Community Updates

Innovation Expo at SB’19 Detroit sets Stage for Global Collaboration

Immersive learning experiences with National Geographic, Danone, Procter & Gamble, EY and others

Brand Provided | By Sustainable Brands | Published 5 years ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Sustainable Brands

SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2019 – Sustainable Brands recently revealed the full programming and schedule for the Innovation Expo at SB’19 Detroit, running June 3-6 at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. The Innovation Expo will be the focal point for networking, collaboration and co-creation at the conference. Nearly 2,500 brand, marketing and sustainability professionals will be in attendance with open eyes towards the breakthrough ideas and technological advances shaping the future of sustainable innovation.

Featured in the Innovation Expo will be industry experts from various market sectors as well as brands showcasing tools, new business frameworks, and innovative product and service offerings. With a focus on convening global leaders shaping the future of purpose-driven business, every activity in the Innovation Expo will be designed to instill collaboration and facilitate the partnerships needed to support transformation toward a sustainable economy. Select Innovation Expo highlights include:

Networking festivities kick-off at the Opening Night Reception on June 3rd in the Innovation Expo - hosted byBASF and co-sponsored by Marcus Thomas and Brambles | CHEP.

Procter & Gamble hosts the Good Homes pavilion along with participants Whirlpool, LifeStraw and others showcasing exciting ways brands are working to make homes safer, more energy efficient, and less wasteful.

Nestlé, The Almond Board of California, Barry Callebaut, Cocovibe, Danone, National Chicken Council and others convene discussions around ever-evolving food systems. Discover how brands are catering to changing consumer preferences while ensuring a sustainable food supply for growing populations.

The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) hosts conversations in the Good Materials pavilion along with participants Green Building Initiative, Keurig Dr Pepper, WestRock, Trex, Woodchuck USA and others. Explore how these innovative organizations are using new technology, materials and processes to make and source the products of the future.

The Good Cities pavilion features host BASF along with participants Green Chemistry & Commerce Council, Good360, Life Remodeled and Newsy Brand Studio challenging the community to innovate ways to make cities healthier places to live as they continue to grow.

UNIFI will station their Repreve truck, an interactive, walk-through truck showcasing how peat gets turned into recycled materials and provides attendees the chance to win upcycled clothes.

SB’s unique Innovation Lab experience - the heart of the Innovation Expo - is where attendees participate in solving community and business challenges together. In partnership with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, designers will facilitate ideation sessions around topics critical to the future success of sustainable economies.

The Erie Hack 2.0 Semi-Finals competition in partnership with Tech Town Detroit and Cleveland Water Alliance will be featured in the Innovation Expo on Wednesday. Teams will pitch their solutions to Lake Erie’s greatest problems. This data and engineering competition is designed to generate innovative solutions for Lake Erie Basin’s most pressing problems.

Concurrent with the conference program, the Innovation Expo Stage will feature back-to-back presentations from leading experts. Learn how to navigate the built environment, discover how LEED and USGBC are playing a role in Detroit’s redevelopment, catch up on the trends and best practices in communications and sustainability reporting, and explore solutions to repurposing textiles. Presentations are scheduled Monday evening through Thursday afternoon.

“Throughout the week, the Innovation Expo will be a nexus for the SB community as we gather with friends and colleagues -- and even consumers who are interested in our work -- to explore the latest commitments and solutions underway within our community,” states KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO and Founder of Sustainable Brands. “As challenges mount, and more and more stakeholders come to the table to offer solutions, the Innovation Expo offers a quick glimpse at who is working on what, as well as a platform for co-creating new ideas and partnerships to help ensure we Deliver the Good Life of the future for all."

Sustainable Brands is proud to recognize the many sponsors already committed to showcasing their brand leadership in Detroit, including Presenting Sponsor BASF and Lead Sponsor National Geographic. Additional sponsors include Procter & Gamble, Vinyl Sustainability Council, Ford, SAP, Caesars Entertainment, Cone Communications a Porter Novelli Company, Braskem, Cox Enterprises, Danone, Timberland, DTE Energy, Marcus Thomas, EY, Kellogg Company, Nestlé, Salterbaxter MSL, UNIFI, The Dow Chemical Company, Alaska Airlines, Keurig Dr Pepper, WWF, American Forests Foundation, Target and others. Newsy Brand Studio, Business Insider and HuffPost are Premier Media Partners. Arizona State University and the Erb Institute at the University of Michigan are Premier Affiliate Partners. Additional media and affiliate partners include: 3BL Media, Scientific American, The Guardian, Innovation & Tech Today, Real Leaders, Wharton IGEL, The Sustainability Consortium, UN Global Compact, CDP, Forum for the Future, SustainAbility, B Lab and others.

The Expo is open to the public and Innovation Expo passes may be purchased for $49. For further information about the Innovation Expo, full conference programming including a list of all sponsors and speakers, and complete registration details, please visit the conference website at SB19Detroit.com or call (415) 626-2212.