For the second year in a row, Sustainable Brands Buenos Aires, which took place on September 1-2 at La Rural, convened corporations, communication agencies, NGOs, investors, governments, and other stakeholders, creating an explosion of conversations in social networks, with over 25 million impressions, and providing participants a unique and unforgettable experience.
The conference, organized by URBAN Communication Group, gathered over 1,000 people and was declared of “national interest” by the Chamber of Deputies, as an initiative that "seeks to raise awareness of sustainability as a way to address equity between generations and amongst members of the same generation.” In addition, "there are talks that illustrate how the reality of the private sector is changing and how more and more companies join the paradigm shift."
Keynote speakers included: Alejandro Litovsky, CEO of Earth Security Group; Irit Tamir, Special Advisor of Oxfam America; Simon Mainwaring, founder of We First; Sirikul Laukaikul, sustainability and brand consultant (The Brandbeing Consultant); René Mauricio Valdés, UN Resident Coordinator; Rochelle March, strategist, researcher and consultant at SustainAbility; Hernán Estrada, Chief Marketing Officer and VP Sr of Strategy and New Business of The Walt Disney Company Latin America; and Soledad Izquierdo, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communication of South America at The Coca-Cola Company.
During the afternoons of September 1st and 2nd, simultaneous theme sessions were also held. On day one, sessions addressed: 1) The communication that matters; 2) Innovation to drive sustainability; and 3) The collaborative economy, while day two sessions highlighted 1) Certifications, how do they benefit?; 2) Innovation in the way we do business; 3) we cannot manage what we do not measure.
In addition, two workshops offered were held to a full house. On one hand, Juan Sicardi, Co-organizer of Mayma, Alvaro Bronstein, CEO and co-founder of EMPREDIEM Awards in Argentina, and Gabriel Berger, professor at the University of St Andrews, discussed with the attendees how to apply design tools for validation of a triple business impact. On the other, March conducted a workshop on business model innovation.
The debates of both days consisted of "The urgency of humanity and the call of Pope Francis to businesses, governments and citizens" and how to "articulate public policies for a more humane economy."
Special attention was paid to the main stage set installation and decoration. The houses on the stage represented the house as a home, as a refuge; the moss symbolized nature and the coexistence with human construction, and the necessary respect between them.
"If we see a house, we see security, shelter," said Gabriela Korovsky, co-founder of Urban Communication Group and CEO of SB Buenos Aires. “If we could transform our view of the planet and see it as our home we could further expand our awareness of the generation of a common prosperous home.”
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Published Oct 2, 2015 3pm EDT / 12pm PDT / 8pm BST / 9pm CEST