AHFA Sets Sustainability Summit Agenda

November 3, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Green on November 4, 2010

The American Home Furnishings Alliance has set the agenda for its third Sustainability Summit, Dec. 1-2 at the Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park in Asheville, N.C.

With the theme "Weaving Sustainability into the Corporate Fabric: Competing in the Global Marketplace," the summit will bring together a cross section of decision-makers and thought-leaders from manufacturing, retail and supplier companies. For the third year, Cargill's BiOH polyols business unit is partnering with AHFA in sponsoring the event. Companies do not need to be AHFA members to attend.

"The government, the public and corporate stakeholders are beginning to demand more environmental information from companies," said Bill Perdue, AHFA vice president of environment, health, safety and standards. "Gathering meaningful data and presenting it in a sensible, comprehensible way is a challenge. The summit will spotlight companies with successful sustainability policies and practices and provide a roadmap for others to follow."

Ernesta Ballard, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Weyerhaeuser, will kick off the summit, with a discussion of her company's internal and external sustainability reporting and describe how financial, social and environmental elements are woven into the company's annual sustainability report.

Suzanne Shelton of The Shelton Group, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based agency that specializes in motivating mainstream consumers to make sustainable choices, will share custom research commissioned by AHFA and conducted by The Shelton Group revealing that consumers understand and value some environmental attributes over others when it comes to home furnishings purchases; and show how that research can translate into messages that resonate with today's consumers.

Day 1 also will include an update on marketing eco-friendly home furnishings, including an overview of the Federal Trade Commission's newly released "Green Guides," which include a set of rules covering what claims a company can and can't make, and what kind of substantiation and declaimers are required for specific types of marketing messages. The FTC rules apply to both retail and manufacturing marketing messages.

Following a supplier panel discussion, special guest Jack Cecil, president of Biltmore Farms Inc. and the grandson of George Vanderbilt, builder of the Biltmore Estate, will take the podium.

Biltmore Farms Inc. is a developer of residential, office, hotel and retail properties, including the 42-acre Biltmore Park Town Square, a development that blends recreation destinations with homes and premier office space.

"It's all about creating a community, communities like we knew as children, where families can work, shop and recreate without leaving their neighborhood," said Cecil, who conceived the development. A short walk within Biltmore Park Town Square connects visitors to shops, restaurants, cafes and gathering spots, health clubs and a range of businesses and employers. The development was chosen by the U.S. Green Building Council to participate in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Neighborhood Development pilot program. The purpose of LEED-ND is to study how developments can reduce sprawl, encourage healthy living, protect the environment and reduce dependence on automobiles.

The Summit€™s opening day will conclude with a reception honoring finalists in the third annual Sage Award competition, a program co-sponsored by AHFA and Cargill's BiOH polyols. The award recognizes excellence in the home furnishings and bedding industries through sustainable business practices, social responsibility and profitable growth. Two finalists and the 2010 Sage Award winner will be announced at the reception.

Day two of the Summit opens with a presentation on "Social Accountability 101." The social dimension of environmental performance is an outgrowth of global manufacturing and the impact companies have on the social systems within which they operate. Like other areas of sustainability reporting, social accountability is a new concept for many home furnishings companies. Oren Jaffe, director of social responsibility for BlueMap Inc., will outline the elements in a solid social responsibility policy and explain the concept of a social accountability audit.

Next, Paul Hepperla, vice president of sustainability at Verisae, which recently created a "Carbon Calculator" customized for the home furnishings industry, will discuss how online tool helps companies measure their carbon footprint and track improvements. Hepperla will explain how to use the calculator and highlight its significance.

Thursday's program also will spotlight successful sustainability programs and practices within leading home furnishings companies, including La-Z-Boy Inc., Century Furniture and Bassett. The Summit concludes with an introduction to a new software platform designed to help furniture companies track key environmental measures.

Rooms at the Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park are available at a discounted rate of $149 per night. Make reservations here, or call 828.209.2700. The meeting code for the discount rate is AHFA. Rooms are being held for Summit attendees through Wednesday, Nov. 10.

Registration for the two-day meeting is $325 for AHFA members and $500 for non-members and can be completed online. Click on EVENTS, then scroll down to 2010 Sustainability Summit.