Start your journey into Sustainability at Licensing Expo
We are pleased to be partnering with Products of Change (POC), a global educational hub aimed at driving sustainable change, to help with our ongoing commitment to facilitate industry-wide change and help as many as possible across the industry to take the first steps into their sustainability journeys.
Products of Change will be delivering three free sessions in the Licensing U theater:
Sustainability 101
Tuesday, May 24
12:00-12:45pm
A deep dive into the science behind why sustainable transformation is vital for business future prosperity. Products of Change, Lego, Natural History Museum, SGLP and Formula E take you through why sustainability is key to business success.
- Helena Mansell-Stopher
CEO, Products of Change - Andrea Green
Principle, Globally Green - Simon Gresswell
Managing Director, SGLP Ltd - Jakob Hamann
Product Sustainability Manager, Lego - Charlotte Hughes
Senior Licensing Manager, Formula E - Maxine Lister
Head of Licensing, Natural History Museum
Brands with Purpose - Sustainable Manufacturing
Wednesday, May 25
10:15-11:00am
Piping Hot, the purpose-driven fashion brand, and Greenre, a global producer of sustainable stationery, join POC's founder Helena Mansell-Stopher and Brenda Seto POC's Ambassador for Canada and consultant to Greenre, to discuss their sustainable journey so far.
- Amy Low
Brand and Marketing Director, Piping Hot Australia
- Stan Wan
CEO and Managing Director, Piping Hot Australia
- Keith Loiselle
President, Greenr
- Brenda Seto
Products of Change Board: FMCG & D&I Strategies; Ambassador Canada / N.America Team
- Helena Mansell-Stopher
CEO, Products of Change
Sustainability in Licensing
Thursday, May 26
10:30-11:30am
Join Smiley, Beanstalk, and The Smurfs to discuss how licensors and agents are embracing sustainable change.
- Lee Grace
VP Business Development, Smiley Company - Ben Parker
Director, Brand Development, Beanstalk - Sebastien Dumont
Marketing & Communication Coordinator, IMPS The Smurfs - Helena Mansell-Stopher
CEO, Products of Change
Visit the Sustainability Business Lounge
In addition to a highly curated educational program, Products of Change selected brands to showcase their products and business approach to introducing and sustaining a socially responsible business that balances the needs and health of the planet with that of their customers.
Brands across categories were chosen based on their proven ability to roll out sustainability and equality initiatives at scale. The brand-led presentations are held in the Sustainability Business Lounge located on the show floor (booth #N216) and feature must-attend showcases from cross-category brands, each focusing on a different area of expertise.
To attend these sessions, register for Licensing Expo for free.
FOCO
A leading manufacturer specializing in sports licensing and working with some of the biggest names in sport. The team will be showcasing its new, recycled licensed backpacks and lunch bags.
Formula E
Will showcase its newly launched Formula E KIMOA sunglasses made with a sustainable recycled PET frame. Formula E’s vision is to accelerate sustainable human progress through the power of electric racing. The sunglasses are designed for people that love the electric motorsport series and what it stands for.
Manchester City FC and PUMA
The Premier League football club will be showcasing an innovative new partnership with PUMA’s Re:Jersey platform, a system that recycles old kits and jerseys to produce current season players’ shirts.
The Natural History Museum
Will be showcasing their fashion range from Desmond and Dempsey as well as their sustainable stationery range from Blueprint Collections.
Greenre
Will be showcasing its sustainable, licensed stationery. The team’s environmentally conscious products consist of recycled, natural materials, recyclables, non-toxic, post-agricultural bio fibers, and new-age bioplastics.
Piping Hot
All Piping Hot products are made with recycled, recyclable, renewable, or biodegradable materials. They have eliminated virgin polyester from their supply chain and prioritize recycled materials to reduce waste and tackle plastic pollution. Their approach is science-based and design-led; they will be showcasing their latest collection.
Brands In
Will be showcasing for the first time their new sustainable fashion clothing line, Supacult.
Licensing U Theater
The Upside of Licensing: Leading with Intention for Social Impact
Tuesday, May 24 | 4:45 PM - 5:30 PM
Determined to see Juneteenth become a National Holiday, 94-year-old changemaker Ms. Opal Lee walked across America as she gathered a million and a half signatures to raise awareness on the historical significance of Juneteenth, and advocated for it to earn its place within American history. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475, making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday, and as a result Ms. Lee became a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. With proceeds from the licensing program, Ms. Lee and Unity Unlimited, Inc. continue to unify communities, educate and celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth all year long. Ms. Lee is joined by fellow social impact changemakers, Anita Castellar and Genna Rosenberg as they discuss her journey, and how brands can lead with intention to build purpose-driven licensing programs focused on social good.
Anita Castellar
FanGirl Consulting & Brand Management, LLC
Ms. Opal Lee
The Grandmother at Juneteenth
Genna Rosenberg
GennComm ImaGENNation
Bringing Sustainability and DEI to the Forefront
Alongside the education made available to all attendees and exhibitors at the event, Licensing Expo and Products of Change are dedicating significant resources to bring sustainability and DEI to the forefront to drive long-lasting change, encompassing:
Reducing carbon footprint
Top-line commitments include managing waste streams, from significantly reducing carpet on the expo floor to identifying digital alternatives to signage and printed materials.
Real-world Examples
Hosting activations that showcase real-world examples of how licensed products can be produced ethically and using sustainable methods while remaining visually stimulating, on-brand, and commercially viable.
Diverse Voices
Providing a platform to amplify diverse voices, working in tandem with Black Lives Matter Licensing, Products of Change, Women in Toys, and other relevant organizations/
License This! competition
Holding the License This! competition at Licensing Expo and BLE to elevate voices and brands that lack the investment or experience needed to broker licensing deals.
“POC is proud to be partnering with Informa to highlight the importance of transitioning the industry to a sustainable future. Attendees can join the POC team for 121 in-person clinics in the Sustainability Business Lounge to see how the industry is advancing forward and take advantage of a variety of panels and debates on the Licensing University theatre throughout the 3 days. Sustainability is a global challenge, and I can’t wait to see how we can advance the industry forward, together.”
Helena Mansell-Stopher, CEO, Products of Change
"We are so proud to renew and strengthen our partnership with Products of Change to, first, spread awareness of the long-lasting impact each individual can have on our planet's health, followed by instilling sustainability into the core of each business' operations. Our ambition is for the licensing industry to lead by example, encouraging others to follow suit, and we look forward to laying the foundation at Licensing Expo."
Anna Knight, SVP of the Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets
Sustainability at Brand Licensing Europe 2021
In 2021, B&LIS Europe and Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) welcomed POC as a strategic partner to the Global Licensing Group to promote actions the broader licensing community has already taken. The joint efforts included:
- Producing a 2,000 square foot Sustainability Activation Feature – the activation was the single most visited stand at the event.
- Elevated notoriously unsustainable categories within the licensing industry, using real-world illustrations and products to showcase progress in these groups. An example included showing how an apparel company could switch from producing fabric samples to using 3D modeling.
- POC experts ran a 121 Sustainability Clinic to provide strategic guidance on how attendees and exhibitors alike can take a more sustainable-focused approach to business.
Contact Us
If you would like to work together with Informa towards sustainability or have any questions please contact us at [email protected].
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