The problem with conferences is that they can go one of two ways.
The best-case scenario is that you meet a bunch of interesting people, learn from compelling speakers, and leave the event a bit more enlightened than when you arrived. The worst case is far grimmer: wasted time, obnoxious cohorts, and a boring lineup. For those of you who regularly attend conferences, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Earlier in the week, I spent a day at the GreenBiz Forum in New York City and I’m happy to report that this was decidedly one of those best-case scenarios.
From C-level executives to industrious entrepreneurs, the GreenBiz Forum brought together an amalgamation of committed leaders and brands all focused on one common goal: to build, create, and promote sustainable business.
Once thought as only a trend, sustainability is becoming a cornerstone of many industries. As it turns out, the green bubble is no bubble at all, but a complex new molecule in our industrial DNA.
Collaborative consumption and mesh companies are becoming profitable models; retail giants like Wal-Mart are setting wildly ambitious goals; businesses are examining each part of their supply chain. Even a brand like Campbell’s Soup is getting on board by setting an ambitious goal to reduce the environmental footprint of their product portfolio by 50 percent. As GreenBiz Group Chairman and Executive Editor Joel Makower said, “Sustainability is becoming a fundamental part of business.”
What we know, and what the GreenBiz Forum echoed, is that we must build sustainability into all sectors. Government, business, and consumers must work together if we hope to move the needle. It’s a cyclical process that requires an investment from all parties.
The future of sustainable business isn’t about how one industry will behave. Rather, it’s about how the sector as a whole will work together to create a cleaner future while building a more prosperous economy. And that’s just good business.
Michael Parrish DuDell
