The 26th of June 2012 in Brussels the ESFN organized a conference about Networking towards a better future of Social Economy. Le Mat had the task to present the experience in social franchising and employment. Renate Goergen and Daniel Lindgren presented: LE MAT SPECIAL PLACES; SPECIAL PEOPLE SPECIAL VALUES

1. LE MAT – Special Places, Special People, Special Values
A SOCIAL BRAND to mainstream SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP in TOURISM
by Renate Goergen – President and brand manager LE MAT EUROPE
and Daniel Lindgren – Director LE MAT SWEDEN
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

3. “Co-operatives are a reminder to the international community that it
is possible to pursue economic sustainability and social responsibility”
Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General
Social co-operatives developed since the 80ties in Italy, than all over Europe, and
work in the general interest of the communities for a more sustainable and
inclusive development….they create not only jobs in many economic sectors and
social and democratic capacities for members and workers and specially for people
with lower social opportunities….
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

4. 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
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012
societies to take new
leaps….ASHOKA

5. The Le Mat people set up social co-operatives because they are social
entrepreneurs, love collective owned and community shared
businesses, like a more sustainable and inclusive development, want
to do a work they like and have an equal salary, want to be
independent and take their own decisions…
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

6. AND SOME YEARS AGO SOME OF US HAD A NEW
IDEA!!!!!!
We wanted to show
the world of social entrepreneurs to everybody
We wanted social entrepreneurship to become more
touchable,
visible,
shareable, traceable,
open to everybody, we wanted to attract new people,
have new friends and clients and show our abilities
And so we opened a Hotel in
an abandoned old building owned by a local bank…
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

8. IT WAS A HARD BUT EXITING WORK!!!!!!
We discovered to be good
in welcoming and including people from abroad
We discovered that Travellers like
SPECIAL PLACES, SPECIAL PEOPLE, SPECIAL VALUES
We discovered to be able to tell our stories about social
entrepreneurship, active citizenship, empowerment, recovery
We learned to be a SPECIAL PLACE and
a INNOVATIVE TOURISTIC PRODUCT!!!!!
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

9. 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…
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

10. LOGO vs
We decided that ACCOGLIENZA and
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM had to be our job, our
business model!
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 travellers to come back, to
guarantee always the same quality…
We developed MANUALS, METHODOLOGIES,
WE DISTILLED many different experiences…..
BELLUNO, 10 febbraio 2012
10

11. AND ANOTHER IDEA CAME UP!!!!!!
WE NEED A HOTEL CHAIN
of Social Entrepreneurs - WORLDWIDE
OUR BUSINESS MODEL FUNCTIONS!
MAYBE IT IS REPEATABLE, IMITABLE???????
We develop a SOCIAL BRAND!!!!!!!
We replicate and control as a FRANCHISOR!!!!!!!!!!!
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

12. FRANCHISING – 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
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

13. LOGO vs
LE MAT ITALY was set up by Social Co-
operatives and Social Entrepreneurs in 2005.
WE wanted to be owners of our BRAND
LE MAT EUROPE - a cooperative based on
SWEDISH LAW - was the next step in 2008
AND the replication process towards LE
MAT SWEDEN could start!!!!
BELLUNO, 10 febbraio 2012
13

14. LOGO vs
14

15. LE MAT today is a sexy brand
standing for
social entrepreneurship in tourism
owned and developed by social
entrepreneurs in Europe
and can – as a social franchise system –
be replicated in a very unique way
wherever there are social entrepreneurs
who want to imitate it
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

16. LOGO vs
THE SOCIAL FRANCHISING PROCESS
Step by step by step by step by step by step…..
OFFICINA LE MAT – BARI – 17 FEBBRAIO 2011

17. LE MAT ITALY IS WORKING in ITALY and there are already 19 SPECIAL
PLACES offering LE MAT ACCOMODATION and TOURISM PRODUCTS
www.lemat.it
LE MAT SWEDEN is working in SWEDEN and 2 LE MAT B&Bs are
already open www.lemat.se
LE MAT EUROPE is working in UK, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA and
GERMANY and contacts started in POLAND, and SPAIN……
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

18. WHAT IS A SPECIAL PLACE LE MAT????
A Hotel, a Hostel, a B&B, a ship, a restaurant….a UNIQUE
PLACE, managed by UNIQUE PEOPLE and SPECIAL VALUES!
Guests feel to be in middle of social entrepreneurs, their colleagues and friends, their
local network: the feel to discover not only traditional tourist sides but a SPECIAL WAY OF
LIVE!
Travellers find a lot of information not only about the
surroundings but about relationships, the functioning
of the co-operative, 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 traveller 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 Travellers’ Association Le Mat!
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

19. HOW YOU CAN BECOME A SPECIAL PLACE LE MAT
- You have to want it and to ask it
- You read the MANIFESTO LE MAT and we tell you about all the services
and advantages there will be in becoming a LE MAT
- 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 receive the TARGA, you pay your annual
fee related to the services you want and need and one a year we come
and control!
If you don’t have the money to restore and/or to pay the training
and consultancy services we help you to find the money!
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

20. WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE….
Competences and know
how, Handbooks, a registered
BRAND, already a lot of
travellers, travel agents promoting
the LE MAT TRAVEL PRODUCTS, a
business model and business
plans, a technical staff of
consultants…..
Some really good partners as:
COOPFOND,
BANCA ETICA,
REVES,
THE LOCAL PARTNERS OF OUR MEMBERS
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

21. WHAT WE NEED …….
SPACE and BUILDINGS:
we would like to use the ABANDONED
BUILDINGS (private or public), the property
of MAFIA and ORGANIZED CRIME, all the
COMMUNITY ASSETS in order to turn them
to value
RISK MONEY – CREDITS and START UP
CAPITAL:
ABANDONED BUILDINGS have to be
restored and we need some time in the
start-up period to teach how to become a
Le Mat and bring the guests and travellers
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

22. WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS:
• A SPECIAL PLACE LE MAT in EACH SOCIAL
ENTERPRISE
• A LE MAT FRANCHISE SYSTEM IN EACH
EUROPEAN COUNTRY
• A CENTRALIZED BOOKING SYSTEM
AT THE MOMENT YOU CAN TRAVEL LE MAT
ALREADY TO:
Brussels, the 26° of June 2012

44. BECOME A LE MAT TRAVELLER!