The Responsible Retailing Summit 2008

January 30th-31st, 2008
London Novotel West, Hammersmith, London

In an era where fair trade, healthy living, obesity, climate change and equal opportunities are daily headlines; the pressure is mounting on retailers to become responsible businesses.

Consumers are increasingly basing their purchasing decisions on how well third world manufacturers are treated, how organic ingredients are, how small a retailer’s carbon footprint is and how they can contribute to society at large.   

The smart retailers know that if they get their strategy right; a responsible retailer is a more profitable retailer.  But where should you place your efforts; how can you engage and communicate this to your customers and staff and what are the best responsible strategies that will deliver your company enhanced brand value and increased profits?

Further to a period of in depth research with target delegates, this event focuses on how UK retail executives can develop corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies that will boost profits, reduce costs, increase market share and enhance their retail brands. 

This interactive summit has been designed to allow UK retail executives and solution providers to network and discuss best practices of CSR. 

This two day action-packed event focuses purely on the key CSR issues facing UK’s retail executives.  

Find out how to:

• Drive your profits and brand value through effective responsible retailing strategies
• Align your corporate responsibility strategy with the latest stakeholder expectations
• Understand which areas of CSR will allow you to make a real difference
• Enhance your brand value through effective ethical supply chain strategies
• Engage your customers and employees through an effective CSR communications strategy 
• Build a business case that achieves board level buy in
• Strengthen your corporate image through effective community and charitable activities
• Ensure compliance through a clearer understanding of the key CSR legislation facing UK retail executives
• Prepare for the future of responsible retailing
• Increase profits and enhance brand value through effective environmentally friendly retailing
• Focus your environmental strategy through calculating and communicating your carbon footprint
• Reduce your carbon footprint through effective management throughout your supply chain
• Enhance brand, product and packaging through understanding environmental design principles

This isn’t just another environmental conference where vendors pitch you with speeches about how great their green solutions are.  This is a 2 day interactive summit, designed for UK retailers to focus on ALL areas of corporate social responsibility. Almost all of the sessions on the program feature CSR professionals from the UK’s leading retailers allowing delegates the opportunity to benchmark their strategies with real-worldretailer case studies. 

Speakers already confirmed at the event include:

Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for Competitiveness, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

• Robert Simpson, Head of Sustainable Store Development, Asda
• Rowland Hill, Sustainable Development Manager, Marks & Spencer
• Richard Ellis, Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Alliance Boots
• Jat Sahota, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Public Affairs, Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd
• Nick Monger- Godfrey, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Waitrose and John Lewis
• Trevor Dahl, Head of CSR, Woolworths plc
• Ben Bengougam, Group Director of Human Resources and Chairman of CSR Committee, DSG international plc
• Bruce Dixon, Health, Safety and Environment Manager, Lloydspharmacy
• Paul Monaghan, Head of Ethics and Sustainable Development, Co-operative Group
• Gene Cleckley, Internal Communications and Community Affairs Manager, QVC UK
• Richard Barrinton, Head of Public Policy, Sun Microsystems UK
• Gillian Lipton, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Monsoon Accessorize
• Dr Alan Knight OBE , Sustainable Development Commissioner, UK Government and  Sustainable Development Director , Wyevale Garden Centres
• Paul Pritchard, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Royal and SunAlliance
• Burak Cakmak, Senior Manager, Social Responsibility, Gap Inc
• Hilary Jones, Ethics Director, Lush
• Simon Constantine, Head of Creative Buying, Lush
• Jenny Dawkins, Head of Corporate Responsibility Research, Ipsos MORI
• John Blackwell, CEO, JBA
• Elizabeth Shepherd, Partner, Retail Sector, Eversheds LLP
• Dr Sally Uren, Director, Business Program, Forum for the Future
• Rob Holdway, Environmental Design Advisor (Eco Design), Envirowise
• Terry Robins, Environmental Design Advisor (Structural Design), Envirowise
• James Dorrell , Environmental Design Advisor (Environmental Science Design), Envirowise
• Simon Drury, Business Partnership Director, Envirowise
• Professor Jeremy Moon FRSA, Director International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, Nottingham University Business School
• Jan Buckingham, Director of Global Values, The Body Shop
• Subhash Rustagi, Executive Vice President, Corporate Environment Health & Safety, ITC Ltd

With regular networking opportunities throughout the day and the chance to ask our speakers your burning CSR questions during our interactive discussions, can you really afford not to attend?