About us
Finding the right event shouldn’t get in the way of changing the world.
What is Purpose-Driven Events?
Purpose-Driven Events is a curated directory of learning and networking opportunities for professionals working at the intersection of business, social impact, and environmental responsibility.
We believe the right event, at the right time, can shift a career, accelerate a collaboration, or spark an idea that changes an organization. Our job is to surface those events and get them in front of the people who need them.
Purpose-Driven Events is produced by Sparx Publishing Group, a Vancouver-based full-service marketing agency on a mission to make the world better.
Our focus areas
We believe in bringing people together around a shared commitment to positive change. That’s why we’ve developed Purpose-Driven Events around four focus areas.
Sustainability
Climate action, circular economy, and green innovation.
Browse sustainability →Social Purpose
Social enterprise, community development, and systems change.
Browse social purpose →Impact Finance
ESG investing, sustainable finance, and philanthropic funding.
Browse impact finance →Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Reconciliation, equity-centred leadership, and accessibility and inclusion.
Browse diversity, equity, & inclusion →How curation works
We use a combination of automated discovery and editorial review to keep the directory current and high-quality.
Our system regularly scans event platforms, RSS feeds, and partner sources for new events in our four focus areas. We also review candidate events and check each one against our criteria before approving it for publication.
We also accept direct submissions from organizers. Free submissions are reviewed by our team within two to three business days, while premium submissions also come with enhanced placement options.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a "purpose-driven" event?
- A purpose-driven event is a conference, summit, workshop, or webinar primarily focused on social and/or environmental impact rather than a single industry's commercial concerns. At Purpose-Driven Events, we have four core focus areas: sustainability, social purpose, impact finance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Who runs Purpose-Driven Events?
- Purpose-Driven Events is produced by Sparx Publishing Group, a Vancouver-based full-service marketing agency on a mission to make the world better. Editorial decisions are made by the Sparx team, and sponsorship does not influence what is listed.
- How does an event get onto the site?
- For most events, our automated pipeline scans organizer sites, event platforms, iCalendar feeds, and RSS feeds daily. However, we also welcome organizer submissions. Both routes go to our editorial team, who review the submissions one by one and approve the events that are the right fit for our directory.
- How long does review take?
- We aim to review and publish submissions within two to three business days. Premium submissions follow the same review, with featured placement starting as soon as the listing is approved.
- Does it cost anything to list an event?
- Nope! As long as it's the right fit, we welcome event listings free of charge. However, premium placements come with added benefits, including a featured placement on our site's banner, priority position in search results, and a mention in the newsletter.
- Does sponsorship affect which events are listed?
- Nope! Sponsor placements are always labelled as sponsored or featured, and editorial decisions about what is listed are made independently of sponsorship.
- Which regions does the directory cover?
- Most of our audience and clients are based in Canada. However, we do cover events in the United States and internationally that may be relevant to a Canadian audience. We also include online and hybrid events regardless of where the organizer is located.
- Where is Purpose-Driven Events based?
- Sparx Publishing Group is based in Vancouver on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Ready to spark change?
Browse what’s coming up, or submit an event you think the community should know about.