The Center for Global Leadership in Sustainability in the School of Business Administration at Portland State University is pleased to announce the 5th annual International Conference on Business & Sustainability. This year’s conference will be held November 2, 3 and 4, 2011 in Portland, Oregon, USA. This unique conference brings together sustainable economy thought leaders and educators, and includes both practitioner and academic forums.
2011 Conference Theme: Authenticity
What is the state of corporate trust in the world today? What competitive advantage will be gained by those who successfully repair and earn public trust in today’s recovering marketplace? In the wake of the global financial crisis, business executives and thought leaders are clear that restoring trust is critical to fueling economic recovery and generating future value. Increasingly, global CEOs and entrepreneurs alike are elevating the role of sustainability as a central business strategy. Sustainability-inspired campaigns and strategies, however, are only as credible as the tangible initiatives and top-level commitments that underpin them. The 5th Annual International Conference on Business & Sustainability will explore authenticity as a business imperative from perspectives ranging from product design to brand integrity to performance measurement to corporate strategy.
Featured Keynote Speakers:
Jerry Greenfield, Co-founder, Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. -- Double-Dip: Lead with your Values and Make Money Too
Brett Beach, Co-founder, Madécasse -- building a bean to chocolate bar supply chain in West Africa based on the fair trade model
Jeff Foote, Director of Sustainability -- The Coca-Cola Company -- authenticity, sustainability and the world's biggest brand
Format
The conference begins the evening of Wednesday, November 2nd with Jerry Greenfield's keynote presentation and ice cream social. Thursday, November 3rd features industry speakers in an interactive format, including innovative business leaders in sustainability and social enterprise from national and international organizations, and culminating with a social hour reception. Friday, November 4th opens with a keynote breakfast and continues with academic paper presentations, functional area-oriented sustainability teaching workshops and speakers at Portland State University.
Locations:
Day 1: Portland State University - Smith Ballrooms, Portland, Oregon
Day 2: The Nines Hotel, Portland, Oregon
Day 3: Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
About Portland:
Portland State University is connected to the heart of downtown Portland, one of the world’s leading cities in fostering sustainable business and urban development. Portland and the surrounding region are home to an extraordinary base of businesses and thought leaders on the vanguard of sustainable business. This base ranges from global firms to start-ups, and across sectors ranging from world-class design to clean energy to green building to athletic apparel to agriculture and food production to social enterprise. The conference includes opportunities to learn from regional and international businesses and organizations that are purposefully integrating sustainability into their operations. In addition, Portland is a beautiful city with a thriving downtown, plentiful green spaces, and eclectic neighborhoods. Our coffee shops, bookstores, food carts, wine bars and brewpubs provide a community feel.