Richmond Fellowship
the 11th of November 2014
Renate Goergen

4. Since the 80ties as a result of the closing process of
Psychiatric Hospitals, the battling against prisons
and for inclusion of unemployed and excluded
people Italy’s social entrepreneurs started to
develop social cooperatives in order to create jobs
and a better life.
They act in the general interest of the
communities for a more sustainable and inclusive
development….they create not only jobs in many
economic sectors but also social and democratic
capacities for members and workers and specially
for people with lower social opportunities…

5. Who are social entrepreneurs?
Social entrepreneurs are
individuals with innovative
solutions to society’s most
pressing social problems. They are
ambitious and persistent, tackling
major social issues and offering
new ideas for wide-scale change.
Rather than leaving societal needs
to the government or business
sectors, social entrepreneurs find
what is not working and solve the
problem by changing the system,
spreading the solution, and
persuading entire societies to take
new leaps….ASHOKA

6. The Le Mat people decided to become
social entrepreneurs
• To battle against stigma and to invent
interesting and decent (and paid) work
• To live in their communities as responsible and
included citizens and to act for a more
sustainable development
• To battle against unemployment and social
exclusion by self-help, collective self-employment,
social entrepreneurship
• To feel socially useful and EMPOWERED

8. Who and what is Le Mat?
• A brand standing for social entrepreneurs in tourism
• A assembled know how to become a successful social
entrepreneur in tourism
• A group of social entrepreneurs and tourism experts
working as consultants, mentors, supporters
• A way to replicate successful experiences in tourism
and recovery and to avoid errors
• A way to transfer experiences and to share marketing
strategies
• A growing European Network of social entrepreneurs
welcoming travelers
• A SOCIAL FRANCHISE SYSTEM developed and owned
by social entrepreneurs

9. Our first Hotel “HOTEL TRITONE” in 1985 was small and old – 18 rooms
without bathrooms.
To create some decent jobs and more sustainability we had to restore
the building and to reach a middle size standard accommodation.
It took us about 3 years to find the money and than we started again
with 16 rooms all with bathrooms.
Hotel Tritone is still a nice accommodation and the staff is teaching to
the new Le Mats how to become good hoteliers

10. In fact, after the first years managing HOTEL TRITONE we
decided that ACCOGLIENZA and SUSTAINABLE TOURISM had
to be our job, our business model!
10
We developed our competences, the organization, the
marketing concepts…
We knew to be UNIQUE but we had to stabilize our product,
the services…
We wanted travelers to come back and we wanted to
guarantee for our clients always the same quality…

11. ACCOGLIENZA IS A HARD BUT EXITING WORK!!!!!!
In many years we learned how to become
an INNOVATIVE TOURISTIC PRODUCT!!!
And the economic results of our marketing strategy
permitted to create 6 ½ good jobs in Hotel Tritone!!!!!
We learned that our story-telling could make the
difference in creating the loyalty of travelers!
So we started to think about branding and
replication: the special Le Mat places

12. In 2000 the European Programme EQUAL gave us the
chance to try to realize a big development project. We
worked as a partnership of social entrepreneurs all
over Italy together with Hotel and Tourism experts,
and with the associations of people with disabilities.
- From 2001 to 2005 we worked on developing the
SOCIAL BRAND Le Mat, to write the Manuals, to
experiment replication in Italy together with 14
other social co-operatives.
- We learned about the possibility to apply
franchising in the social and tourism sector.
- We developed our own SOCIAL FRANCHISING
SYSTEM

13. SOCIAL FRANCHISING IN 2000 WAS SOMETHING NEW FOR SOCIAL
ENTREPRENEURS!
“If somebody uses resources merely “to reinvent the wheel”, it is rightly
considered as a waste. Yet, the systematic replication of projects in the non-profit
sector still remains the exception to the rule. This is understandable -
many players in the so-called third sector rightly see themselves as “social
change agents” – as an outlet for innovation. They prefer to focus their
energies on the development of new approaches. Imitating those of others is
considered as “not sexy”. The result is one pilot project after the other. Many
prototypes, but few replications.
The potential gains offered by the scaling up of successful prototypes into
other places, have largely been neglected. There are, nevertheless, those
exceptions to the rule that show the following: Systematic replication with
local adaptation not only leads to greater efficiency and faster expansion. A
well-organised replication process can lead to intelligent project networks
with positive qualitative effects.”
Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen

14. Developing LE MAT
• We developed Manuals and we are still increasing them
• We developed training methodologies
• We developed the LE MAT MANIFESTO, the LE MAT
TRAVELER ASSOCIATION and the European Brand
Platform
• We developed blogs and social network activities
• We developed touristic products and relationships with
tour operators and sustainable touristic networks
• We work in our communities to develop touristic
systems wherever there is a LE MAT SPECIAL PLACE
• And we developed TERESA, the Le Mat traveller, as a
innovative storytelling marketing methodology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIBsSVp6xwM

15. At the moment there are more than 16 SPECIAL
PLACES LE MAT in ITALY and others are in a learning
process! It is possible to visit them all!

16. For example: the 2 Hotels/restaurants GRANCAN and LE SALETTE in
VERONA have about 30 rooms each, with bathrooms. The restaurants
work mainly with business clients from the wine producers in the area
and organize music and other events. A special characteristic of these
hotels are about 40 stable clients living here. They are persons with a
long psychiatric story. They have no own home but here they find an
“open community”. They have their privacy but they have also the
chance to work in the hotels.

17. The “Cadore Valley” is in the very north of Italy, in the high Dolomite
mountains. The story of the social co-operative here is deeply linked to
the social and economic weakness of the area. The former industry broke
down and people are unemployed. So a group of them decided to set up
a co-operative in order to do the community work and to welcome
travelers as a new job and development chance for the area!
Here you find a video
story about them:
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=__fSHw1jT
9I

18. Le Mat's social entrepreneurs like tourism to be
something more than spending free time and
consuming new adventures, more than a specialized
industry.
We like tourism as an opportunity to restore
communities and landscapes… a tourism able to open
minds towards those who are different from us, a
tourism where you meet people and where you can
listen to the thousands of stories and cultures of a local
community and where the local community is curious to
meet, to exchange and to welcome who comes from
abroad, discovering unknown methods, thoughts and
actions…

19. In 2008 we started the franchising process in Sweden
together with Vagen Ut a consortium of social co-operatives.
Today there are already 3 SPECIAL PLACES
in Sweden http://www.lemat.se/en/

21. LE MAT EUROPE was set up in 2008
We are working in POLAND, BOSNIA &
HERZEGOVINA, RUMANIA, SLOVENIA, GERMANY,
SPAIN……wherever there are social entrepreneurs
who want to learn and become part of our branding
and social franchising strategy
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

22. LOGO vs
THE SOCIAL FRANCHISING PROCESS
Step by step by step by step by step by step…..

23. Le Mat‘s Vision
From exclusion to Entrepreneurship:
Le Mat is a worldwide brand standing for special
places managed by special people and for
special values. Everybody can find real
„accoglienza“ and special values because the Le
Mat hotels, hostels or other places are managed
by people who experienced exclusion.

24. WHAT IS A SPECIAL PLACE LE MAT????
A Hotel, a Hostel, a B&B, a ship, a restaurant, a beach….a UNIQUE
PLACE, managed by UNIQUE PEOPLE with SPECIAL VALUES!
Guests feel to be in middle of social entrepreneurs, their colleagues and
friends, their local network: they feel to discover not only traditional tourist
sides but a SPECIAL WAY OF LIFE!
Travelers find a lot of information not only about the surroundings but
about relationships, the functioning of the enterprise, the costumers etc, a
good (equal) and traceable price, no physical, psychical, sensorial and
cultural barriers…..
The beds are really good, the breakfast is excellent and very nice people
give the welcome!
The traveler feels included in the community, as a citizen for a while
The quality card of THAT UNIQUE LE MAT and information about all the
OTHER LE MAT are available and you can become member of the Travelers’
Association Le Mat….and much more

25. Le Mat‘s Mission
• Le Mat is replicating through social franchising well
functioning experiences in the field of travelers
accommodation, local sustainable development and
empowerment of excluded people
• Le Mat develops tourist products which respect and
involve the local community‘s culture and history
• Le Mat‘s branding and marketing system is based on
storytelling and on the Le Mat traveler‘s experience
• We would like a Le Mat special place in each
community, in the metropolitan or rural areas.

26. How to become
a special place Le Mat
• You like our vision and you agree with our mission?
• You think that our values can be interesting not only for
workers and managers but also for travelers?
• You like to welcome travelers who are different from
yourself and need some help to feel secure ?
• You like to work in a group sharing the planning and
organizational activities and taking decisions together?
• You want to set up a business with a lot of
responsibilities towards other people, quite hard and
never the same?

27. YOU MAY BECOME A SPECIAL PLACE LE MAT
- You have to want it and to ask it
- We tell you about all the services we can offer
- You are asked to give a self description of your organization and
your plans
- We agree a visit, we analyse your project (the already existing
hotel/hostel or your needs and ideas to open one)
- We write a proposal about all the next steps you need to
become a LE MAT SPECIAL PLACE and the costs of our
consultancies
- You agree and we sign the contract TOWARDS BECOMING A LE
MAT
- At the end of the process you become a LE MAT SPECIAL PLACE,
you pay your yearly fee related to the services you want and
need and once a year we come and control!

28. Le Mat may be your permanent
social and business partner, your brand
• We help you to find YOUR SPECIAL PLACE, to set up your
business plan and to develop the best architectural
structure and interior design and furniture also if you have
already a place
• We show you other Le Mat stories with and you learn from
their stories, errors and successes
• We teach you a innovative marketing concept and many
other things you have to know to be a SPECIAL LE MAT
GROUP
• We never leave you alone because you will be part of the
growing Le Mat community – entrepreneurs and travelers
• We tell you what you are doing wrong and how you can
become better

29. Is there something else you have to know
before starting your LE MAT career?
- Yes, you have to know that we don‘t sell you the
license of the brand
- You have to use Le Mat’s graphic platform and
payoff
- You have to participate in the Le Mat community
life
- You have to write your own Manuals by using the
Le Mat Manuals with our help and support
- You have to follow our marketing strategies and to
learn the Le Mat story telling

30. STARTING with a group, clear ideas
and a story to tell!
Le Mat has to be a special place which means that
it has to be different from al the other places and
you have to tell WHY it is a special place!
Le Mat means special people are working and
planning here. So you have to tell us WHO are these
people and WHY they are special.
Le Mat stands also for special values. WHICH are
these values and HOW can the TRAVELER
experience them!

31. THE SPECIAL PLACE – standards and additional
services - organization - a methodology to
control costs and revenues, to develop marketing
strategy etc.
- Why this place and not another one?
- How many rooms?
- Describe the rooms
- Which kind of clients?
- Deciding the prices
- Where we find the clients?
- What services in addition?
- Let’s prepare the business plan!

32. The most important question is:
Who will manage the place?
Who will be the SPECIAL PEOPLE?
- They have to plan and to become responsible
- They have to choose their clients
- They have to develop the business plan
- To share the responsibilities
- They have to tell the story, every day, in the
Hotel and on the social networks…..

33. HOW to recruit workers and mangers?
It‘s important that those that work in Le Mat‘s
special places really take the choice to do it.
Accepting, learning and sharing responsibilities are
very important tools in any recovery process, in the
re-inclusion to work and in the empowerment
process
In order to take a choice you must know about your
opportunities, your career chances so you have to
be involved in the planning and decision processes.
That‘s why we believe in the co-operative model!

34. SPECIAL VALUES and LE MAT’S STORYTELLING
How do YOU choose YOUR Hotel?
- Certainly you will look to the price, the location, the accessibility but
you also would like to find a unique place, YOUR place!
- We all like to dream a little bit before traveling, we fancy the light,
the colours, the smell, the people and we would like to be sure to
give our money to the BEST people!
- And if our imagination was correct, if we found a place that
exceeded our expectations we will tell everybody about; instead if
their website and pictures told lies….we never will go back
Storytelling ha to be learnt but may be the best marketing tool we can use
because it involves the traveler before starting and possibly also after
The loyalty of clients is the most important partner in our business but it’s
sure that he has to find touchable VALUES!

35. The Le Mat Traveler
- We have to search our traveler, to
understand needs and values, to
welcome her/him in a very unique way.
- We have to tell her/him who we are and
ask her/him to become better in our job
- Than we can ask her/him also to speak
about us and our work…maybe our
traveler becomes our best and more
efficient agent
THE LE MAT TRAVELER IS A SPECIAL PERSON

36. BECOME A LE MAT TRAVELLER!

37. And last but not least an important question:
the Le Mat costs
We can help you to find the best LE MAT PLACE. We will evaluate the building
according to the potentiality to generate incomes and we will do it together with you
teaching you the methodology to link the value to your business plan..
We care about the human resources, the SPECIAL PEOPLE involved in the Le Mat
business from the chambermaid up to the manager. We want them to become able to
realize daily the most UNIQUE and SPECIAL LE MAT travelers ever visited. We are
convinced that they make the difference.
We don’t know how much training and support you need but the time we spend with
you are our costs and we apply a daily rate from 500 up to 750 Euro (junior or
senior consultants). Together we will plan the budget.
We come to UK but we also can organize study visits to Italy and Sweden and we
can work with you through Internet.
Maybe the first Le Mat special place will cost some investment in training, consulting,
writing the Manuals. The second will become must cheaper because you will be able
to replicate!

38. Social franchising Le Mat is a process: at the end of
the process you may use the Le Mat brand
If you are interested in becoming a Le Mat we plan the training and
consultancies activities together.
Together we decide the timing, the contents, the possible partners and the
amount of money to invest in order to achieve the quality standards and
the know how you need to use the brand.
We sign a pre-contract.
After completing the process you become a Le Mat franchisee and we sign
the contract. Once a year we do our control visit (a day work). We prepare
a report after a discussion with you and we suggest the improvements you
need to do realize.
The control visit is your annual minimum cost/fee.
In addition you may use some of our available services or at least you will
participate in some Le Mat community activities as workshops

39. Le Mat is growing….do you want to be a part of it?
Our Swedish colleagues use to say: “Do not offer square
solutions to all, because some people are round. We have
got bats in the belfry, drug abuse in our baggage, criminal
thoughts, disabilities, stress symptoms and 11 social
enterprises with a turnover of SEK 39 million a year”

40. THANK YOU
LE MAT – Special Places, Special People, Special Values
A SOCIAL BRAND to mainstream SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP in TOURISM
www.lemat.it www.lemat.se