green business summit 2010: making companies profitable through sustainable business practices

janel shoun  | 

 

b2b business exchange
too many businesspeople still think of green business primarily as a passion, rather than a profit-producing legitimate business practice. on april 13-14, 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 ’s institute for sustainable practice will host the green business summit, an annual event that shows how green business practices make money, not just good will, for any type of business. 
 
major national corporations such as walmart/sam’s club, ups, kimberly-clark and hca are currently implementing green business practices to boost the bottom line. executives from all these companies and others will be on hand april 13-14 (earth month) at the green business summit, themed “waypoints on the journey,” at 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 , to share their experiences with local businesspeople.
 
“there is money to be made by ‘going green,’ as long as it’s done thoughtfully and strategically,” said dodd galbreath, director of the institute of sustainable practice, which is hosting the summit along with the lipscomb college of business. “the green business summit is the only event in tennessee designed specifically to assist companies that are not currently involved in green business practices or would like to increase their sustainable operations.”
 
according to “the state of green business 2010,” published in february by greenbiz.com, the recent recession put a spotlight on one important aspect of sustainable business operations: “what began as a seemingly altruistic endeavor, then shifted to a way to cut costs and improve reputation, has become a fundamental business competency, alongside accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, customer service, procurement, knowledge management and others.”
 
catherine corley
summit keynote speakers will be catherine corley, vice president of member program development at sam’s club, a $40 billion-division of the world’s largest retailer, wal-mart, inc.; and tom szaky, ceo and co-founder of terracycle, producer of the world's first product made from and packaged in waste.
 
walmart stores inc. and sam’s club are committed to a long-term goal of being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, creating zero waste, and a host of other green initiatives in their stores and behind the scenes. terracycle is the company behind purses and backpacks made of drink pouches and cookie wrappers. it also sells an array of products for the home, office, school or garden, all fashioned from trashed packaging.
 
national executives from sam’s club, ups, mars, kimberly-clark and terracycle will present workshops at the conference on calculating carbon footprint, the future of green retail, boosting profits through use of green energy and case studies of businesses that have improved their return on investment through sustainable operations.
 
tom szaky
in addition, local companies such as hca, bongo java, lee company and lp building products will discuss their experiences with sustainable practices, along with a host of panelists from local green service providers. the summit will feature the green business exchange b2b expo to showcase green business products and services and the green business leadership awards, sponsored by waste management.
 
the onslaught of “green” information, credentials and advice bombarding companies today can be confusing for businesspeople looking to get started in sustainable practices.
 
“the summit is a two-day event offering a comprehensive, interactive exploration of sustainable business practices that will cut through all that information clutter,” said brian weldy, vice president of engineering and facility management at hospital corporation of america, and a presenter at the summit. “what the summit offers is a guide for participants to bring focus, clarity and direction to their sustainability efforts.”
 
 
to attend the green business summit, featuring workshops on how to reduce expenses, expand profitability and provide socially responsible goods and services for our communities and planet, cost is $295 for the two-day event and $175 to attend just one day of the event. 

 

 

 

green business summit scholarships available to tennessee’s minority-owned start-ups

 

the green business summit announces the availability of ten scholarships to the event for minority-owned firms. the green business summit, held april 13-14 by the 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 institute of sustainable practice and college of business,is the only event in tennessee designed specifically to assist companies that are not currently involved in green business practices or would like to increase their sustainable operations.
 
the scholarships are available to certified minority-owned small businesses, with 50 employees or less, who have a legitimate interest in going green. preference will be given to start-up companies that have been in operation less than five years.
 
 
summit presents free lecture for public: matt kisber discusses clean green energy
 
 
the green business summit's wednesday, april 14, keynote session with matthew h. kisber, commissioner of the tennessee department of economic and community development (ecd), will be open to the public as a free event. the public is invited to a pre-speech reception at 7:30 a.m. and to the 8:30 a.m. speech. (note: summit registrants will eat a catered breakfast at 8 a.m.)
 
kisber will speak on “the future of clean energy technology in tennessee” in mcquiddy, located in the allen arena complex.
 
kisber’s speech is part of the lipscomb 2010 sustainability leadership lecture series, featuring monthly talks by a wide array of state officials and environmental leaders.
 
future speakers include:
  • gerald nicely, commissioner, tennessee department of transportation, speaking on “the future of transportation in tennessee;”
  • paul sloan, deputy commissioner, tennessee department of environment and conservation, speaking on “integrating science & policy;”
  • a panel discussion of tennessee's environmental print journalists, discussing “communicating science through the print media;” and
  • mike butler, executive director, tennessee wildlife federation, and bridget jones, executive director, cumberland region tomorrow’s quality growth initiative, speaking on “policy leadership by non-profits in tennessee.”
for more information on the lipscomb 2010 sustainability leadership lecture series contact dodd galbreath, director of the institute for sustainable practice.