Highlights of 2009

Speakers at the Green Marketing Conference 2009 combined presentations from experts in the field of sustainability with case studies from organisations who have used sustainable strategies to achieve competitive advantage.

Key speakers at the Green marketing Conference 2009 included

Jonathon Porritt,Founder Director of Forum for the Future and Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission

Jonathan’s key note presentation was far from being ‘anti big business’. Instead, Jonathan explained how he belives that commerce and sustainability aren’t mutually exclusive. He challenged marketers (and indeed anyone in business) to make sure they truly understand the issue of sustainability and integrate it into their marketing plans for great environmental and business benefits.

Jonathan also shared some of his experience of sustainable development, pointing the way to practical solutions to the need for a balance between business needs and an environmentally viable future.

John Grant,author of ‘The Green Marketing Manifesto’ and the ‘Greenormal’ blog

Since it was published in 2007, ‘The Green Marketing Manifesto’ has become THE classic guide to help marketers navigate their way through the challenges of green marketing. With clients like IKEA, innocent, O2, Unilever, Philips, BBC World and the Department for Transport all calling on his expertise, John was well-placed to share his experience on the subject and in particular latest developments and what’s round the corner.

Ed Gillespie,Creative Director and Co-founder, Futerra Sustainability Communications

Futerra’s greenwash guide is the culmination of over eight years of helping communications professionals get their green messaging right. Ed’s entertaining talk looked at the top ten signs of greenwash and how to avoid them. Packed full of case studies featuring the good, the bad and the ugly of green communications, this presentation described the ‘sustainability landscape’ leaving listeners with a full understanding of how green communications have developed since the days when to be green meant wearing sandals, hugging trees and eating lentils.

We are delighted that Ed is also a speaker at this year’s Green Marketing Conference.

John Luff,International CSR and sustainable marketing consultant

John explored the practicalities of turning CSR strategies into front line reality, presenting concepts and models based on his global marketing, CSR and brand management experience. He focused in particular on how to communicate CSR to improve the links and working relationships between CSR experts and front line operations.

There were also case studies presented at the conference, including:

Sadie Ramm, Brand Manager, Ecover

Sadie shared the story of a company whose success has been achieved with sustainability at its heart. From its founder’s dream of creating a washing powder that didn’t contain phosphates, Ecover has grown to become a business which sells to 22 countries across the globe. Sadies’s case study presentation was packed with practical lessons that can be learned from Ecover’s story.

Robert Beavan, founder of AB Sustain

Robert explained how his company developed the WildCare farm scheme, a pioneering wildlife conservation programme to enhance and create sustainable natural habitat in which wildlife can thrive.

Developed with farmers, food processors and retailers, this award-winning scheme demonstrates that even in hard times some consumers are willing to pay a little more when they know they are helping to enhance British wildlife.

Robert also explained how the company is helping farmers and retailers to measure and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, giving them a positive story to share with consumers.