Thu 01 Jun 2023 | by Rob Hutchins

POC brings industry titans to talk sustainability at Licensing Expo

Titans of the brand licensing industry, Disney; the LEGO Group; Universal Music Group’s merchandising arm, Bravado; and the NFL Players Association will be joining Products of Change for a special panel session on sustainability in licensing at the Las Vegas Licensing Expo later this month. Called Scoping out the Future of Sustainability, the session will comprise some of the leading names in sustainability and sustainable development from each of the industry’s biggest players to discuss what the next gamut of environmental legislation will mean for brand owners and licensed manufacturers over the next seven years. The panel session – taking place at 3.30pm on the Main Stage on Wednesday, 14 June will mark the first time the giants of the brand licensing industry have convened together to discuss the biggest topic impacting business and the planet right now. Products of Change’s ceo and founder, Helena Mansell-Stopher will chair the special session where she will be joined by Jakob Max Hamann, sustainability lead at the LEGO Group; Sagan Harlin, senior manager of consumer products and strategy at the NFLPA; Matt Young, president, Bravado (Universal Music); and the Walt Disney Company’s vice president of environmental sustainability, Yalmaz Siddiqui. Each have taken the lead in their respective companies to further the pursuit of sustainable development across operations spanning live events, location-based events, and theme parks as well as television, film, and of course, consumer products. As vice president of environmental sustainability at The Walt Disney Company, Yalmaz leads global environmental strategy across Disney’s multi-faceted business with a primary role to drive internal understanding and progress towards the company’s 2030 goals. These goals include achieving net zero greenhouse gases from direct operations, zero waste in parks and resorts and progress on the sustainable development of Disney’s consumer product portfolio. Yalmaz was the founding chair of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council. He also serves on the Board of ReFED, the American non-profit focused on driving system-wide change to reduce food loss and waste. The special Las Vegas Licensing Expo panel session on Scoping out the Future of Sustainability will take place at 3.30pm on Wednesday, 14 June at the Main Stage at Licensing Expo. Register your interest in the session here.