Sustainable Brands ’09 Attracting Blue Chip Brands; Sustainability Remains a Key Priority

World-class Faculty to Place Sustainable Design and Brand Innovation in Context of Systemic Shift in Economy and Society

BURLINGAME, Calif., March 17 /PRNewswire/ — Sustainable Life Media today announced that Jez Frampton, Global CEO of Interbrand, will be among the leaders kicking off Sustainable Brands ’09 (SB ’09) with a look at “The Power of Brand to Change the Future.” More than 60 thought leaders and brand innovators are already lined up to share up-to-the-minute learning with more than 600 business strategy, sustainability, design and brand executives in Monterey from May 31 to June 4.

The Sustainable Brands Conference has become the preeminent international conference for discussing the rapid rise of sustainability as a driver for revenue growth and brand equity in the 21st century. The 2008 conference, also in Monterey, was sold out.

“We are seeing an early up tick in participation this year, despite tough economic times, which indicates the degree to which our community sees innovation for sustainability as the path to business success going forward,” said KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO of Sustainable Life Media. “Given growing market drivers and an improved political environment in the U.S., the climate is right to make real progress in re-designing businesses, products and brands for a healthier future for all.”

Three full days of plenary and breakout sessions, as well as a full day of hands-on workshops, will both inspire and equip attendees to succeed by responding to growing stakeholder demand for more environmentally and socially innovative product and service solutions.

Ms. Skrzyniarz continued, “Tremendous new solutions are being born out of productive problem-solving conversations between business functions, across multiple stakeholder groups and market sectors, and even between competitors, as more businesses seek to find ways to share learning while still maintaining a clear sense of individual identity and brand. We are thrilled to have the privilege to help facilitate and support this unfolding dialogue.”

About Sustainable Brands ’09

Widely reputed to be the most compelling sustainability conference of the year, Sustainable Brands ’09 will convene business strategists, along with sustainability, design and brand leaders from a cross section of organizations such as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dell, Coca-Cola, Clorox, FedEx, HP, Interbrand, Johnson & Johnson, Mohawk, New Belgium Brewery, Nestle/Purina, SC Johnson, Waste Management, Williams-Sonoma, and an unprecedented list of others.

Among those currently confirmed to speak are, Mathis Wackernagle, Founder, Global Footprint Network; Hazel Henderson, Author, Building a Win Win World and Ethical Markets; Tom Szaky, CEO, Terracycle; Andrew Dent, PhD, BusinessWeek Innovation Columnist; Jacquelyn Ottman, Founder, J. Ottman Consulting; Leilani Latimer, Dir of Sustainability, Travelocity; Mark Lee, CEO, SustainAbility; Paul Lilienthal, CEO, Pictura Graphics; Nathan Shedroff, Author, Making of Meaning; Jeff Mendelsohn, CEO, New Leaf Paper; Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-founder, B Corp; Susan Mac Cormac, Partner, Morrison Foerster; Adam Lowry, Co-founder, Method; Bill Morrissey, VP Environmental Sustainability, Clorox; Steve Newcomb, Founder, 1 Block Off the Grid and Lend Me Some Sugar; John Edson, President and CEO, Lunar Design; Woody Tasch, Author, Slow Money; Christina Nicholson, Director of Sustainable Development, Williams-Sonoma; Andrew Winston, Co-author of Green to Gold; Mark McElroy, PhD, Founder, Center for Social Innovation; Ron Gonen, CEO, RecycleBank; Kelly McElhaney, Executive Director, Center for Responsible Business; Tod Arbogast, Director of Sustainable Business, Dell Computers; Steve Glenn, CEO, Living Homes; Umair Haque, Director, Havas Media Lab; John Marshall Roberts, Author, Igniting Inspiration; Joshua Levine, Advisor, UBS Financial Services, Inc.; among many others.

In addition to a newly expanded Solutions Showcase Expo and Sponsored Sessions series, an extended “Un-conference” where participants create the conversations, and a plethora of evening networking activities over the four days of the event, a dozen hands-on workshops are planned along side this year’s conference providing interactive exploration of topics such as: Practical Strategies for Green Marketing & Eco-Innovation with Jacquelyn Ottman, Scenario Planning with Global Business Network, the leading international scenario firm, Understanding Your Ecological Footprint with Global Footprint Network and Social Impact Metrics with the Center for Sustainable Innovation.

Details on the conference are currently unfolding at: http://www.sustainablebrands09.com. SB ’08 sold out. Early registration incentives are now in place, but will be limited. Prospective attendees wishing to reserve space at the best rate and receive a complimentary hotel room for one night along with their registration should book soon.

About Sustainable Life Media

A business-to-business online community, e-newsletter and event company located in Burlingame, CA, Sustainable Life Media (SLM) is home for business professionals looking to build new value and competitive advantage by innovating more sustainable strategies, practices and products. SLM delivers top news stories related to the what, who and how of environmental and social innovation, and helps community members connect with thought leaders, peers, partners and solutions providers that can help them quickly reach their goals. For more information, please visit: http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com/about. To subscribe to SLM Newsletters, free, please visit http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com/newsletters.

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SOURCE Sustainable Life Media