Meeting Overview:
Member Meetings offer one-of-a-kind opportunities for brands to learn from other Members across the SB network, understand their shared goals and challenges, and coalesce around system-wide ESG developments.
This March, join Corporate and Affiliate Member leaders as they discover and discuss the innovative design opportunities of the future. From inclusive, thoughtful design that results in positive impacts throughout product life cycles, to reframing what we know about innovation altogether, this meeting will showcase the latest products, services, design approaches, and business models that are helping organizations of all sizes deliver on their sustainability ambitions and establish a new business as usual. Whether your organization’s sustainability commitments focus on environmental, social, or internal governance needs - or all three - hear from brands across the SB network dedicated to equipping themselves and consumers with unique ways to participate in the solutions of the future. Throughout two half-days of programming, Members will be among like-minded leaders who are invested in and working towards a more sustainable future through actionable ideation, brand collaboration, and strategic commitment.
Members will focus on peer-to-peer learning, sharing, prototyping, and collaborating to create systems-wide ripples in innovative design principles. Attendees can anticipate hands-on, interactive working sessions alongside industry-leading peers as they jointly build upon best practices for an ever-changing future.
Member Meeting Agenda:
March 29
11:30a PDT - Member-exclusive Networking Session (in-person only)
12:00p PDT - Member Lunch (in-person only)
1:00p PDT - SB Welcome and Meeting Objectives
Darren Beck, Sustainable Brands
1:30a PDT - Framing the Future: Understanding Our Shared Vision for Design Innovation (Workshop)
Christine Smitz, Sustainable Brands
What is innovation and how do we achieve it for deeper sustainability within the Products and Services our brands offer? In this session, discover frameworks to help align our inspired design thinking into a shared sustainable vision we can track and move forward on.
2:00p PDT - Designing A Sustainable Experience (Workshop)
Yalmaz Siddiqui, MGM
Brittany Price, MGM
Erik Haug, LIGHT CoCreative
Lisa Whitsitt, LIGHT CoCreative
Join MGM Resorts International and design-thinking experts LightCo Creative as they guide Members through innovative ideation, development, and prototype processes to support - designing for more inclusive and sustainable outcomes. Hear from MGM VP of Corporate Responsibility Yalmaz Siddiqui detail their journey from being challenged with creating sustainable client experiences, to an inspiring, and influential, customizable consumer tool. Learn cross-industry principles and practices to begin shifting your design frameworks toward consumer use, and planetary goals.
3:15p PDT - Break
3:30p PDT - Shifting Our ESG Approaches to Prioritize Social Impact within Design (Workshop)
Kathleen Hetrick, Buro Happold
Kirsten Melling, Buro Happold
Current industry measurement tools aim to quantify our planetary impacts while shying away from the other costs of doing business as usual. Led by Buro Happold, this workshop session will center on shifting our current paradigm and tools to better discover the social and corporate responsibility implications of our supply sources, materials, operations, and product designs to innovate more conscientiously
5:00p PDT - Wrap Up
7:00p PDT - Sponsored Dinner (in-person only)
March 30
7:45a PDT - Breakfast (in-person only)
8:30a PDT - Welcome & Day-of Intentions
8:45a PDT - Making Materiality Material: Using Alternative Additives to Achieve Our Sustainability Goals (Presentation Discussion)
Jesse Henry, Heartland
Stephanie Dycha, Avient
Walter Ripple, Avient
Today's brands are being increasingly challenged by the consumers' desires for sustainable options, vying to create environmentally and visually appealing products and packaging, while simultaneously reducing their Scope 3 carbon emissions and impacts. To achieve these goals, brands aim to utilize reusable, recyclable, and compostable choices that allow the consumer to participate in a more circular system like never before.
In this two-part session, join hemp experts Heartland as they showcase how bio-based additives can create a clearer pathway toward reducing carbon impacts while increasing greater consumer utility for smarter, more sustainable plastics.
In part two of this session, learn how Avient Corporation integrates their strong portfolio of sustainable solutions to innovative and apply industry-leading circular design concepts to product manufacturing processes. This strategy focuses on the middle of the supply chain to increase reusability and recyclability, enabling CPGs to reach their brand goals to maintain integrity, appeal, and the ability to achieve and remain in a closed-loop system.
10:00a PDT - Waste Less, Renew More: How Innovative Waste Streams Can Create the Resources We Need (Case Study)
Maxwell Bracey, PreZero
John Hanselman, Vanguard Renewables
In this two-part session, learn from Brands that are reimagining waste into pivotal resources and goods we use to lead more sustainable lives. Discover how PreZero is working to change the narrative around ‘trash’ and instead, bring true value to this lesser-tapped resource through bicoastal organic and plastics recycling.
Then hear from Vanguard Renewables as they continue to develop best-in-class organics to renewable energy projects that absorb waste to enhance regenerative agriculture, reduce the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, and create pathways to greater decarbonization.
11:15a PDT - Extended Break
11:45a PDT - Community Problem Solving Session (Workshop)
12:30p PDT - Closing Remarks
Member Meeting Auxiliary Events:
Tuesday, March 29, 10-11:30 AM
Aria Resorts & Casino Sustainability Tour: Join MGM’s sustainability team for a behind-the-scenes tour of their world-class Aria Resort & Casino. Learn about MGM’s sustainability journey through sustainable construction and design, responsible operations, and see a recycling dock in action! Please expect to be on your feet and walking for the duration of the tour. Close-toed walking shoes are recommended. This event has reached capacity.
Wednesday, March 30, 1-3 PM
MGM Resorts Mega Solar Array: Experience the hospitality industry’s largest direct connect renewable energy project in the world. Just 30 minutes north of the Las Vegas Strip, the MGM Resorts Mega Solar Array provides up to 90% of the daytime power needs of all MGM Resorts properties on the Las Vegas Strip. MGM will transport Members to the 640-acre site in the desert mountains, where you’ll learn all about how solar electricity is generated by the 300,000+ panels, how it is distributed into the grid for MGM properties, and how it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enables more climate-friendly events.
Please remember to bring your own water to this event - water will not be provided during the tour.
Who should attend:
Sustainable Brands curates Member-exclusive experiences for our network to help guide their journeys toward becoming truly sustainable brands. This meeting is available to the SB Corporate Member and Affiliate Member networks only. In addition to gathering in person at annual SB Conferences and other SB events, private* Member meetings provide an opportunity for members to connect face-to-face in an intimate, small group environment, sharing challenges, solutions, and best practices to successfully drive market-leading better brands.
*All SB member meetings operate under the Chatham House Rule.
Dinner details:
Date and Time: March 29, 2022, at 7:00pm
Dinner Location: Border Grill Mandalay Bay
3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Travel details:
Hotel
Sustainable Brands has secured a group rate at Park MGM. Members can book at a discounted rate here until March 18.
Travel by Alaska Air
Alaska Airlines is the official airline of the Sustainable Brands March Member meeting.
Creating lift through sustainability.
At Alaska, sustainability isn’t just a word; it’s a commitment. We take pride in our efforts to operate and grow in an environmentally responsible manner that creates value for our employees and guests while continuing to evolve our practices to help keep the places we live and fly healthy and beautiful. Thinking about flying greener with us? Land a discount when you book on alaskaair.com using the special Sustainable Brands code: ECME048
www.flysustainably.com
COVID-19 safety precautions:
Your wellbeing is our #1 priority. As such, all in-person attendees must show proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 (via vaccination card, app, or photo) to join the dinner and meeting. Booster is encouraged but not required. Additionally, attendees will be required to wear masks indoors when not eating or drinking. We will keep an eye on unfolding recommendations and provide updates to ensure our team and guests have a happy, healthy experience.
Registration details:
Please note that the deadline to register is Tuesday, March 22, 2022.