Brand Longevity Dependent On Transformation Towards Sustainability

The environmental and social impact of brands are being increasingly scrutinised by stakeholders, employees and most importantly consumers, and the demand for new products, services and business models that deliver both purpose and profit, is soaring.

The world has changed and transparency is paramount. Innovative brand leaders with their focus on positive, sustainable outcomes will thrive, whilst those who fail to deliver will dive.

That’s the message underpinning Sustainable Brands, a global learning, collaboration and commerce community of forward thinking business and brand strategists, marketing innovators and sustainability professionals, convening in Sydney, Australia for the first time.

The SB16 Sydney conference offers the opportunity for business leaders to join 300+ professionals over three days of plenaries, workshops and networking events, 27 – 29 June 2016 at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.

Dr Sally Uren, CEO, Forum for the Future, works with both individual pioneering businesses including Unilever and Kimberly Clark and global collaborations designed to address system-wide challenges.

Dr Uren is coming to Australia for the first time in a professional capacity to headline SB16 Sydney. Based in the UK and overseeing offices in the US, Singapore and India, Dr Uren leads a number of global projects including Net Positive (an initiative challenging businesses to put back more into society, environment and the global economy than they take out), Cotton 2040 (a project aiming to mainstream sustainable cotton) and Tea 2030 (a project to deliver a sustainable tea value chain).

“The role of business in delivering solutions to society’s current set of significant and complex sustainability challenges has never before attracted so much attention,” she said.

“And the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris agreement on climate change emissions give us a shared direction that’s never been clearer. Unleashing the power of business to act as agents of transformative change requires, well, transformation, and SB16 Sydney will provide a platform to discuss the challenges, collaborate, and act to ensure a more sustainable future.

“It’s critical to transform the key systems we rely on and to do that everyone in the value chain must be involved, from the producers and manufacturers right through to the end-user, all working together towards a common aim.

“At SB16 Sydney, I will highlight key opportunities such as system innovation, the circular economy, pre-competitive collaboration and closing the circle between government, business and the consumer/community. I encourage professionals from all industries including marketing, design, construction, architecture, finance, medicine, communication, technology and so many more to join us is shaping a more sustainable future.”

SB16 Sydney will lead an agenda designed to educate, inspire and motivate cross-sector industries on how to build, integrate and leverage sustainability into their brands. Through an innovative program of collaboration and information, the event will provide the tools and partnerships to drive business success and positive impact.

Keynote presentations by global thought leaders include Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle discussing how businesses can realign their concept of waste and how it can become a brand ROI concept.

Simon Mainwaring, founder and CEO of We First will share his experience in social media helping companies tell the story of the good they do in ways that build reputation, profits and social impact. Bern van Son, CEO of MUD Jeans will discuss the paradox of tackling the three major issues in fashion of pollution, slavery and recycling whilst still making fashionable jeans.

Sustainable Brands events were founded on the belief that unleashing the best of human ingenuity and innovation can change the shape of business, and with it, the world. The Sustainable Brands conference held in San Diego for the past three years amassed over 2,000 attendees – the largest gathering of business leaders across various industries, organisational types and sizes and corporate functions.

Minister for Trade, Tourism & Major Events, Minister for Sport, The Hon. Stuart Ayres MP commented on the value this inaugural Australian conference will bring to NSW.

“Sydney is a city of innovation and we’re proud this great partnership with the Sustainable Brands conference will bring thought leaders and business leaders here to engage on effective sustainability practices,” said Ayres.

“The NSW Government is supporting the conference through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and I encourage all business to attend and consider integrating the learnings into their own strategies as they plan for future growth.”

SB16 Sydney is organised by MCI Australia and supported by host partners Banksia Foundation and Sustainable Business Australia. Strategic partners include the NSW Government and Destination NSW.

Now is the time for business leaders to learn how to successfully innovate their brands to ensure a sustainable future. SB16 Sydney, 27 – 29 June 2016, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.