Sustainable Brands Announces SB London 2012 Conference Speakers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sustainable Brands today revealed an early look at top tier speakers for its upcoming SB London 2012 conference, focusing on sustainability as a worldwide driver of business growth, brand value and innovation for the 21^st century. Hosted at the Mermaid Conference & Events Centre, this flagship offshore extension of the globally recognised and respected Sustainable Brands Conference US will take place on November 27-28, 2012. Made possible with the generous support of Unilever, BASF, Dragon Rouge and others, SB London is expected to draw over 400 from across Europe and beyond to learn from leaders who are profitably working to shift the world to a sustainable economy.

“Since 2004 our mission has been to help more brands succeed by leading the way to a flourishing future”

Plenary sessions begin each morning and feature a world-class faculty of thought leaders and practitioners who are at the forefront of sustainable brand leadership. Presenters will engage participants in conversation about market trends and drivers, forward-driving brand innovation, and consumer-captivating communications. Afternoons allow for longer, interactive sessions in a workshop setting, with facilitated breakouts consisting of skills training, best-practice case studies and research updates. Confirmed speakers include:

Claudia Lorenzo, Social Business Director, Coca-Cola Brazil, on growing shared value through collaboration within a value network
Dorothy Mackenzie, Chairman, Dragon Rouge, on visualising future scenarios based on macro trends to create winning sustainable brand strategies
Rob Cameron, Executive Director, SustainAbility, collaborating with Nick Folland, Global Director, Corporate Affairs and Net Positive, Kingfisher and others on building business value while encouraging sustainable consumption
Christiaan Maats, Founder, OAT Shoes; Chris Lukezic, Director of Communications – International, Airbnb; and Jason Foster, Founder, Replenish, on their experiences as successful sustainable brand disrupters shaping the future
Marc Mathieu, Global SVP of Marketing and Gail Klintworth, Chief Sustainability Officer at Unilever, on how the company is embedding sustainability into the brand promise of some of the world’s favorite brands, and the leadership skills necessary for business in the future
Gwyn Burr, Director of Customer Service and Colleague at Sainsbury’s, on how embedding sustainability has successfully rejuvenated a 150-year-old business and brand
Nestor Coronado Palma, Director of Sustainability, Philips Consumer Lifestyles, on the role of eco-labels and certifications in driving sustainable brand success
Tobias Fischer, CSR Project & Relations Manager, H&M; Alexis Olans, Senior Global Program Manager, adidas; and others on cultural differences in effectively driving sustainable innovation into the core of a brand
Plus dozens of other brand leaders from BASF, O2, Nestle, ASICS and UPS, as well as domain experts from National Geographic, Futerra, Forum for the Future, Ogilvy, and more.

“Since 2004 our mission has been to help more brands succeed by leading the way to a flourishing future,” said KoAnn Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands. “In a time of great global upheaval, it is terribly uplifting to have the opportunity to work each day with true change agents inside both some of the world’s most recognised global brands; a wide range of social and environmental entrepreneurs who are actively, creatively, and committedly collaborating with NGOs, competitors and consumers across market sectors; and with some of the world’s top creative and innovation firms to shape a path to shared success and a future we can look forward to. We are pleased to amplify the great work of these innovators along with their communications initiatives at our inaugural event in London this year. Where governments continue to bog down, the Sustainable Brands community around the world is stepping up to change our future, and for this reason, we have high hopes for a bright tomorrow.”

Sustainable Brands is ground zero for sustainability, brand and design leaders working to understand and leverage environmental and social innovation as a driver of brand innovation and value. Presented by Unilever, one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods, this conference marks the first time the SB community is converging face-to-face outside the United States. Attendees will learn from the organisations that are successfully turning their brands into platforms for purpose and find new ideas and connections to help them do the same.

Registration for this event is now open and business leaders looking for integrated approaches to sustainability challenges are encouraged to register early. Group discounts and sponsorship opportunities are available. More information can be found on the Sustainable Brands website at http://sblondon.co or by downloading a programme brochure.

About Sustainable Brands

Sustainable Brands is the global learning, collaboration, and commerce community committed to replenishing the world through better brands. Sustainable Brands offers news and views from thought and practice leaders, online and live events, a robust resource library, peer-to-peer learning groups, E-learning, and a set of solutions providers for corporate brand and sustainability professionals, social entrepreneurs and the ecosystem of supporting value partners. Sustainable Brands inspires, engages and equips today's business and brand leaders to grow revenues and enhance brand value, reputation and loyalty, while helping create a healthy and sustainable future for all. Sustainable Brands is a production of Sustainable Life Media, located in San Francisco CA.