Today, the 2017 International Corporate Citizenship Conference will kick off in Boston. Uniquely tailored to corporate citizenship professionals, this sold-out event will bring together industry experts and more than 550 CSR practitioners from around the world to network, learn, and grow.

This year, the Conference is sponsored by State Street, a company with more than 200 years of experience in advancing stable and prosperous communities, and is being held in Boston. This two-and-a-half-day event will be packed with information and guidance from top leaders in the field. Attendees will walk away prepared navigate their corporate citizenship ecosystems more effectively, enabling them to drive the continued success and prosperity of their firms and to maximize our collective efforts to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.  

Here are just a few things we’re excited about exploring in Boston:

Insights from CSR leaders

Today, Boston will become the home base of some of the CSR field’s greatest thinkers and achievers. During seven illuminating general sessions, attendees will hear how these leaders have worked with other organizations—from both the public and private sector—to address issues such as youth homelessness and advance causes such as global environmental sustainability. Speakers include but aren’t limited to:

• Robert T. DeMartini, Chief Executive Officer and President, New Balance Athletics, Inc.
• Neil J. Gibson, Vice President, Corporate Communications, FedEx Services
• Erin L. Haberman, Director, Community Relations, Travelers
• Kathryn Horgan, Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, State Street Corporation
• Parag Khanna, Senior Research Fellow, National University of Singapore; Managing Partner, Hybrid Reality; Co-Founder & CEO, Factotum
• Melissa M. MacDonnell, President, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Vice President, Liberty Mutual Insurance
• Joe Ruiz, Director, UPS Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program, The UPS Foundation
• Michael Scannell, Senior Vice President & Head of Corporate Citizenship, State Street Foundation, and Talent Acquisition, State Street Corporation
• Klare Shaw, National Director, Programs for Corporate Philanthropy, Liberty Mutual Foundation
• William C. Steers, General Manager, Communications & Corporate Responsibility ArcelorMittal Americas; President, ArcelorMittal USA Foundation
• Marcy Twete, Division Manager, Corporate Responsibility ArcelorMittal Americas; Executive Director, ArcelorMittal USA Foundation

Numerous networking opportunities

To achieve major results with small teams and limited budgets, CSR practitioners must develop comprehensive ecosystems built on strategic internal and external partnerships. Networking is key to developing these ecosystems, which is why we’ve built ample time into the Conference for sharing and collaboration. We encourage attendees to make the most of their time in Boston by taking advantage of some of our numerous networking opportunities, which include summits, meals, and receptions, as well as the special activities below:

Workshop Series Sponsored by Insperity, Inc.

During Monday and Tuesday’s breakout sessions, Conference attendees will be able to craft and hone their CSR toolkit by attending one of four workshops sponsored by Insperity, Inc. Attendees can learn how to express ideas—with particular attention to non-verbal messaging—most effectively in a session entitled, “What We Say WITHOUT Words: A Workshop on Nonverbal Communication.” Also on Monday, Katherine V. Smith, executive director of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, and Dave Stangis, vice president of corporate responsibility and chief sustainability officer at Campbell Soup Company will co-lead a workshop that explores how CSR professionals can make corporate citizenship goals meaningful to everyone in their companies.

On Tuesday, attendees can avail themselves of workshops focused on understanding how trends in environmental sustainability will impact companies and organizations, as well as a session on using youth mentoring to meet business and community goals.

On-site Volunteer Project

On both Monday and Tuesday, many attendees will take advantage of the opportunity to donate just a small amount of their time now to provide children the tools that will last them a lifetime. This year’s on-site volunteer project—sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts—will help encourage active and healthy lifestyle behaviors in children. Volunteers will pack backpacks with information and toys that encourage physical activity, a balanced diet, and the exploration of safe and healthy environments—behaviors that are vital to supporting long-term health and wellbeing. By the end of the Conference, 600 Healthy Living Kits will be distributed to United Way Partner Organizations.

Corporate “Fitizens” Sunrise Yoga

For those who want to bring their mind-body balance from reposed to refreshed, this early morning yoga class is a great way to warm up your body for an energizing and productive day. Complimentary yoga mats are provided by Reebok, but if you want to participate in this limited-space event, preregistration is required.

A session for every issue

Today, CSR is so much more than a sideline effort of well-meaning companies. Instead, effective corporate citizenship covers every environmental, social, and governance aspect of business. How those aspects are identified and defined vary from company to company. How they are managed within a company may change from day to day. That’s why we’ve planned 24 breakout sessions, case studies, and workshops—each with their own distinguished panel or facilitator—to take a deeper dive into a multitude of CSR opportunities and challenges, as well as explore the tools and tactics leaders are using to address them. Attendees should reference the Conference App for a full list of sessions, below are just a few we’re excited about:

Create Value with a Strong Brand and Reputation

Positive brands and reputations have the ability to increase firm market value, attract and retain new employees, increase consumer loyalty, and mitigate risk. While each department has a part to play in building a positive brand and reputation, the contributions of thoughtful environmental, social, and governance investments cannot be overstated. When connected to your brand and reputation strategy, corporate citizenship can increase goodwill and protect your company’s reputation. Attendees will learn how corporate citizenship programs can increase the positive perceptions of firms to maximize value for companies and cause partners.

COP22: Planning for Paris Commitments

On November 6, 2016, the day before the start of the 22nd Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP22), the Paris Agreement came into force. While there are many UN initiatives for global action on sustainability (e.g. the Sustainable Development Goals), the main objective for the UNFCCC’s COP21 was an international agreement to limit global warming to below 2°C, and preferably closer to 1.5°C. As the Paris Agreement was main output of COP21 and addressed the main objective of the COP, the focus of COP22 was the development of a strategic plan for implementation by the sponsoring nations. This panel will review the main outcomes of COP22, look at corporate leaders, and provide some tools for corporate action.

Workforce Development Programs—Supporting the Community and Your Talent Pipeline

Successful workforce development programs are more than work-readiness training efforts, they are an investment in a more engaged and productive workforce and—ultimately—more sustainable and prosperous communities. In this session, participants will learn how their peers create social and business value by developing a robust talent pipeline through increased opportunity for current and prospective employees.

We’ll be blogging throughout the 2017 International Corporate Citizenship Conference to give you daily recaps and deep dives into the event’s unique content. Keep informed by subscribing to the Corporate Citizenship Blog by clicking below.