This September, MarketShift will join global business leaders as presenters at the Annual Colloquium of the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS) in Barcelona, Spain. The conference will occur September 21 - 22 at the IESE Business School at the University of Navarra. Our inclusion in the international summit indicates growing interest in the unique approach to economic development and sustainability driven by the Northwest region. We invite you to come along (virtually speaking, unless you are free to travel)!

The European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS) is a unique alliance of companies, business schools and academic institutions committed to integrating business and societal issues into the heart of business theory and practice in Europe. This year’s colloquium will focus on governance, in the context of new global governance challenges and will engage the global business community for discussions on ethics, globalization and best practices for corporate responsibility within an era marked by economic, social and environmental crises.

The Portland region has established a leadership role in the U.S. shift toward a more sustainable economy and culture, and we are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to share facets of our region’s success story at the EABIS conference. MarketShift Principals Ruby Gates and Stephanie Swanson will deliver a presentation entitled "Collaboration for Business and Societal Change: PDX Lounge, A New Economic Development Framework" to conference attendees. Through the case study of PDX Lounge - a unified collaborative effort to elevate sustainable business practices – and discussion of present work, they will illuminate how one city, dozens of businesses and non-profit groups came together to create a "living laboratory," which exports the distinctive Portland mindset and experience to other regions seeking the promise of total sustainable practice. The audience will include leaders from businesses and academic institutions from around the world.

Other slated speakers will include:

• Seimens President and CEO Peter Loscher, who has made business ethics and corporate responsibility cornerstones of his company’s business plan.
• Baldomero Falcones, Chairman and Managing Director of the Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas. Falcones is also Chairman of Plan Spain. Plan International is one of the oldest and largest international development agencies in the world. Nowadays with an annual budget of 600 million dollars, Plan supports more than nine million people, mostly children, in development countries.
• Professor Lutgart Van den Berghe, Executive Director of the Belgian Governance Institute and Extra-Ordinary Professor at the University of Ghent (B) and the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.  She is also a Member of the Belgian Commission for Corporate Governance.

By sharing our story and present experience as part of Portland’s sustainability movement – and by highlighting key findings from past successes - MarketShift will share best practices and glean insights from leaders and innovators from around the globe. This knowledge sharing will export the accomplishments of the Portland and Northwest region and pull from the valuable perspective and experience of international colleagues.
 
You can keep abreast of EABIS Conference topics, speakers and MarketShift’s participation; we will keep you updated through live blogging and social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Please join us in this exciting global exchange of sustainable business strategy.