Sustainable Brands Unveils Programming for Activation Hub at SB’17 Detroit

SAN FRANCISCO, May 17, 2017 /3BL Media/ – Sustainable Brands® recently unveiled the session schedule for the Activation Hub at SB’17 Detroit, running May 22-25th at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. The Activation Hub is the action-centered space within the conference program that allows attendees to collaborate on new tools, resources and ideas to accelerate sustainability-led innovation.

The front end of environmental and social innovation will be featured in 11 market sector pavilions within the Activation Hub. Each pavilion is hosted by companies who are transforming market sectors and includes areas for: Good Apparel, Good Cities, Good Food, Good Homes, Good Mobility, Good Packaging and more. Beginning on Tuesday, May 23, each pavilion will feature scheduled programming, business leader meet-n-greets, subject matter experts and discussion groups led by top innovators and insight generators including SustainAbility, BBMG, Forum for the Future, Futerra and others.

Pavilion highlights include:

• BASF will serve as Anchor Host for the ‘Good Cities’ pavilion, showcasing how businesses can collaborate to help community development in urban areas, specifically around their partnership with SB and the Michigan Urban Farming Institute Community Resource Center build project: a collaboration between GM, USGBC, Scott Miracle Gro, Carlisle, Stanley Black & Decker, Green Standards, and Weber Shandwick.  The Good Cities Pavilion will also feature ACRE Investment Management, Akwamag (SB’14 Innovation Open finalist), B Lab, World Organization of the Scout Movement, The Nature Conservancy, Vancouver Convention Bureau, and the Erb Institute focusing on conversations around redefining ‘Good Cities’.
• A ‘Good Mobility/Good Travel’ pavilion, hosted by Ford Motor Company and featuring General Motors, United Airlines, Fiat Chrysler (FCA US LLC) and the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), Bee+Hive, will lead a discussion on the future of both ground and air transportation. Both Ford and Fiat Chrysler will host vehicles on site.
• A ‘Good Homes’ pavilion, anchored by Procter & Gamble, will also feature Kohler, Dopper, Shaw and others. Whirlpool will debut their WLabs appliance innovations for reducing food waste and lead a virtual look into their living research laboratory, ReNEWW House.
• ‘Good Apparel’ co-hosts Wrangler and Timberland, alongside a variety of sponsors such as the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and the Soil Health Institute. They will discuss how to leverage sustainable agriculture practices to reduce the environmental impacts of leather, cotton and rubber. The pavilion will also contain an on-site denim repair shop, led by Detroit Denim.
• A ‘Good Food/Good Agriculture’ pavilion, hosted by Nestlé, will feature DanoneWave, Wrangler, Quantis, Almond Board of California, Buckhorn International, United Soybean Board, C-Fresh, Rise Against Hunger and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance will ignite a conversation around the role of sustainable food and agriculture.
• Initiatives around ‘Good Packaging’ will be shared by anchor host Amazon and participating organizations BillerudKorsnäs, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), Terracycle and The Recycling Partnership.
• Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) will host the ‘Good Retail’ pavilion and feature Savers, SCS Global Services, and Harvest Time International, promoting responsible and transformative sustainability best practices for the industry at large.
• A ‘Good Chemistry’ pavilion will be anchored by The Dow Chemical Company discussing how the company is working towards improving the chemicals used in the food, waste and green building spaces. Dedicated discussions will explore how the chemical industry as a whole can better align the emerging Good Life aspirations with innovation in that sector.
• A ‘Good Supply Chain, Materials, and Technology’ pavilion will include Vinyl Business & Sustainability Council, Braskem, NSF International, VitalMetrics, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), UL EHS, Terrapass, Materials Research Society, Ecosphere+, MBDC, DuPont, iCompli, Plastics Industry Association, The Sustainabilty Consortium, and BLab.
• A ‘Good Logistics’ pavilion, anchored by host UPS, will feature conversations from EPA, ONEPLUS Systems, and Tryak. In this pavilion, UPS will debut their eBike and address challenges of urban logistics.
• A ‘Good Energy’ pavilion will feature conversations from Citizen, Altenex, An Edison Energy Company, Elements Marketing, Natural Capital Partners, LevelTen Energy, and, REC Solar.
• Semi-finalists for the Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) will participate in a startup competition and pitch their ideas to attendees and brands alike in the Activation Hub.      

The Activation Hub at SB’17 Detroit will run Monday, May 22nd^nd through Thursday, May 25^th at the Cobo Center in downtown Detroit. Entry into the Activation Hub is included in the price of a conference ticket, however, Activation Hub Only pass types are available for purchase separately. All pass types include access to the Opening Night plenary session and Welcome Reception featuring Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, William McDonough, founding Principal of McDonough Innovation and others. Pre-registration is encouraged and available for purchase at www.SB17Detroit.com. For more information about the Activation Hub, email connect@sustainablebrands.com or call 415.626.2212.

About Sustainable Brands
Sustainable Brands^® is the premier global community of brand innovators who are shaping the future of commerce worldwide. Since 2006, our mission has been to inspire, engage and equip today’s business and brand leaders to prosper for the near and long term by leading the way to a better future. Digitally published news articles and issues-focused conversation topics, internationally known conferences and regional events, a robust e-learning library and peer-to-peer membership groups all facilitate community learning and engagement throughout the year. Sustainable Brands is hosted by Sustainable Brands Worldwide, a division of Sustainable Life Media headquartered in San Francisco, CA.