SAN FRANCISCO, June 4, 2013 – Sustainable Brands® 7th annual community gathering begins today with Sustainable Brands 2013 (SB’13) kicking off in San Diego, CA at Paradise Point Resort & Spa.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 4, 2013 – Sustainable Brands® 7th annual community gathering begins today with Sustainable Brands 2013 (SB’13) kicking off in San Diego, CA at Paradise Point Resort & Spa. Presented by BMW i, over 2,000 community members from around the globe are participating in the conference, expo and live stream feed from the event. This year’s conference theme, From Revolution to Renaissance, focuses on positive shifts currently taking place in business and society and provides examples of purpose-driven brand innovation that are reinvigorating global and local economies.
“Sustainable Brands was founded on the belief that unleashing the best of our human ingenuity and innovation can change the shape of business, and with it, the world,” states KoAnn Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands. “We see a continued emergence of creativity and innovation driven by environmental and social entrepreneurs as well as global brands who are together working to create and tap in to the next era of economic and human prosperity. This week’s conference, one of three held on three continents this past month brings together the largest gathering of brand innovators and enablers committed to realizing success by leading the way to a flourishing future. ”
Taking place today through June 6th, the event features over 180 speakers tackling the very latest triumphs and challenges at the intersection of corporate sustainability and brand innovation, with on-site announcements from the following companies:
BMW i showcases electric mobility in combination with a holistic sustainable approach in regards to the value chain of all related products. Heart of the all-electric BMW i3 is the innovative eDrive technology. A powerful lithium-ion cell battery with integrated liquid cooling system and first-ever use of carbon-fiber components in the manufacturing process form the basis of BMW i’s next generation of automobiles. Conference and Expo attendees are able to test drive the 100% electric, high-performance ActiveE vehicle which serves as the test bed for the soon to be released BMW i3 model. Uwe Dreher, Head of Marketing for BMW i, speaks during a morning plenary session on Tuesday, June 4th about the company-wide initiative to holistically improve sustainability in the future of automobile design.
CSRHub in partnership with Brand Finance releases results of a linear regression study across a broad range of global companies showing the correlation between brand strength and perceived sustainability performance over a five year period. Data from more than 200 sources was used to track 12 different measures of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Cynthia Figge, Co-Founder of CSRHub speaks during a morning plenary session on Tuesday, June 4th and shares results of the study.
GRI Focal Point USA debuts as the official “Local Launch of G4 in the United States” by offering the two Master Classes on G4 during a Monday morning workshop session. The session, held yesterday, was organized by GRI and featured GRI Sector Leaders. GRI Certified Training Partners leading the Master Classes include Environmental Resources Management and Boston College.
LaborVoices announces a partnership with Walmart that will provide visibility into the retailer's supply chain through real-time, anonymous worker feedback. This will assist Walmart in ensuring safe factory working conditions throughout their supply chain. Kohl Gill, CEO of LaborVoices, participates in a related panel discussion examining the effects of recent events in Bangladesh and other developing economies on manufacturing and supply chain strategies, taking place Wednesday afternoon, June 5th.
Cone Communications announces insights from its Global CSR Study in partnership with Echo Research. The study focuses on the willingness of consumers to engage in a company’s CSR efforts, the gap between consumer intent and action and the extent to which consumers feel personally accountable for responsible purchases and actions. Liz Gorman participated in a Monday morning Research Roundtable workshop along with speakers from BBMG, GlobeScan, Shelton Group, MPG/Havas Media and Edelman, among others, sharing the latest in consumer insights.
Sustainable Brands® in partnership with Three Squares Inc. demonstrates environmental leadership by implementing a comprehensive event sustainability management process aligned with ISO 20121 Standard. As the first event organizer in North America to achieve conformity to the ISO 21021 Standard, Three Squares Inc. worked closely with the SB'13 event planning team to deploy a comprehensive event sustainability management system and will be auditing the event to document ISO 20121 compliance. In addition, Paradise Point Resort & Spa receives approval by the City of San Diego and Waste Management for a Composting and Food Scraps program for SB’13 putting the venue at the forefront of commercial waste diversion in San Diego.
Free Conference Live Stream
Once again, Sustainable Brands offers free access to 3 full days of live stream broadcast from the conference for those unable to attend. After registering, live stream viewers will receive access to the live simulcast of conference plenary sessions on Tuesday – Thursday mornings beginning a 9am PST. Interested viewers can learn more and register at www.sb13.co/live.
The Solutions Expo
Running concurrently with SB’13 at Paradise Point, the Solutions Expo features an array of new tools, innovative product ideas and resources that are driving brand innovation for sustainability. Nearly 80 exhibiting companies and cause-related organizations are showcasing knowledge and resources needed to fuel sustainable product development, manage and measure environmental impacts and create shared value within the supply chain. A selection of exhibitors and cause-related organizations includes: Ecopia, Cradle to Cradle, Energy Points, SAP, Futerra, Ecologic Brands, The Nature Conservancy, WWF, 1% for the Planet, plus many more. Registration remains open and admission is free. The Solutions Expo is open to the public Tuesday, June 4th and Wednesday, June 5th from noon until 5pm. Thursday, June 6th from noon until 4pm. Additional activities open to public Expo-only attendees include movie screenings of “Chasing Ice” and “The Naked Brand” on Tuesday evening beginning at 9pm.
The Sustainable Brands 2013 Conference and Solutions Expo is presented by BMW i with additional support from other leading sponsors including: BASF, Citizen Group, Saatchi & Saatchi S, Target, Coca-Cola, Earth 911 and Vertigent. High level supporting media partners include Guardian Sustainable Business and Mother Nature Network. Cross-functional teams plus SB Corporate Members attending include: Target, 3M, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Hilton Worldwide, Johnson & Johnson, Life Technologies, Nordstrom, among others. For a list of attendees and a complete list of sponsors and speakers, please visit the conference website at www.sustainablebrands13.com.
About Sustainable Brands
Sustainable Brands® is the premier global community of brand innovators who are shaping the future of commerce worldwide. Since 2006, our mission has been to inspire, engage and equip today’s business and brand leaders to prosper for the near and long term by leading the way to a better future. Digitally published news articles and issues-focused conversation topics, internationally known conferences and regional events, a robust e-learning library and peer-to-peer membership groups all facilitate community learning and engagement throughout the year. Sustainable Brands is hosted by Sustainable Brands Worldwide, a division of Sustainable Life Media headquartered in San Francisco, CA.
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Published Jun 4, 2013 12pm EDT / 9am PDT / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST
Sustainable Brands Staff