Fenton goes to Sustainable Brands ‘14
“What if…?”
Fenton will be asking a big question of attendees at the Sustainable Brands ’14 conference in San Diego this week.
Over 2,000 brand, sustainability and design innovation professionals, as well as social entrepreneurs, will gather at Paradise Point to explore the biggest issues businesses face today—environment, worker health and safety, metrics reporting, branding and communications.
Attendees will gain insights from new studies, learn best practices and make connections within a growing network of corporations, non-profits and governments collaborating on global issues. Whether using recyclable materials in packaging or figuring out how to use less water in apparel production, companies are applying ingenuity to improve business practices.
Fenton’s big question is under wraps until the event kicks off on Monday, but here is a hint to the content we’ll cover:
From the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh to the mistreatment of construction workers in Qatar, improving workers’ lives is of growing global concern. Companies face increased pressure to consider the human dimension of their supply chains. To be effective in this mission, they need to know what questions to ask and what changes they need to make for greater transparency. Our intent is to drill down into what companies are truly worried about, what their goals are, and what obstacles they face to improve working conditions.
Here’s a short list of where you can expect to see us:
— The Activation Hub
Fenton will unveil the big question in our Activation Hub booth. Attendees will explore the question of what drives brand value and share their experiences in supply chain transparency. We’ll raffle off a free strategy and consulting session for the lucky winner.
— Sandy Skees, managing director of Fenton’s west coast office and head of Sustainability and CSR, will participate in two talks:
- Business and Human Capital – Labor, Trafficking, Risk and Brand
In an enlightening conversation, Fenton, Verité, BASF and PRé, will outline how corporations are looking at their social footprint and human rights–from a legal risk position as well as the evolving field of social lifecycle analysis measurement. Verité’s in-depth knowledge and case studies about the risks that companies take in outsourcing migrant labor is eye-opening and changing the conversation. PRé will review an emerging standardized system that encompasses a product’s full lifecycle and moves beyond all current efforts. Panelists will discuss the threat of human trafficking and the strategies, tools and resources businesses can use to end it. - Sandy and Renee Morin from PRé will host a separate discussion in the Activation Hub to dig into social sustainability – what’s trending, what’s working, and how others are tackling barriers to progress.
This is a small teaser of what we’re up to at Sustainable Brands. If you plan to attend, come visit us at booth 402. If you can’t make it to San Diego, follow us on Twitter for real-time updates. Hope to see you there!