Sustainability In Licensing Conference
Owned and organised by ProductsofChange.com
The Royal Geographical Society, London.
We are at the dawning of a new age for licensing. With legislation coming at us from all angles, the landscape upon which business operates is about to shift dramatically. The $340bn global licensing industry has the chance to be leading that sustainable transition from the front, we just have to seize it.
That opportunity sits at the heart of this year’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference – the brand licensing and consumer product industries’ only event dedicated to collective sustainable development – as it makes its return to the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday, 8 November 2023.
A space for knowledge sharing and learning; networking and problem solving; conversation and – most importantly – asking questions, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference will once again deliver a jam-packed agenda devised expressly for sharing insight and providing the global brand licensing industry the tools needed to take those crucial next steps.
Billed “the most important for our industry in decades,” by attendees of the 2022 event, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference is making its return to the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday, 8thNovember 2023.
Continuing its mission to drive positive change across the licensing industry, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference made its triumphant in-person debut in October 2022 at the London venue, where attendees praised the event for delivering both a jam-packed agenda and a platform for sharing insight.
The date is now set for the 2023 event – Wednesday 8 November – with the agenda being curated and tickets already being reserved.
“SiLC 22 was a thought-provoking conference and probably the most important for our industry in decades,” said Richard North, ceo of Wow! Stuff, the award-winning toy and licensing specialist now on its own journey of sustainable development.
As the message of sustainability continues to gather momentum across the consumer product industries, SiLC 22 not only built upon the success of the event’s online content over the past two years but also took the subject of sustainability in licensing to all-new heights as the industry strives for positive, sustainable change
A jam-packed agenda of inspirational talks from leaders and innovators, informative panel sessions and discussions, and ground-breaking developments and updates spanned some of the biggest topics of conversation in the sustainability movement today.
Supporting the increased demand for knowledge, resources, and best practices from all corners of the licensing industry – from retailers to licensors, licensees to trade suppliers, content makers to contract writers – SiLC 22 inspired this continued positive action across the $275bn licensing industry.
The author and business innovator opened proceedings at SiLC 22 with a keynote talk on purpose-driven business, while Flowhaven and Carbon Farm dove into the subject of the real-world impact of the digital space. Sarah Hawkins, manager of Primark Cares, the fashion retailer’s sustainability strategy, explores the concept of affordable and accessible sustainability in fashion.
And that’s just a snippet of what this year’s hybrid in-person and live-streamed (for global audiences at home) event had to offer attendees.
Further topics spanned:
– Consumer data on sustainability trends in the homestead from across the globe with The Insights Family
– The changing economic landscape of retail and its evolving relationship with sustainability from Retail Economics
– Future technologies and their role in building a more sustainable business with the team from George at ASDA
– Sustainability in the toy industry with the global toy giant Mattel and its EMEA senior sustainability engineer, Elizabeth Eaves
The Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2023 agenda is now being curated by Products of Change’s founder Helena Mansell-Stopher and the Products of Change team.
SiLC 22 was presented by Products of Change (the online media hub and community resource for advancing sustainable change across the industry) and Max Publishing (publishers of the Licensing Source Book, LicensingSource.net, and organisers of The Licensing Awards and the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards).
Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder of Products of Change and conference director for SiLC 22, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to have finally brought the Sustainability in Licensing Conference to the industry in-person, and to have secured the magnificent Royal Geographical Society as our venue for the first real life event is just the feather in the cap.
“SiLC 22 was a place for sharing ideas, insight, and innovation on how best this endlessly creative industry can continue to drive positive global action towards a more sustainable future. By implementing changes today, we can drive forwards a better, healthier, and more environmentally focused industry of tomorrow.”
The Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2023 is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 8th November, returning to the Royal Geographical Society in London.
THE 2023 AGENDA
08:30
SILC 23 - Doors Open
09:30
Opening Keynote with The United Nations
Around the world, the United Nations works closely with government and business to adapt and help them better adopt the Sustainable Development Goals into their practices and operations. Caroline Petit, deputy director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre will open SiLC 2023 with a keynote presentation on the importance of collaboration and the urgency to Act Now.
Speaker
Caroline Petit, deputy director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre
09:50
Legislation Nation: How European law-making is changing business around the world
Determined to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050, Europe has become a global leader in the development and implementation of new legislative measures set to dramatically change the business landscape for good. Guiding business towards greater environmental responsibility, this legislation is impacting the global market. In this session, James George, POC Ambassador for Circularity; and Mike Swain, POC Ambassador for Packaging will talk attendees through the legislative updates businesses simply need to know.
Speakers
James George, POC Ambassador for Circularity
Mike Swain, POC Ambassador for Packaging
Illana Adamson, Founder at Be Better Sustainability, Assessor Cambridge Sustainable Marketing Course
10:20
Getting the measure: The Importance of being Carbon literate
Transparency across the global supply chain is a key pillar of incoming legislative updates, and crucial to being transparent is having a good knowledge of carbon reporting. We will be joined by the Carbon Literacy Trust’s Phil Korbel to discover the different areas in carbon reporting and how you can start calculating your impact.
Speaker
Phil Korbel, co-founder and director of advocacy at the Carbon Literacy Trust
10:40
BREAK
10:55
Mapping a sustainability pathway: How the industry is adapting to new demands
Leading names from the global brand and licensing industry, The Walt Disney Company, the LEGO Group, Mattel, Bravado (part of the Universal Music Group), Difuzed, and DK Books will share their insight and experience of navigating the sustainability conversation and putting those words into action.
Speakers
David Boyne, managing director, Bravado
Jeremy Orriss, director of licensing, Difuzed
Sine Møller, sustainability transformation director, the LEGO Group
Nicolas Loufrani, CEO at The Smiley Company
Anna Halford, associate principal council, The Walt Disney Company
Nicola Torode, head of operational compliance and sustainability, DK Books
Elizabeth Eaves, sustainability lead, Mattel EMEA
11:30
Time to tackle our biggest impacts: Building a Scope 3 Methodology for the Brand and Licensing Industry
The LEGO Group has been among the leaders of innovation within the sector for the past four years and has played a pivotal role in getting the global licensing industry to where it is on its sustainability journey today. Not shy to showcase their evolution, Sine Møller will present the next phase of the LEGO journey with a cross-industry collaborative group now building a Scope 3 Methodology for brand owners.
Speaker
Sine Møller, sustainability transformation director, the LEGO Group.
11:45
Kit for purpose: How is the sports side of licensing driving change and influencing with their brands?
Chaired by Simon Gresswell, POC’s Ambassador for Sport we bring together a panel featuring Rishi Jain, director of impact at Liverpool Football Club; Dan Ashmore, retail operations and buying manager at Wimbledon; and Matt Bailey, head of strategy & sustainability at Desert Vipers.
Speakers
Simon Gresswell, POC’s Ambassador for Sports
Rishi Jain, director of impact at Liverpool FC
Dan Ashmore, Retail Operations and Buying Manager at Wimbledon
Matt Bailey, Head of Strategy & Sustainability, Desert Vipers
Charlotte Hughes, Senior Licensing Manager, Formula E
Ryan Collins, Head of Customer Success, Dayrize
12:30
Mapping your impact
Products of Change will be presenting a new era of licensing, developed in partnership with Kids Industries as well as Netflix and The LEGO Group, the Sustainability Framework Maturity Tool is a signalling gun for a whole new era of industry transparency and reporting.
Speakers
Jelena Stosic, Strategy director at Kids Industries
Jakob Max Hamann, Sustainability Lead at The Lego Group
Rikesh Desai, Consumer Products EMEA at Netflix
13:00
POC Awards
13:30
LUNCH
14:15
Transparency tools: Making impact assessment scalable
Facing the need to meet new transparency demands, the licensing and consumer products sector is going to need to understand product impact assessment. Dayrize technology makes that scalable by combining leading tech with the latest sustainability science to help businesses showcase the environmental impact of their products.
Speaker
David Kilbey, Sustainability Solutions
14:35
Exploring the Digital Product Passport with Fabacus
With the Digital Product Passport launching throughout Europe from January 2024 and a new CSRD requiring increased disclosure of data from companies, Fabacus presents its solution to the SiLC audience as Jonathan Baker connects impact data and product sales data to meet incoming demands from EU lawmakers.
Speaker
Jonathan Baker, CCO, Fabacus
14:55
Fashion Conscious: Nobody’s Child
Nobody’s Child is a responsible brand on a mission to bring beautiful fashion to every woman, everywhere, without costing the earth. Passionate about lower impact fabrics, the team has spent the last eight years running away from materialism. Nobody’s perfect but this brand is an example of how through partnerships and purpose, you can certainly make a difference.
Speaker
Jody Plows, CEO, Nobody’s Child
15:20
The George at Asda team talks us through the supermarket giant’s latest efforts to reduce its environmental impact, including the implementation of circular practices and how they are navigating the latest legislative requirements.
Speakers
Jade Snart, senior sustainability manager, Asda
Jennifer Ward, sustainability manager, George at Asda
15:50
BREAK
16:05
Tooned in: Cartoon Network talks engaging audiences
Monika Oomen, vp brand, digital content strategy and communications, Kids, EMEA talks attendees through Cartoon Network’s latest initiative to bring kids and families into the climate conversation, and then convert that into action.
Speaker
Monika Oomen, vp brand, digital content strategy and communication, Kids, EMEA
16:20
A Circular Story: One company’s evolution towards a circular model
One global manufacturer, one brand owner, a licensed manufacturer, and a circular technology partner, all with the support of a leading retailer – this is the story of a circular system in development. Poetic Brands, Norlanka, and Upcycled Labs – all part of the PDS Group – will showcase a working example of how our industry can work together to build a circular system. Follow the journey, from manufacture to retail, and discover what industry innovation can really look like.
Speakers
Anne Bradford, director at Poetic Brands
Barry Kane, managing director, Upcycle Labs
Ben Alexander, head of business (UK and Europe), The Norlanka Group
Jade Snart, senior sustainability manager, Asda
16:50
Waste not want not: Building a circular economy for plastic toys
The not-for-profit environmental education platform, Wastebusters has partnered with Hasbro, the UK children’s magazine industry, and many SME toy companies to build and test a recycling infrastructure for hard to recycle plastic toys while driving the message of re-use and re-sell. This groundbreaking initiative has been brought to life by the pioneering technical team at Tesco. Join the team as they present a real life example of how our industry can drive meaningful and positive change.
Speakers
Katy Newnham, founder at Wastebusters
Cheryl Thompson, head of technical at Tesco Stores Ltd
Felicity Thompson, technical manager at Tesco Stores Ltd.
17:10
A new era for licensing: Natural and plastic-free
Learn how LUSH, the mass market retailer and cosmetics company has scaled a business by staying true to its core values while partnering with the global brand and licensing industry to shine a light on mass market sustainably-produced products.
Speakers
Melody Morton, Lush Concepts Creative Director
Matt Bradbrook, Beauty Chef at Lush Cosmetics
17:30
Sustainability in Retail: A Panel Session
Join Primark, Asda, and the Lush team as they discuss how retail is navigating the sustainability space – from legislation to circular principles – for a regenerative and sustainable future.
Speakers
Nick Lambert, circular product lead at Primark
Jade Snart, senior sustainability manager at Asda
Melody Morton, Lush concepts creative director
Matt Bradbrook, Beauty Chef at Lush Cosmetics
2023 SPEAKERS
The speaker line-up for the Sustainability in Licensing Conferences has included true leaders from the retail world, pioneering licensees, trailblazing manufacturers and inspiring opinion formers from both within and outside the industry, each playing a part in the journey to become more sustainable.
The speakers each shared experiences, facts and ideas which will collectively serve to future proof your business and the industry of which we are all a part, enabling sustainable strategies to be developed that take into consideration how a given organisation can operate commercially as well as ecologically.
Anna Halford McGhee
Associate Principal Counsel, The Walt Disney Company
Anne Bradford
Director, Poetic Brands
Barry Kane
Co-founder and Managing Director, Upcycle Labs
Benjamin Alexander
Head of Business, UK & Europe, Norlanka (PDS limited)
Charlotte Hughes
Senior Licensing Manager, Formula E
Cheryl Thompson
Head of Technical, Tesco
David Boyne
Director, Bravado
David Kilbey
Global Partnerships Lead, Dayrize
Elizabeth Eaves
Lead Sustainability Engineer, Mattel
Felicity Thompson
Technical Manager, Tesco
Gary Pope
Co-Founder, Kids Industries
Helen Scobie
Product Development Expert, George @ ASDA
Illana Adamson
Founder, Be Better Sustainability; Assessor, Cambridge Sustainable Marketing Course
Jade Snart
Sustainability and Compliance Expert, ASDA
Jakob Max Hamann
Product Sustainability Manager Specialist, LEGO
James George
Network Development Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Jelena Stosic
Strategy Director, Kids Industries
Jennifer Ward
Sustainability manager, George @ Asda
Jeremy Orriss
Director of Licensing, Difuzed
Jessica Brown
Design Specialist, George @ ASDA
Jonathan Baker
CCO, Fabacus
Katy Newnham
Director, Wastebuster
Jody Plows
CEO, Nobody's Child
Matt Bailey
Head of Strategy & Sustainability, Desert Vipers
Matt Bradbrook
Beauty Chef, Lush Cosmetics
Melody Morton
Creative Director, Lush Concepts
Mike Swain
Packaging Innovation Specialist
Monika Oomen
VP Brand, Communications and Digital Content Strategy, Kids EMEA, Warner Bros. Discovery
Nick Lambert
Circular Product Lead, Primark
Nicola Torode
Head of Operational Compliance and Sustainability, DK
Nicolas Loufrani
CEO, The Smiley Company
Phil Korbel
Co-Founder & Director of Advocacy, Carbon Literacy Project
Rikesh Desai
Consumer Products EMEA, Netflix
Rishi Jain
Director of Impact, Liverpool FC
Simon Gresswell
Founder and MD, SGLP
Sine Klitgaard Møller
Sustainability Transformation Director, the Lego Group
BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR SILC 2023
WEDNESDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2023
Taking place at The Royal Geographical Society – 1 Kensington Gore, London, United Kingdom, SW7 2AR.
Direction details can be found by clicking HERE.
* DIETARY & ACCESSIBILITY *
Please email clare@createvents.co.uk with any dietary or accessibility requirements. If booking for someone else, you are responsible for highlighting any needs for your party.
LIVE EVENT TICKETS – £295.00
SILC 2023 takes place as a live event on Wednesday 8 November 2023 at The Royal Geographical Society in London. The one day live event begins at 9am, with the conference itself finishing at 5:30pm before an (optional) evening drinks reception. *Full and detailed timing TBC*
This is a secure payment system and you will be emailed a full receipt as soon as you book.
A 20% discount applies to members of Products of Change – please select this option if you’re a paid-up member. The voucher code to be used is POCMEMBER
DIGITAL EVENT TICKETS – £175.00
If you’re unable to enjoy the networking of the live event but would like to join from home/office, you may do-so via our digital stream which will run within the same time-zone as the live event. Content will remain available for 30 days post-event (this is also the case for live event ticket holders).
DON’T WANT TO BOOK ONLINE?
If you would prefer to pay via invoice, please email clare@createvents.co.uk
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
Sure, get in touch with any of the team – our faces and phone numbers are just a few scrolls down from here.
Book your LIVE EVENT ticket(s) now
(You will pay via a secure system and receive an immediate receipt)
20% discount for POC Members – use code POCMEMBER (details will be verified)
Book your DIGITAL ACCESS ticket(s) now
(You will pay via a secure system and receive an immediate receipt)
20% discount for POC Members – use code POCMEMBER (details will be verified)
Please note before purchase: Your details will be used to keep you informed of updates to the event and we may also contact you about other products or services from within our group of companies.
The Products of Change Members SDG Awards
Products of Change is launching the industry’s first Sustainability Awards to align with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and in celebration of the boldest and most pioneering companies and individuals in the global brand and licensing sector.Four awards will be presented to four worthy recipients at the Sustainability in Licensing Conference taking place on Wednesday, 8 November at the Royal Geographical Society in London during a special session built-in to the day’s conference programme.
EVENT SPONSORS
The Sustainability in Licensing Conference has received widespread support from the industry with leading businesses and brands keen to pledge their commitment, sharing in the belief that together real progress can be made in the sector on this vital issue.
HEADLINE SUPPORTER
PRODUCTS OF CHANGE
The Products of Change Group was founded in July 2019 with a handful of industry professionals wanting to drive sustainable change within the Licensing Industry. Within six months the group has grown to sixty individuals from different areas of the industry such as retail, licensees, licensors through to agents. Spanning fashion, toys, publishing and FMCG.
Our ethos is to ‘learn from each-other’ and Educate to Inform Change across the wider industry and transfer our knowledge across sectors.
With Ten years to transform society and limit our impact on climate change its a hard task, but with an extremely dynamic industry and a willingness to change, I do feel that together we can make a difference.
OFFICIAL SPONSORS
More consumers than ever before are making an effort to buy greener, healthier, ethically sourced and more environmentally sustainable products, which is great.
Sustainability is a huge priority for me personally, as well as BBC Studios as a business, and I believe the licensing industry must work together to identify more ways to make a positive impact. We as an industry need to ensure we adopt a deliberate and ambitious approach toward forging a sustainable future for our consumers by coming together to help bring more eco-friendly products to market. Climate change isn’t going away and SILC is launching at a crucial time. I think the conference will be a great platform for industry members to learn more, share best practice and collaborate on solutions that can help enable companies work towards producing more sustainable products.
https://www.bbcstudios.com
Character World have been working on an important project over the last 12 months focusing on how as a business they can be more sustainable. Their plan is clear, simple and concise but it is a journey. Instead of focusing on individual elements, Character World have taken a holistic approach to sustainability throughout the entire business.
This holistic approach covers everything from using more sustainable and recyclable materials in their product, packaging and shipping cartons to the post-consumer care through their partnership with WRAP. Character World have also joined OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label) scheme enabling more consumers to recycle more material correctly, more often.
Sustainability is at the forefront of Character World’s future plans with everything from new innovations to being vigilant about new processes and techniques being developed in production capabilities.
Danny Schweiger, Joint Managing Director:
“It would have been easy to just look at a single product, but we wanted to do something meaningful and impactful throughout the business. We can’t do this on our own, we are working with retailers, licensors and factories to tackle sustainability. We have clear and ambitious plans for the future. We firmly believe a good night’s sleep shouldn’t cost the earth.”
For more information please visit https://www.characterworld.com/index.php/wecare/
https://www.characterworld.com
“Our sustainability strategy is constantly being evaluated and developed. Our BCI membership has allowed us to drastically grow our BCI cotton sourced ranges with our BBC and Xbox collections. We are currently developing our Environmental Management System though through the Lancashire Chamber of Commerce Green Rose Programme. This will propel us towards our Scope 1 & 2 reduction goals and creates a clearer path towards our Scope 3 targets.” Anthony Duckworth, MD.
Dreamtex is a partner of WRAP and OPRL (On Pack Recycling Label) which help to empower customers with the knowledge of how and when to recycle our packaging correctly at home. In addition, Dreamtex are members of SEDEX, an organisation which conducts annual social audits of the facilities associated with our products, focussing on areas such as health and safety, the environment, child labour, discrimination and working hours and wages.
Dreamtex is proud to be supporting SILC and helping to raise awareness of eco-friendly materials in the manufacture of home textiles.
Find out more at dreamtexltd.com/dreamtexearth
https://dreamtexltd.com/dreamtexearth
MDR Brand Management is the first brand management business to be launched by a leading law firm in the UK, and the fourth non-legal business within The Mishcon De Reya Group, sitting alongside MDR Cyber, MDR Discover and Mayfair Private.
It was created in 2018 to address the growing complexity that brand owners face in the global marketplace, and to deliver a unique brand of brand management. It is boutique and recognises that there has never been more overlap between creative, commercial, regulatory, digital and the law.
MDR Brand Management highly supports projects with a truly sustainable vision. Working closely with environmentally friendly brand owners and properties, MDR aims to create ethical licensed products and develop brand extension programmes, with a commitment to the environment, something that is becoming more important by the day.
Sustainability is at the forefront of several of MDR’s ventures, including the recently launched canned water brand, PURENorway Water, which is responsibly produced and packaged in recyclable aluminium cans. MDR has also been appointed to represent a classic, unique, and eco-friendly family of characters which will soon be relaunched in the UK. Given the challenges our planet is facing today, it is the perfect time to revive a positive message about how we can make a difference through simple actions.
For more information about MDR Brand Management, please click here:
https://mdrbrand.com
We are facing a planetary emergency. Our future depends on the natural world, but we are not combating our own destructive impact on the planet. Understanding life on Earth is the greatest scientific challenge of our age.
We cannot hope to develop solutions without research that unlocks the underlying biology and applied science. Alongside the science, all of us need hope: hope that there is a future where both people and the planet thrive. Building and spreading this hope through evidence and action will be the foundation of the Museum’s strategy in the coming decade. In today's challenging times, we will create advocates for the planet: individuals who feel sufficiently informed, confident and motivated to make wise decisions, to get involved, and to use their influence and actions to make a positive difference to the global future. To achieve this, we will harness our collection, our research and our reach. Alongside our ambitious outward reaching targets, we are also looking inwards, challenging ourselves to create a more resilient and sustainable organisation, one that strives towards financial and environmental sustainability. This vision is mirrored in our approach to the Museum’s licensing programme, creating meaningful products in a responsible way that encourage a shared respect for the natural world.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/
At TDP our approach to sustainability has seen work across many areas. Our commitment is to make changes wherever and whenever possible, in order to achieve our goals, not just for headlines but for the right reasons.
In manufacturing, our plant in India has its own water treatment facility and at the start of this year we made the investment in renewable energy. This work was completed in the Spring and we are now 100% solar powered at our facility in Tamil Nadu. In 2019 we appointed a Director of Corporate, Social Responsibility, part of whose brief is to continually monitor working conditions and achieve best practice so our staff and the community they work within, are well treated and kept safe.
We are committed to continually improve our own packaging solutions, to use recycled materials, be recyclable and drive out waste at every opportunity.
Real change will only be achieved through collaboration and we call upon all partners to embrace and activate the vital changes needed.
https://www.tdptextiles.com
TALK TO THE TEAM
Behind the scenes of The Sustainability in Licensing Conference is a close-knit team of people with complimentary skills and personalities, but who all share in the vision of ensuring this significant conference really hits the mark.
Owned by Products of Change Media – which is a joint venture between Max Media Ventures and Products of Change, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference benefits hugely from the partnership formed with Helena Mansell-Stopher.
HELENA MANSELL-STOPHER
Curator and Conference Director
With a 20 year career in the licensing industry across media and lifestyle brands and a wealth of knowledge across all categories and retail. With a course in Business Sustainability Management under her belt, from the University of Cambridge Helena will continue to work with brand owners, retailers and category experts to drive change within the licensing arena.
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We are at the dawning of a new age for licensing. With legislation coming at us from all angles, the landscape upon which business operates is about to shift dramatically. The $340bn global licensing industry has the chance to be leading that sustainable transition from the front, we just have to seize it.
That opportunity sits at the heart of this year’s Sustainability in Licensing Conference – the brand licensing and consumer product industries’ only event dedicated to collective sustainable development – as it makes its return to the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday, 8 November 2023.
A space for knowledge sharing and learning; networking and problem solving; conversation and – most importantly – asking questions, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference will once again deliver a jam-packed agenda devised expressly for sharing insight and providing the global brand licensing industry the tools needed to take those crucial next steps.