Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Circular Advantage Business Forum Discover and implement circular business models that generate new revenue streams, reduce costs and create sustainable growth 8th-9th June 2015, London, UK This event is an independent executive conference that is designed for all types of businesses to discuss the commercial opportunities in implementing a circular economy business model. The conference, firstly, provides progressive companies that are committed to the circular economy with a platform to debate the latest and most pressing of challenges. Secondly, the event will help businesses that want to engage more, develop clear strategy transition to a circular business model and make clear the benefits of doing so. In the conference sessions, PowerPoint will be discouraged. Through an interactive and engaging agenda, featuring the key executives from the leading companies, this event is designed to move beyond sustainability rhetoric and to demonstrate the commercial potential of a circular model for the individual business. Here are some of the potential lessons you can take back to the office: How to move your value chain to a value circle: embed circularity in your business model and be ready for a future of scarcity and elevated demand. How to reduce and ultimately eliminate your environmental impact: close material loops in your products’ lifecycles and have a net-neutral impact on the environment. How to lower operational costs: build long-term resilient supply and more economical production by lowering your dependence on raw materials and resources. How to add new revenue streams: remove the concept of waste as it can be used to make money – your value chain contains many more commercial opportunities than you may realise. How to create better customer value: understand how circular models create an engaged and satisfied customer base with greater loyalty that is more easily retained. The narrative and structure of the agenda is designed to reconcile the latest thinking with accessibility for this is still a new and innovative business concept. Circularity is something that nearly all companies can profit from applying. This event is the platform to outline why that is and how to do it. Speakers include Janez Potocnik Janez Potocnik Former European Commissioner for Environment Thierry Mallet Thierry Mallet EVP, Innovation and Business Performance SUEZ Environnement Patrick Niels Patrick Niels President, Group Business Director Royal DSM Peter Lacy Peter Lacy Managing Director, Strategy and Sustainability Services Accenture Strategy Who you will hear from We will have 40 speakers and presenters in June. Among those confirmed are Anne-Christine Ayed, EVP, research, innovation and environment, Tarkett Paul Toyne, group head of sustainability, Balfour Beatty Eben Bayer, chief executive officer, Ecovative Design Peter Nieuwenhuizen, director, innovation, partnerships and complexity reduction, Akzo Nobel Walter Stahel, founder and director, Product Life Institute Matt Polaine, lead researcher, circular economy, BT Kirstie McIntyre, director, social and environmental responsibility, HP Simon Hoffmeyer Boas, senior corporate social responsibility manager, Carlsberg Andy Doran, senior manager, sustainability and recycling development, Novelis Ramon Arratia, sustainability director, Interface Rudi Daelmans, director, sustainability, Desso Mike Barry, director, Plan A, Marks & Spencer Ida Auken, member of Danish parliament and former environment minister Klaus Stadler, director, environment and water resources Europe, Coca-Cola Company Dax Lovegrove, director, sustainability and innovation, Kingfisher Ian Ellison, sustainability manager, Jaguar Land Rover Jonathan Perry, take back compliance consultant, Dell How big is the event and who will be attending? This is not an exhibition. Attending will be a maximum of 150 senior professionals representing large, medium and start-up businesses from operations, environment, corporate responsibility, sustainability, supply chain and mainstream commercial functions. We will actively restrict the number of service providers to ensure that there is a minimum of 80% business practitioners in attendance. What are the goals of the event? The key objectives of the event are to provide attendees with the following: A circular vision: recognise opportunity through a detailed analysis of different circular business models so you can see which models are the most applicable and appropriate to your business type and sector. A realistic plan: be pragmatic and realistic about moving to a circular way of doing business – this cannot happen in just a year or two. The event will provide the right insights in the change management process and circular governance so that you can have buy-in from all internal stakeholders and achieve continued progress. A roadmap for implementation: from product design, supply chain management, customer engagement, sales and marketing, and financial management, understand what the circular implications for every part of the business are and how to introduce and develop the correct skills and thinking across the business. The key competencies for scale: in order to achieve true value chain circularity at scale there are certain unfamiliar competencies a company needs in place. These include: how to collaborate effectively, knowing and applying the right technologies, and how and where government provides a supportive environment. This event will explore how to design a strategy that is inclusive of these essential strategic factors. Circular economy: one of the key sustainable business opportunities of the next decade If you want to learn how to create circular business models at your company or how to move your effort forward, then this is the conference for you. For the full background and all the information on our expert speakers and detailed agenda, request a brochure on the top right hand side of this page. Any questions, please do get in touch! Boris Petrovic Innovation Forum O: +44 (0)20 3780 7430 D: +44 (0)20 3780 74 34 M: +44 (0)78 743 17 991 E: boris.petrovic@innovation-forum.co.uk 3rd Floor, 1 Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA