Products of Change is a global educational hub aimed at driving sustainable
change across consumer product markets and beyond.
Delivered by Products of Change, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference made its triumphant in-person debut at the Royal Geographical Society in London on October 18th. Here’s what got the world’s licensing sector excited…
Unsurprisingly, Alan Moore delivered the goods when the Sustainability in Licensing Conference finally made its in-person debut on Tuesday, 18th October at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
An author and business innovator, and an individual we have made mention of before in our regular slot with The Bugg Report, Alan put it into the words we were all thinking. ‘To change everything, everybody must change.’
It was an invitation to audiences there in the auditorium and to the many tuning into the live stream from across the world, to take a long, hard look at the systemic change that needs to take place if sustainability is going to be achieved.
Challenging attendees to be ‘activists and to be unreasonable’ Alan referenced his books Do Build and Do Design, published titles that hammer home a clear new message for businesses operating in 2022; that by placing ‘beauty’ at the centre of what you do, a business can deliver on purpose, for its people, for the planet, and turn a profit.
And that was pretty much the theme of the day. How do we, the industry, begin to shift from talking about sustainability to implementing it? How do we move from recognising and acknowledging the waste in our current linear state, and start unlocking the value of it? And how do we take that message far and wide, across the licensing sector, from the top down?
“Business models need to be on the table,” suggested Mart Drake-Knight, the founder of the circular fashion experts Teemill whose mission it is to bring 100 million items of clothing back ‘through the loop’ by 2027.
Mart Drake-Knight, Founder of Teemill
“Once you start realising that waste is opportunity, you start seeing it everywhere. You see opportunity everywhere,” Mart told Sustainability in Licensing Conference attendees. “It seems crazy to me that if you’re selling water — for example — you sell it in plastic that you give to your customer to throw away. It gives you no choice but to go buy that plastic again.
Mart Drake-Knight, Founder of Teemill
“I might be naïve, but I’m pretty sure business is meant to make money, not throw it away.”
Mart Drake-Knight, Founder of Teemill
Delivered and curated by the team at Products of Change, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference went on to comprise insight and research on the relationship both the consumers and the high street has with sustainability right now, inspirational talks from some of the keenest pioneers of circularity, as well as key updates and ambitious targets from leading retailers George at ASDA, Primark Cares, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Tesco.
“SiLC 2022 was a thought-provoking conference and probably the most important for our industry in decades,” said Richard North, ceo of Wow! Stuff who took to social media to share his thoughts and his company’s own relationship with sustainable development in toys.
Richard North, CEO of Wow! Stuff
“Connecting in person has taken SiLC to a whole new level; the event blew me away,” said Helena Mansell Stopher, founder of Products of Change and director and curator of the Sustainability in Licensing Conference. “The energy, passion, and empathy in the room was electric with people connecting, swapping contact details, and openly sharing their sustainability journey.
Helena Mansell Stopher, Founder of Products of Change
“What SiLC 2022 highlighted more than ever is the desire to learn and the openness to share, both physically and digitally with hundreds connecting across the digital platform. Friendships that were formed [at the event] will be the foundation of the industry’s sustainable transformation… how cool is that?”
Helena Mansell Stopher, Founder of Products of Change
Products of Change will deliver the Sustainability in Licensing Conference again in 2023 when it will return for the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday, 8th November to document the industry’s journey with sustainable development.
It was an invitation to audiences there in the auditorium and to the many tuning into the live stream from across the world, to take a long, hard look at the systemic change that needs to take place if sustainability is going to be achieved.
PRODUCTS OF CHANGE
If you want to catch the action from SiLC 2022, you can register to view the day’s On Demand content simply by purchasing a SiLC 2022 ticket from:
www.sustainabilityinlicensing.com
