Committee and Association Meetings
If you are interested in attending one of the following meetings, please contact the respective individual listed below.
Registration & Information
Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.
Nicollet Alcove, 1st Floor
Welcome Reception
Please join us in the Exhibit Hall to kick off this year's Retail Sustainability Conference.
Hyatt Exhibit Hall, 1st Floor
Closed Steering Committee Meeting
Registration & Information
Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.
Nicollet Alcove, 1st Floor
Continental Breakfast
Join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.
Welcome & Opening Keynote
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Hubert Joly
President & Chief Executive Officer
Best Buy Co., Inc.
Exploring Retail's Future
From 3-d printing to big data, ubiquitous retail to the sharing economy, a raft of new trends threaten to disrupt retail and open up new risks and opportunities for the industry. We will share the findings of a year-long project with RSI, Target and Unilever exploring how retail can become truly sustainable in the future, helping people to fulfill their needs while having a positive impact on the planet. We are using a wide-ranging futures process to generate detailed scenarios about the future of retail that will stimulate the retail industry to think long-term about the sustainability challenges it faces. Join us as we introduce the project and highlight key trends that will shape the future for retail.
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
CB&I, Deloitte, Source Intelligence, Target, UL, Unilever & Waste Management
What if? Exploring Future Scenarios
There is only one thing we can know about the future: that it will be different from today. Exploring what the future might hold using future scenarios can lead to business-critical insights, new strategies and innovation. Attendees will have a chance to explore one of four alternative possible futures for retail in detail, an essential first step to developing future-proof businesses.
-
Future of Stores - Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
-
Future of Products & Value Chains - Lakeshore, 1st Floor
-
Future of Consumers & Employees - Nicollet C, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
CB&I, Deloitte, Source Intelligence, Target, UL, Unilever & Waste Management
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Leveraging Technology, Transparency & Consumer Empowerment to Advance Sustainability
Dara O'Rourke
Co-founder & Chief Sustainability Officer
GoodGuide, Inc.
Eli Stefanski
Chief Market Maker
Business Innovation Factory
Luncheon
Join your peers for lunch and discuss learnings from the day prior to networking in the Exhibit Hall.
Hyatt Exhibit Hall, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
Clean Harbors/Safety Kleen
Networking in the Exhibit Hall
Join conference attendees for a look at the innovative solutions in the Exhibit Hall.
Implications for the Future: How Will Emerging Trends Impact the Future Operating Context for Retailers
This in-depth and interactive conversation will help attendees to engage creatively with the future using the scenarios, identifying challenges and opportunities for retail and come up with actions that could generate long-term sustainable value whatever the future holds.
-
Future of Stores - Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
-
Future of Products & Value Chains - Lakeshore, 1st Floor
-
Future of Consumers & Employees - Nicollet C, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
Deloitte, Source Intelligence, UL & Waste Management
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Mike Vale
Executive Vice President, Consumer & Office Business
3M Company
The Sharing Economy is HUGE. Or Not.
Suzanne Shelton
Chief Executive Officer
Shelton Group
If Necessisty is the Mother of Invention, Happiness is the Father.
Mario Chamorro
Founder & Chief Happiness Officer
Make it Happy
Compliance Concurrent Session: Pharmaceutical Waste Reform
U.S. EPA is due to release a proposed and long-awaited pharmaceutical waste rule in August 2014, and states like California, Connecticut and Minnesota are also considering reforms to mitigate the unintended consequences of applying industrial and medical waste management standards to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, especially as these drugs pass through reverse logistics. Hear insight from key stakeholders regarding the status and substance of proposed changes to state and federal pharmaceutical waste management requirements and how these changes may impact current compliance programs and pharmaceutical reverse logistics. Learn first-hand the policy drivers from regulators and the long term strategies needed by companies to assure sustainable compliance with pharmaceutical waste requirements.
Speaker(s):
Gregory Blount
Partner
Troutman Sanders
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Join conference attendees for an evening networking reception in the Exhibit Hall. Share the day's learnings and converse with peers.
Continental Breakfast
Join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.
Registration & Information
Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.
Nicollet Alcove, 1st Floor
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Jason Clay
Senior Vice President, Market Transformation
World Wildlife Fund
Ten Ways Retailers can be More Sustainable and Profitable
Jeffrey Hollender
Co-founder & Former CEO
Seventh Generation
Founder & CEO
Hollender Sustainable Brands
Compliance Concurrent Session: Managing Retailer's Owned-Brands Under FIFRA
Hear an introduction to FIFRA including background of the law and how it has been implemented at the State and Federal levels. An overview of the typical private label products affected and the not so well-known products, including exemptions, will be discussed. Learn about the management strategies for compliance, including alternate brand labeling, supplemental distribution, product labeling, registration and mill taxes, and national databases including NPIRS, KellySolutions and ALSTAR.
Speaker(s):Wade Miller
Senior Consultant, Compliance
Wenck Associates, Inc.
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Off-site Tour: 3M Innovation Center
The 3M Innovation Center is designed to showcase the breadth and depth of the rich and diverse technologies‚ processes and products 3M has created and it brings to life the spirit of 3M Innovation. From the moment a customer enters the Center‚ they enter a world where anything is possible – they will see previously unknown technologies and fascinating‚ practical real life applications. A team of highly trained informative hosts from a variety of technical and professional backgrounds guide visitors on their journey of discovery. Color‚ sound and design all play a significant part in creating the experience.
Off-site Tour: Target Field
Target Field, home to the Minnesota Twins, is one of two LEED® Silver Certified ballparks in the country. Target Field's design promotes growth for years to come with innovation surrounding indoor air quality, recycling practices, reduced heat island effect and brownfield remediation. Join conference attendees for this unique opportunity to tour the park.
Leadership Workshop: Effectively Communicating Sustainability in Professional Settings
The pursuit of sustainability can generate tremendous benefits for employees and organizations, including positive relationships, a sense of meaning and purpose, creativity, innovation and engagement. Yet our experience with achieving those goals often treads a tough path. It can lead some people to resignation and cynicism, and others to inspiration and motivation. For that, corporate sustainability is both a great challenge and a great opportunity. In this workshop, we invite you to explore the tensions we all encounter in our roles. We will identify the limitations in how you personally communicate with your colleagues that blocks your effectiveness and we will create new pathways that are aligned with the change you wish to achieve.
Speaker(s):
Gabriel Grant
Co-founder & Director
Byron Fellowship Educational Foundation
Katie Wallace
Assistant Director, Sustainability
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Change Management Workshop: Gap's MindSpark Process for Solving Systemic Sustainability Problems
Luncheon
Join your peers for lunch and networking prior to the Exhibit Hall.
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
Clean Harbors/Safety Kleen
Networking in the Exhibit Hall
Come for a last look at the innovative solutions in the Exhibit Hall.
A Toolkit for the Future: Driving New Strategies & Innovation
Get hands on experience on how to use futures toolkits to address sustainability challenges in your business. Learn how to future-proofing existing strategies or how to create innovative products and services. Hear insights and tips from businesses who have already used futures thinking to create change in their organizations, and use practical strategy and innovation to teach you how to do it!
-
Future of Stores - Nicollet D1 - D2, 1st Floor
-
Future of Products & Value Chains - Lakeshore, 1st Floor
-
Future of Consumers & Employees - Nicollet C 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Forum for the Future
Sponsor(s):
CB&I, Deloitte, Source Intelligence, Target, UL, Unilever & Waste Management
Compliance Concurrent Session: One Person's Trash: Retail's Responsibility in Product End of Life
Municipal waste agencies are actively seeking to reduce waste to landfill by promoting recycling and financing via pass-through charges from manufacturers to retailers. In 2013, nine product stewardship bills were either signed into law or passed by state legislatures with many more expected in coming years. With retail at the intersection of manufacturers, environmentalists and consumers, we need to understand how sourcing, marketing and waste policies can impact business and influence consumer behavior. This in-depth conversation will examine opportunities to reduce product lifecycle footprint, methods to collect and harvest product materials, and appropriate financing methods.
Speaker(s):
Leo Raudys
Founder
Riduvit.com
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
REM Concurrent Session: Innovative Energy Storage Solutions Being Utilized by Retailers
Hear challenges retailers face when it comes to energy industry trends, and new technologies being utilized to address them.
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Compliance Concurrent Session: Air Emissions Permitting of Diesel Engines for Generators & Fire Pumps at Stores
Several types of operations present at retail and support facilities emit air pollutants and may be subject to federal and state air quality rules. Following a brief summary of the assets that generate air emissions, key rules applicable to generators and fire pumps and the criteria generally used to determine whether a permit is required, participants will confidentially add their own enforcement experience to a collaboratively complied matrix of jurisdictional hot spots.
Speaker(s):
Nicole Wilkinson
Senior Manager, Corporate Environmental
CVS Caremark Corporation
John Storlie
Principal Consultant & Managing Member, Retail Environmental Solutions
The OS Group LLC
Michael Lewis
Environmental Engineer
CB&I
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
REM Concurrent Session: Key Data Considerations for Corporate Carbon Reporting
Driven by shareholder activism but accountable on P&L, companies understand that their sustainability position depends on documenting associated cost savings, largely achieved through enhanced enterprise-wide energy efficiency. High quality data availability eases both sustainability reporting and documentation of cost savings, and is achievable through incremental but strategic steps. Learn the critical data factors for cost savings tracking using carbon emissions as a surrogate and how a high quality database can serve as a diagnostic to evaluate future sustainability initiatives.
Speaker(s):
Michael Chenard
Director, Corporate Sustainability
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Michael Hewett
Director, Environmental & Sustainability Programs
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Jamie Meyers
Manager, Sustainability
Walgreen Co.
David Bubenick
Director, Carbon Management Services
CB&I
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Transparency Impact to Retail Value Chains
The retail value chain is being transformed by technology as expectations grow for companies to manage their suppliers and trace the materials in their products. Stakeholders increasingly expect more visibility into what goes into the making of a product. This session will focus on trends and drivers in the retail value chain and feature a diverse panel of experts sharing their perspectives and experiences on the role of technology to help address risk and manage evolving supply chains.
Speaker(s):Margot Sfeir
Senior Manager, Socail Responsibility
J. Crew Group, Inc.
Kristen Sullivan
Partner
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Jess Kraus
President & Chief Executive Officer
Source Intelligence
Employee Engagement: Getting Into a Green Routine
Come learn how to create and grow an employee engagement program. What rewards will motivate your employees? Complete a SWOT analysis to learn how to set and measure achievable goals with your team. Learn about technology-based engagement programs. Hear from a retail store operations leader with experience implementing engagement programs.
Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Kim Brunson
Manager, Recycled & Solid Waste
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Tim Henning
Distric Manager
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Susan Hunt Stevens
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
WeSpire
Driving Step Change in the Recycling Value Chain Through Collaboration
Americans generate roughly 250 million tons of waste annually, two-thirds of which is landfilled. This is an enormous business and environmental opportunity for the recycling value chain. Cities could save billions of taxpayer dollars and create millions of jobs by increasing recycling, while retailers and manufacturers could increase the volume of recycled materials in products and meet environmental goals. Sustainability experts will share how they are collaborating to increase U.S. recycling in this panel discussion.
Speaker(s): Jonathan Atwood
Vice Presidient, Sustainable Living & Corporate Communications
Unilever
Rob Kaplan
Director, Sustainability
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Ron Gonen
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Closed Loop Fund
Timothy Croll
Director, Solid Waste
Seattle Public Utilities
Jeff Fielkow
Cheif Sales & Marketing Officer
ReCommunity Recycling
Developing Compliant & Sustainable Products: Retailer-Manufacturer Collaboration
A panel of suppliers, retailers, academics and trade association representatives in the home and personal care industries will discuss strategies for providing compliant, sustainable products to customers. The advantages and disadvantages of current systems in place, including retailer-initiated product databases and third party regulatory assessment providers, will be discussed along with ideas for future activities based on manufacturer-supplier cooperation.
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Construct, Refresh & Renovate Sustainably
Sustainability and prototype design seem to have a continuous conflict of interest. In this panel, questions including what the role of the landlord is in this equation, are retailers making sweeping or nominal changes and could reducing energy usage make up for more construction waste will be answered. Join this lively panel as they discuss leading practices and ask questions that are top of mind for you.
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Julie Krueger
Director, Retail Industry
Google
Information Visualized: Helping Audiences Connect Emotionally to Sustainability
Arlene Birt
Information Designer & Visual Storyteller
Continental Breakfast
Join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.
Partnering with Non-profit Environmental & Social Sustainability Organizations
Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
Creating a Race to the Top: Driving Progress on Product Sustainability & Transparency
Retailers today are assessing their suppliers and products in a variety of ways and changing behavior in supply chains through the use of sustainability indexes and scorecard tools. Listen as representatives from top retailers discuss these tools and share their experiences and lessons learned.
Speaker(s):Panelist(s):
Desirae Early
Manager, Sustainability Strategy & Innovation
Levi Strauss & Co.
Scott Lercel
Director, Social Responsbility & Sustainability
Target Corporation
Moderator:
Jim Thomas
Vice President, Sustainability, Safety, Environment, Ethics & Compliance
Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.
Sustainability Valuation is Not an Oxymoron: Quantifying in Dollar Terms the Impact on the Business
How much value did sustainability add to your company's business last year? Understanding the return on investments from cost reductions is relatively simple. But this leaves the indirect value created by sustainability - which can be significant - unquantified. However, there are valuation techniques in practice today that put sustainability benefits on equal footing so it's possible to compare and contrast results in dollar terms. This multi-stakeholder panel will provide a perspective of what valuation means and how a long-term approach can impact your bottom line and your position in the capital markets.
Speaker(s):
Amy Longsworth
Managing Director, Sustainable Business Solutions
PwC
Hazardous Waste Reporting & Data Management from a Continuous Improvement Perspective
Hazardous waste reporting requires a strong program framed by multi-state regulatory knowledge, defensible waste determinations, detailed facility and disposal programs, and robust data management. A program approach reaps continuous improvement benefits, justifying the costs of going beyond “just submitting biennial reports”. Yet, even this is riddled with challenges. Discussed will be the challenges of minimal compliance and the benefits of a CI program approach.
Speaker(s):
Chris Stewart
Senior Manager II, Hazardous Waste Management Services
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Dawn McLaughlin
Program Manager, Retail Hazardous Waste Management
CB&I
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Energy Optimization: How Leading Retailers are Managing Their Energy as an Asset
Approaching energy management and sustainability with one holistic strategy increases the chances of retailers meeting their sustainability goals. Sustainability and energy management are synergistic programs, and the strong return on investment of energy management initiatives can be used to fund sustainability efforts that have less measurable payback metrics. Case studies of retailers who have achieved their goals by deploying energy supply, demand and sustainability initiatives will be covered. Also learn how to set up an integrated program in a phased approach to provide a foundation for a successful energy and sustainability management program.
Speaker(s):Alex Michalko
Senior Program Manager, Sustainability
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
Ron Taglieri
Vice President, Solutions Consulting, Energy & Sustainability Services
Schneider Electric
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Engaging & Driving Sustainable Action in Your Brands
A company’s strategic brands have the greatest opportunity to create value from sustainability as they are on the front lines of developing and marketing products to consumers. So how can sustainability leaders gain traction with these stakeholders? How do you inspire action and encourage long term focus when leaders are often focused on short-term results? How do you identify opportunities to innovate on sustainability and engage consumers who do not necessarily want to pay more for sustainable products?
Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Roman Smith
Director, Sustainability Operations
AT&T Services, Inc.
Jake Swenson
Director, Sustainable Products & Services
Staples, Inc.
Retailer Initiatives for Sourcing & Selling Safer Products
The role that retailer leaders should take in understanding chemical risks in their supply chain can be unclear. Learn how to take action to source and sell safer products. A key trend to be discussed is the increased demand for transparency that retailers and B2B suppliers are facing from their customers. In this panel discussion, hear how some retailers and product manufacturers are approaching this challenge to ensure that products contain safer chemicals and tools being used to make the business case to upper level management. Precompetitive approaches to support standardized chemical information sharing within supply chains will be discussed.
Speaker(s): Roger McFadden
Vice President, Senior Scientist
Staples, Inc.
Kate Heiny
Group Manager, Sustainability
Target Corporation
Rob Kaplan
Director, Sustainability
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Sally Edwards
Senior Research Associate, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The Business Benefits of Environmental Reporting: From Disclosure to Performance
For retailers that report to CDP, GRI, and others, they understand the importance of reporting and obtaining the highest scores possible. But truly dynamic and forward-thinking companies don’t stop there. Hear how environmental reporting can help reduce risk and have tangible, financial impacts on businesses and brands. We will also explore how reporting has helped companies to identify challenges they were not aware, better prioritize projects throughout the year and improve public and stakeholder perception and communications.
Speaker(s):
Bruce Karas
Vice President, Environment & Sustainability
The Coca-Cola Company
Letitia Webster
Global Director, Corporate Sustainability
VF Corporation
Maureen Sertich
North American Sustainability Leader
Whirlpool Corporation
John Hoesktra
Director, Sustainability
Schneider Electric
Retailers Beware: More Environmental Regulation is in Store
Hefty fines, tarnished brands, time-consuming external monitoring- these are just some of the increasing risks retailers face as regulators ramp up store-level environmental compliance enforcement. It is also a clarion call for workable, cost-conscious solutions in today’s challenging retail setting. We will provide timely insight on this trend with knowledgeable answers that address the unique environment of store-level retail.
Speaker(s):
Mark Heaney
Vice President
AlterEcho
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Learning From the Best: Review of the U.S. EPA & DOE's Building Energy Programs
Speaker(s):
Michael Zatz
Chief, Market Sectors Group
ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Holly Carr
Manager, Better Buildings for Retail Properties
Department of Energy
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Closing Keynote: Challenging the Impossible
Whether technological or personal, challenge is the driving force behind discovery. Yet we are so quick to shy away from a challenge, often dismissively categorizing it as impossible. Cameron and Todd use their journey through a variety of historical engineering achievements as a case study in taking on the impossible. In isolating four key ingredients of innovation, Todd and Cameron describe how we can get past the assumptions and constraints that narrow our vision, and how we can prepare ourselves to take on creative endeavors and difficult challenges.
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Todd Reichert
Co-founder
AeroVelo, Inc.
Cameron Robertson
Co-founder
AeroVelo, Inc.
Committee and Association Meetings
If you are interested in attending one of the following meetings, please contact the respective individual listed below.
Registration & Information
Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.
Nicollet Alcove, 1st Floor
Welcome Reception
Please join us in the Exhibit Hall to kick off this year's Retail Sustainability Conference.
Hyatt Exhibit Hall, 1st Floor
Closed Steering Committee Meeting
Registration & Information
Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.
Nicollet Alcove, 1st Floor
Continental Breakfast
Join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.
Welcome & Opening Keynote
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Hubert Joly
President & Chief Executive Officer
Best Buy Co., Inc.
Exploring Retail's Future
From 3-d printing to big data, ubiquitous retail to the sharing economy, a raft of new trends threaten to disrupt retail and open up new risks and opportunities for the industry. We will share the findings of a year-long project with RSI, Target and Unilever exploring how retail can become truly sustainable in the future, helping people to fulfill their needs while having a positive impact on the planet. We are using a wide-ranging futures process to generate detailed scenarios about the future of retail that will stimulate the retail industry to think long-term about the sustainability challenges it faces. Join us as we introduce the project and highlight key trends that will shape the future for retail.
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
CB&I, Deloitte, Source Intelligence, Target, UL, Unilever & Waste Management
What if? Exploring Future Scenarios
There is only one thing we can know about the future: that it will be different from today. Exploring what the future might hold using future scenarios can lead to business-critical insights, new strategies and innovation. Attendees will have a chance to explore one of four alternative possible futures for retail in detail, an essential first step to developing future-proof businesses.
-
Future of Stores - Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
-
Future of Products & Value Chains - Lakeshore, 1st Floor
-
Future of Consumers & Employees - Nicollet C, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
CB&I, Deloitte, Source Intelligence, Target, UL, Unilever & Waste Management
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Leveraging Technology, Transparency & Consumer Empowerment to Advance Sustainability
Dara O'Rourke
Co-founder & Chief Sustainability Officer
GoodGuide, Inc.
Eli Stefanski
Chief Market Maker
Business Innovation Factory
Luncheon
Join your peers for lunch and discuss learnings from the day prior to networking in the Exhibit Hall.
Hyatt Exhibit Hall, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
Clean Harbors/Safety Kleen
Networking in the Exhibit Hall
Join conference attendees for a look at the innovative solutions in the Exhibit Hall.
Implications for the Future: How Will Emerging Trends Impact the Future Operating Context for Retailers
This in-depth and interactive conversation will help attendees to engage creatively with the future using the scenarios, identifying challenges and opportunities for retail and come up with actions that could generate long-term sustainable value whatever the future holds.
-
Future of Stores - Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
-
Future of Products & Value Chains - Lakeshore, 1st Floor
-
Future of Consumers & Employees - Nicollet C, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
Deloitte, Source Intelligence, UL & Waste Management
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Mike Vale
Executive Vice President, Consumer & Office Business
3M Company
The Sharing Economy is HUGE. Or Not.
Suzanne Shelton
Chief Executive Officer
Shelton Group
If Necessisty is the Mother of Invention, Happiness is the Father.
Mario Chamorro
Founder & Chief Happiness Officer
Make it Happy
Compliance Concurrent Session: Pharmaceutical Waste Reform
U.S. EPA is due to release a proposed and long-awaited pharmaceutical waste rule in August 2014, and states like California, Connecticut and Minnesota are also considering reforms to mitigate the unintended consequences of applying industrial and medical waste management standards to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, especially as these drugs pass through reverse logistics. Hear insight from key stakeholders regarding the status and substance of proposed changes to state and federal pharmaceutical waste management requirements and how these changes may impact current compliance programs and pharmaceutical reverse logistics. Learn first-hand the policy drivers from regulators and the long term strategies needed by companies to assure sustainable compliance with pharmaceutical waste requirements.
Speaker(s):
Gregory Blount
Partner
Troutman Sanders
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Join conference attendees for an evening networking reception in the Exhibit Hall. Share the day's learnings and converse with peers.
Continental Breakfast
Join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.
Registration & Information
Pick up your registration materials here, along with answers to all your questions.
Nicollet Alcove, 1st Floor
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Jason Clay
Senior Vice President, Market Transformation
World Wildlife Fund
Ten Ways Retailers can be More Sustainable and Profitable
Jeffrey Hollender
Co-founder & Former CEO
Seventh Generation
Founder & CEO
Hollender Sustainable Brands
Compliance Concurrent Session: Managing Retailer's Owned-Brands Under FIFRA
Hear an introduction to FIFRA including background of the law and how it has been implemented at the State and Federal levels. An overview of the typical private label products affected and the not so well-known products, including exemptions, will be discussed. Learn about the management strategies for compliance, including alternate brand labeling, supplemental distribution, product labeling, registration and mill taxes, and national databases including NPIRS, KellySolutions and ALSTAR.
Speaker(s):Wade Miller
Senior Consultant, Compliance
Wenck Associates, Inc.
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Off-site Tour: 3M Innovation Center
The 3M Innovation Center is designed to showcase the breadth and depth of the rich and diverse technologies‚ processes and products 3M has created and it brings to life the spirit of 3M Innovation. From the moment a customer enters the Center‚ they enter a world where anything is possible – they will see previously unknown technologies and fascinating‚ practical real life applications. A team of highly trained informative hosts from a variety of technical and professional backgrounds guide visitors on their journey of discovery. Color‚ sound and design all play a significant part in creating the experience.
Off-site Tour: Target Field
Target Field, home to the Minnesota Twins, is one of two LEED® Silver Certified ballparks in the country. Target Field's design promotes growth for years to come with innovation surrounding indoor air quality, recycling practices, reduced heat island effect and brownfield remediation. Join conference attendees for this unique opportunity to tour the park.
Leadership Workshop: Effectively Communicating Sustainability in Professional Settings
The pursuit of sustainability can generate tremendous benefits for employees and organizations, including positive relationships, a sense of meaning and purpose, creativity, innovation and engagement. Yet our experience with achieving those goals often treads a tough path. It can lead some people to resignation and cynicism, and others to inspiration and motivation. For that, corporate sustainability is both a great challenge and a great opportunity. In this workshop, we invite you to explore the tensions we all encounter in our roles. We will identify the limitations in how you personally communicate with your colleagues that blocks your effectiveness and we will create new pathways that are aligned with the change you wish to achieve.
Speaker(s):
Gabriel Grant
Co-founder & Director
Byron Fellowship Educational Foundation
Katie Wallace
Assistant Director, Sustainability
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Change Management Workshop: Gap's MindSpark Process for Solving Systemic Sustainability Problems
Luncheon
Join your peers for lunch and networking prior to the Exhibit Hall.
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Sponsor(s):
Clean Harbors/Safety Kleen
Networking in the Exhibit Hall
Come for a last look at the innovative solutions in the Exhibit Hall.
A Toolkit for the Future: Driving New Strategies & Innovation
Get hands on experience on how to use futures toolkits to address sustainability challenges in your business. Learn how to future-proofing existing strategies or how to create innovative products and services. Hear insights and tips from businesses who have already used futures thinking to create change in their organizations, and use practical strategy and innovation to teach you how to do it!
-
Future of Stores - Nicollet D1 - D2, 1st Floor
-
Future of Products & Value Chains - Lakeshore, 1st Floor
-
Future of Consumers & Employees - Nicollet C 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Forum for the Future
Sponsor(s):
CB&I, Deloitte, Source Intelligence, Target, UL, Unilever & Waste Management
Compliance Concurrent Session: One Person's Trash: Retail's Responsibility in Product End of Life
Municipal waste agencies are actively seeking to reduce waste to landfill by promoting recycling and financing via pass-through charges from manufacturers to retailers. In 2013, nine product stewardship bills were either signed into law or passed by state legislatures with many more expected in coming years. With retail at the intersection of manufacturers, environmentalists and consumers, we need to understand how sourcing, marketing and waste policies can impact business and influence consumer behavior. This in-depth conversation will examine opportunities to reduce product lifecycle footprint, methods to collect and harvest product materials, and appropriate financing methods.
Speaker(s):
Leo Raudys
Founder
Riduvit.com
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
REM Concurrent Session: Innovative Energy Storage Solutions Being Utilized by Retailers
Hear challenges retailers face when it comes to energy industry trends, and new technologies being utilized to address them.
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Compliance Concurrent Session: Air Emissions Permitting of Diesel Engines for Generators & Fire Pumps at Stores
Several types of operations present at retail and support facilities emit air pollutants and may be subject to federal and state air quality rules. Following a brief summary of the assets that generate air emissions, key rules applicable to generators and fire pumps and the criteria generally used to determine whether a permit is required, participants will confidentially add their own enforcement experience to a collaboratively complied matrix of jurisdictional hot spots.
Speaker(s):
Nicole Wilkinson
Senior Manager, Corporate Environmental
CVS Caremark Corporation
John Storlie
Principal Consultant & Managing Member, Retail Environmental Solutions
The OS Group LLC
Michael Lewis
Environmental Engineer
CB&I
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
REM Concurrent Session: Key Data Considerations for Corporate Carbon Reporting
Driven by shareholder activism but accountable on P&L, companies understand that their sustainability position depends on documenting associated cost savings, largely achieved through enhanced enterprise-wide energy efficiency. High quality data availability eases both sustainability reporting and documentation of cost savings, and is achievable through incremental but strategic steps. Learn the critical data factors for cost savings tracking using carbon emissions as a surrogate and how a high quality database can serve as a diagnostic to evaluate future sustainability initiatives.
Speaker(s):
Michael Chenard
Director, Corporate Sustainability
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Michael Hewett
Director, Environmental & Sustainability Programs
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Jamie Meyers
Manager, Sustainability
Walgreen Co.
David Bubenick
Director, Carbon Management Services
CB&I
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Transparency Impact to Retail Value Chains
The retail value chain is being transformed by technology as expectations grow for companies to manage their suppliers and trace the materials in their products. Stakeholders increasingly expect more visibility into what goes into the making of a product. This session will focus on trends and drivers in the retail value chain and feature a diverse panel of experts sharing their perspectives and experiences on the role of technology to help address risk and manage evolving supply chains.
Speaker(s):Margot Sfeir
Senior Manager, Socail Responsibility
J. Crew Group, Inc.
Kristen Sullivan
Partner
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Jess Kraus
President & Chief Executive Officer
Source Intelligence
Employee Engagement: Getting Into a Green Routine
Come learn how to create and grow an employee engagement program. What rewards will motivate your employees? Complete a SWOT analysis to learn how to set and measure achievable goals with your team. Learn about technology-based engagement programs. Hear from a retail store operations leader with experience implementing engagement programs.
Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Kim Brunson
Manager, Recycled & Solid Waste
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Tim Henning
Distric Manager
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Susan Hunt Stevens
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
WeSpire
Driving Step Change in the Recycling Value Chain Through Collaboration
Americans generate roughly 250 million tons of waste annually, two-thirds of which is landfilled. This is an enormous business and environmental opportunity for the recycling value chain. Cities could save billions of taxpayer dollars and create millions of jobs by increasing recycling, while retailers and manufacturers could increase the volume of recycled materials in products and meet environmental goals. Sustainability experts will share how they are collaborating to increase U.S. recycling in this panel discussion.
Speaker(s): Jonathan Atwood
Vice Presidient, Sustainable Living & Corporate Communications
Unilever
Rob Kaplan
Director, Sustainability
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Ron Gonen
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Closed Loop Fund
Timothy Croll
Director, Solid Waste
Seattle Public Utilities
Jeff Fielkow
Cheif Sales & Marketing Officer
ReCommunity Recycling
Developing Compliant & Sustainable Products: Retailer-Manufacturer Collaboration
A panel of suppliers, retailers, academics and trade association representatives in the home and personal care industries will discuss strategies for providing compliant, sustainable products to customers. The advantages and disadvantages of current systems in place, including retailer-initiated product databases and third party regulatory assessment providers, will be discussed along with ideas for future activities based on manufacturer-supplier cooperation.
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Construct, Refresh & Renovate Sustainably
Sustainability and prototype design seem to have a continuous conflict of interest. In this panel, questions including what the role of the landlord is in this equation, are retailers making sweeping or nominal changes and could reducing energy usage make up for more construction waste will be answered. Join this lively panel as they discuss leading practices and ask questions that are top of mind for you.
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Microsessions
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Julie Krueger
Director, Retail Industry
Google
Information Visualized: Helping Audiences Connect Emotionally to Sustainability
Arlene Birt
Information Designer & Visual Storyteller
Continental Breakfast
Join us for breakfast and networking before the day begins.
Partnering with Non-profit Environmental & Social Sustainability Organizations
Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
Creating a Race to the Top: Driving Progress on Product Sustainability & Transparency
Retailers today are assessing their suppliers and products in a variety of ways and changing behavior in supply chains through the use of sustainability indexes and scorecard tools. Listen as representatives from top retailers discuss these tools and share their experiences and lessons learned.
Speaker(s):Panelist(s):
Desirae Early
Manager, Sustainability Strategy & Innovation
Levi Strauss & Co.
Scott Lercel
Director, Social Responsbility & Sustainability
Target Corporation
Moderator:
Jim Thomas
Vice President, Sustainability, Safety, Environment, Ethics & Compliance
Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.
Sustainability Valuation is Not an Oxymoron: Quantifying in Dollar Terms the Impact on the Business
How much value did sustainability add to your company's business last year? Understanding the return on investments from cost reductions is relatively simple. But this leaves the indirect value created by sustainability - which can be significant - unquantified. However, there are valuation techniques in practice today that put sustainability benefits on equal footing so it's possible to compare and contrast results in dollar terms. This multi-stakeholder panel will provide a perspective of what valuation means and how a long-term approach can impact your bottom line and your position in the capital markets.
Speaker(s):
Amy Longsworth
Managing Director, Sustainable Business Solutions
PwC
Hazardous Waste Reporting & Data Management from a Continuous Improvement Perspective
Hazardous waste reporting requires a strong program framed by multi-state regulatory knowledge, defensible waste determinations, detailed facility and disposal programs, and robust data management. A program approach reaps continuous improvement benefits, justifying the costs of going beyond “just submitting biennial reports”. Yet, even this is riddled with challenges. Discussed will be the challenges of minimal compliance and the benefits of a CI program approach.
Speaker(s):
Chris Stewart
Senior Manager II, Hazardous Waste Management Services
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Dawn McLaughlin
Program Manager, Retail Hazardous Waste Management
CB&I
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Energy Optimization: How Leading Retailers are Managing Their Energy as an Asset
Approaching energy management and sustainability with one holistic strategy increases the chances of retailers meeting their sustainability goals. Sustainability and energy management are synergistic programs, and the strong return on investment of energy management initiatives can be used to fund sustainability efforts that have less measurable payback metrics. Case studies of retailers who have achieved their goals by deploying energy supply, demand and sustainability initiatives will be covered. Also learn how to set up an integrated program in a phased approach to provide a foundation for a successful energy and sustainability management program.
Speaker(s):Alex Michalko
Senior Program Manager, Sustainability
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
Ron Taglieri
Vice President, Solutions Consulting, Energy & Sustainability Services
Schneider Electric
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Engaging & Driving Sustainable Action in Your Brands
A company’s strategic brands have the greatest opportunity to create value from sustainability as they are on the front lines of developing and marketing products to consumers. So how can sustainability leaders gain traction with these stakeholders? How do you inspire action and encourage long term focus when leaders are often focused on short-term results? How do you identify opportunities to innovate on sustainability and engage consumers who do not necessarily want to pay more for sustainable products?
Nicollet D1-D2, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):Roman Smith
Director, Sustainability Operations
AT&T Services, Inc.
Jake Swenson
Director, Sustainable Products & Services
Staples, Inc.
Retailer Initiatives for Sourcing & Selling Safer Products
The role that retailer leaders should take in understanding chemical risks in their supply chain can be unclear. Learn how to take action to source and sell safer products. A key trend to be discussed is the increased demand for transparency that retailers and B2B suppliers are facing from their customers. In this panel discussion, hear how some retailers and product manufacturers are approaching this challenge to ensure that products contain safer chemicals and tools being used to make the business case to upper level management. Precompetitive approaches to support standardized chemical information sharing within supply chains will be discussed.
Speaker(s): Roger McFadden
Vice President, Senior Scientist
Staples, Inc.
Kate Heiny
Group Manager, Sustainability
Target Corporation
Rob Kaplan
Director, Sustainability
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Sally Edwards
Senior Research Associate, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The Business Benefits of Environmental Reporting: From Disclosure to Performance
For retailers that report to CDP, GRI, and others, they understand the importance of reporting and obtaining the highest scores possible. But truly dynamic and forward-thinking companies don’t stop there. Hear how environmental reporting can help reduce risk and have tangible, financial impacts on businesses and brands. We will also explore how reporting has helped companies to identify challenges they were not aware, better prioritize projects throughout the year and improve public and stakeholder perception and communications.
Speaker(s):
Bruce Karas
Vice President, Environment & Sustainability
The Coca-Cola Company
Letitia Webster
Global Director, Corporate Sustainability
VF Corporation
Maureen Sertich
North American Sustainability Leader
Whirlpool Corporation
John Hoesktra
Director, Sustainability
Schneider Electric
Retailers Beware: More Environmental Regulation is in Store
Hefty fines, tarnished brands, time-consuming external monitoring- these are just some of the increasing risks retailers face as regulators ramp up store-level environmental compliance enforcement. It is also a clarion call for workable, cost-conscious solutions in today’s challenging retail setting. We will provide timely insight on this trend with knowledgeable answers that address the unique environment of store-level retail.
Speaker(s):
Mark Heaney
Vice President
AlterEcho
Sponsor(s):
PSC & Stericycle
Learning From the Best: Review of the U.S. EPA & DOE's Building Energy Programs
Speaker(s):
Michael Zatz
Chief, Market Sectors Group
ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Holly Carr
Manager, Better Buildings for Retail Properties
Department of Energy
Sponsor(s):
Schneider Electric & Wipro
Closing Keynote: Challenging the Impossible
Whether technological or personal, challenge is the driving force behind discovery. Yet we are so quick to shy away from a challenge, often dismissively categorizing it as impossible. Cameron and Todd use their journey through a variety of historical engineering achievements as a case study in taking on the impossible. In isolating four key ingredients of innovation, Todd and Cameron describe how we can get past the assumptions and constraints that narrow our vision, and how we can prepare ourselves to take on creative endeavors and difficult challenges.
Nicollet Ballroom, 1st Floor
Speaker(s):
Todd Reichert
Co-founder
AeroVelo, Inc.
Cameron Robertson
Co-founder
AeroVelo, Inc.