The Social Entrepreneurship Fair brings together 50 impact entrepreneurs at the Espace Millennium in Crissier. It takes place on Wednesday 18 November 2026, from 3.30 pm to 9 pm, with free entry on registration.
Who organises it
The Alter Start association organises the fair. It supports people from a migrant background, people going through a difficult period and people with an impact project. It is based in Geneva and Lausanne. Its aim is to lead them towards economic independence.
Hélène Bayeux is the association’s founding director. Christophe Guichard is its founding president. Since its launch, Alter Start has recorded 100 business creations or returns to work. In 2026 it has already supported 75 project holders with 30 volunteer mentors.
The fair is supported by the Canton of Vaud’s Office for Economic Promotion and Innovation (SPEI). The Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI), Lausanne Région and the Town of Crissier are also partners.
What to find
The afternoon opens to the general public from 3.30 pm to 5 pm. Visitors explore the stands and meet the entrepreneurs freely. Exhibitors offer ethical and local corporate gifts, team-building workshops, communication services and responsible caterers.
A B2B session follows from 5 pm to 6.30 pm. It offers business meetings, pitches and advisory sessions. The aim is to help projects secure their first sales, contracts and partnerships.
From 6.30 pm to 7.45 pm, a round table discusses “Inclusion through Social Entrepreneurship”. Raphaël Conz, director of the SPEI, opens the debate. Laurent Bovay, mayor of Crissier, Jelena Kovacevic of the CVCI Foundation and Lionel Lefin, HR director of Decathlon, take part. A networking aperitif closes the evening until 9 pm.
Practical information
- Date, Wednesday 18 November 2026
- Times, 3.30 pm to 9 pm; round table at 6.30 pm
- Venue, Espace Millennium, Chemin de Mongevon 25, 1023 Crissier
- Price, free entry, registration required
- Tickets, free registration on Luma
Links
- Official site, Alter Start, Social Entrepreneurship Fair
- Registration, Round table registration (Luma)
- Tourist office, Lausanne Tourisme, Social Entrepreneurship Fair
- All events across French-speaking Switzerland, Genève Infos Agenda
Sources
- Alter Start, Social Entrepreneurship Fair, accessed on 14 November 2026
- Alter Start, home page, accessed on 14 November 2026
- Alter Start, About, accessed on 14 November 2026
- Lausanne Tourisme, Social Entrepreneurship Fair, accessed on 14 November 2026
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