Source 44 Returns as Title Sponsor for Leading Retail Conference

Sept. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- SOLANA BEACH, CA and WASHINGTON, DC (September 7, 2011) – Source 44 LLC, the world’s leading provider of Sustainability data services and Product Footprint Data Sheets (PFDS)™, announced today they are returning for a second consecutive year as the title sponsor for the retail industry’s premier sustainability conference hosted by  RILA, the Retail Industry Leaders Association. The annual event will be held this year on October 12-14 in Orlando, Florida.

“We are thrilled to have Source 44 return as the title sponsor for the Retail Sustainability Conference,” said Sandy Kennedy, President of RILA.  “As a proactive and involved partner, Source 44 has demonstrated its commitment to helping the Retail Sustainability Conference continue to grow as the industry’s largest and most successful sustainability event.

“We look forward to working with the team again this year to advance leadership in environmental sustainability across the industry,” Kennedy said.

Jess Kraus, Source 44 President and CEO, confirmed that Source 44 has once again been an active member on this year’s sustainability and planning committee.

“We are honored to serve as title sponsor for a second consecutive year,” said Jess Kraus, Source 44 President and CEO. “Last year’s title sponsorship exceeded expectations, helping us to build an excellent partnership with RILA and its members. It also provided a great opportunity for us to work directly with many of our key clients, and we expect no less this year.”

RILA has invited three Source 44 representatives to appear on this year’s program.

Jess Kraus, Source 44 President and CEO, will be introducing the keynote speaker, Walter Robb, CEO of Whole Foods.

Mike Fraser, Source 44 Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, will be joining Levi Strauss & Co.'s Director of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colleen Kohlsaat, to present “Leveraging Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) to Improve Your Product Footprint.” Fraser will discuss current methodologies and emphasize the importance of obtaining environmental and social data, which includes the impacts, risks, and opportunities.

Hank Habicht, Source 44 Advisor, will be a general session speaker for “Environmental Innovation: Current Trends Shaping the Future of Environment Policy for the Retail Industry.” Habicht will discuss the future of green retail business and assess the effectiveness and impact of EPA programs and initiatives. The discussion will include a look at the current government climate and upcoming policies—and their impact on the retail industry.

Also at this year’s conference, Source 44 will be presenting the third in a series of industry-leading videos on product sustainability.  The video outlines the expanded service offerings that the company has brought to market in the last 12 months, which include:

•   Product Footprinting, the proprietary data their scientists collect on the footprint of a product;
•   Source Gateway, a survey designed to determine the sustainability performance of every supplier in a supply chain
•   SourceAlert, a service that monitors all the sustainability activities within a supply chain and alerts customers to potential environmental risks and social threats.  

These offerings are delivered to clients via Source 44’s proprietary platform, Source Intelligence™, which enables graphical visualization of a complex product supply chain.

Leading up to the event, Source 44 will post updates on RILA’s blog, Retail Checkout, and on opening day, the company plans to debut “Supply Chain Sustainability”—a Source 44 blog that examines pragmatic steps retailers and manufacturers can take to become more sustainable.

“This conference is about collaboration and credibility,” said Mike Fraser, Source 44 Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “We are looking forward to expanding our relationships with attendees from last year’s conference, and to also meeting with new guests who will be participating for the first time.”

“This is the right group of people making the right kinds of decisions and making an impact on the industry,” Fraser added.

About the Conference

The conference will be held October 12-14 at the Peabody Orlando Hotel in Orlando, FL, and brings together executives involved in establishing environmental programs and integrating green practices into their companies. The conference’s program will address the key operational aspects of environmental sustainability and compliance for the retail industry, including sessions on energy, waste management, water conservation, store operations, real estate development, supply chain issues, and opportunities for improving corporate social responsibility.  In its fourth year, the conference truly has become the educational and networking forum for the who’s who of retail sustainability. For more information: www.rila.org


About Source 44

Source 44 delivers supply chain sustainability as a continuous flow of subscription services to meet your ever-changing product stewardship needs. We examine your supply chain through the lens of sustainability, and when we identify an opportunity or risk we alert you. Regardless of your products’ complexity, we deliver affordable technology, resources, creativity and expertise to rapidly improve your supply chain sustainability—no matter how your needs change. Source 44 derives its name from the molecular weight of carbon dioxide – 44 – the measuring stick of Greenhouse Gases, and is based in Solana Beach, CA, with offices in San Diego and Dallas.

About RILA

The Retail Industry Leaders Association is the trade association of the world’s largest and most successful retail companies, whose executives participate in RILA for its unique educational forums, its effective public policy advocacy, and its advancement of the retail industry.  


For More Information

Source 44 LLC
Lauren Gambaccini, Marketing Communications Director
marketing@source-44.com
877. 916. MFDS (6337)

Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
Sandy Kennedy, President
sandy.kennedy@rila.org
(703) 600-2018