Social Value Aotearoa's sold-out networking evening at Brothers Brewery in Mt Eden brought together more than 50 practitioners, partners and leaders in the social value space from across Auckland.

The evening centred on a single question that's reshaping how the sector works: how do we move beyond outcomes towards genuinely understanding and demonstrating value?

At the heart of the night was a facilitated panel session, Valuing What Matters: Practice, People and Proof, led by Jo Nicholson, Director of Social Value Aotearoa. Joining her were four practitioners working at the frontline of social value: Corey McAleese, Whānau Ora SROI Practitioner, Sydney Straver of &BLOOM, Dr Lovely Dizon of Vision West Community Trust, and Sean Tercel of Te Puna Hauora.

The conversation moved past theory and into practice, exploring what value actually looked like across different contexts, the role people, relationships and trust played in creating real impact.

A recurring thread throughout the discussion was proof. Not just how outcomes are measured, but what it genuinely takes to hold credibility in this work. The panel didn't shy away from the harder questions, where data met narrative, and where evidence met the realities of frontline delivery.

The session closed with an audience Q&A, giving attendees the chance to bring their own questions and challenges from the field directly to the panel.

With the event selling out well ahead of time, the evening reflected the strength of demand for spaces where social impact, philanthropy, evaluation, research and policy partners could connect, learn, and shape how value is understood across Aotearoa.

Members can access the full panel recording and event gallery in our members area. You can view our membership plans here.