What Singapore stands for. [Hint: ReportingMania]

What does Singapore stand for? Prepare to be enlightened.

S is for Strawberry Cheesecake  - The favorite ice cream flavor of the 2017 Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit creator and host, Mr Rajesh Chhabara. He is making no promises that Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream will be served at the summit, but if it is, it's all for ME😀. 

Rajesh is managing director of CSRWorks International, a leading boutique sustainability consulting firm in Singapore. Deeply passionate about sustainability, Rajesh specializes in sustainability strategy, sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, supply chain and training. Rajesh has over 20 years of experience in sustainability in diverse industries across Asia. His sustainability strategies have helped clients win global rankings and recognition. He is an inspiration for us all and is the undisputed leader of #ReportingMania in Singapore and Asia.

I is for Insight - Two full days of #ReportingMania will fuel us with enough insights to last us a full year until the next Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit. Whether your thing is Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Reporting or regional trends in sustainability reporting regulations or dealing with inconvenient reporting topics, this summit is going to ooze with insights, all there for the taking. If you have been feeling a little short on insights after the summer break, just come along.

N is for No PowerPoint - haha -well, probably ALMOST no PowerPoint. What's wrong with PowerPoint anyway? Well, it's true that sometimes the PowerPoint becomes the conversation instead of supporting the conversation. Too many long decks with colors that blind you and words you can't read with too many long diatribes have characterized conferences since the days of Fred and Wilma. Now, in 2017, the Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit promises, yes, I know it's weird.... conversation. We will be getting past the slides and experiencing authentic voices. Rajesh talks about why this summit is different - including No PowerPoint. "First of all, this Summit is the only regional conference is Asia dedicated to sustainability reporting. The Summit will be addressed by more than 50 speakers, each one of them bringing a wealth of expertise. The Summit’s format is also unconventional. There are no boring monologues or lengthy power point presentations. Each session has been designed to have engaging panel conversations on practical topics seeking active participation from delegates. There are eight powerful masterclasses offering great choices to beginners as well as experienced reporters. In every sense, the Summit is really a unique opportunity for anyone interested in sustainability reporting."

G is for Goal - The goal of Rajesh, our conference wizard, says the 2017 Summit is just the beginning of a great journey to becoming Asia’s most engaging conversation about sustainability reporting. The goal is to make the Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit the most exciting sustainability event of the year. Rajesh promises: "Attendees can look forward to learning from top experts, sharing their own experience, exploring solutions to common challenges, understanding future trends and more importantly networking with their international peers." A worthy goal. Doesn't that make you want to be there to help make it happen? [Hint: of course.] 

A is for Always On - In Singapore, the #ReportingMania conversation will be Always On at the September summit. If you think you can come and idle around for two days, think again. No nodding off in the plenaries. No snappy snoozes in the breaks. No power naps in the restrooms. Snoring will definitely be frowned upon. It's going to be an intensive conversation and it's not going to stop until the last delegate has left (or until the ice cream runs out, whichever is earlier). For all you reporters out there, here's a chance to talk about reporting without someone saying every five minutes: "Who reads reports anyway?" (The last time someone asked me that, I said, "Who doesn't?")

P is for People - The 2017 Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit will be attended by hundreds of delegates from at least 15 countries. That's a lot of people getting excited about #ReportingMania. After all, what is sustainability reporting about if it's not about people? Most of us think a sustainability report is some sort of publication. But it's not only that. It's the culmination of many people performing responsibly and collaborating to tell their story. Reports are more than words on a screen. Reports are about making a difference. By people, for people.

 

O is for Opportunity - No sustainability conversation is complete without opportunity. Opportunity is what the visionary Rajesh Chhabara saw when he thunk up the Asia Summit. His vision in a nutshell: "As a Sustainability Consultant and Trainer, I enjoy helping businesses adopt sustainability strategies to become better and smarter business. Even though sustainability reporting is relatively new to Asian businesses, an increasing number of companies have started producing sustainability reports. As such, sustainability reporting community is rapidly growing in Asia. I thought we should create a regional platform for the reporting community to come together, learn from each other, celebrate their successes and find solutions to common challenges. This is how the Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit was born. The inspiration for creating the Summit also came from the huge success of the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards or ASRA, another powerful platform we built three years ago to honor and recognize sustainability reporting leaders."

R is for Reporting - Rajesh explains: "The number of companies with no sustainability report is much larger than the companies which produce sustainability reports [in Asia] A very small number of companies chose to report on voluntary basis. In the past 2-3 years, several stock exchanges in Asia have introduced regulations requiring their listed companies to publish annual sustainability reports. Because of this there is a big surge in the number of reports from Asia. Unfortunately, sustainability reporting in Asia is mostly compliance driven, at least for now. However, there is a growing number of high quality reports, as we see every year at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA). ASRA is now recognised as Asia’s top recognition for sustainability reporting. We are seeing significant increase in the number of entries as well as in the quality of reports. Last year we received nearly 450 entries from over 100 companies from 16 countries. This year’s entries are already open and the trends are looking very strong. I am confident that the number of companies participating this year will be much higher than the last year. I would like to mention that this year’s ASRA have a new category: Asia’s Best SDG Reporting. ASRA continues to be a non-profit project with highly independent judging process."

E is for Experts - Little quiz: How many experts can you cram into a Sustainability Reporting Summit over 2 days? 10? 13? 18.34? Noooooooooooo. 50. That's how many folks will be on stage sharing their expertise with hundreds of delegates, all experts in their own right as well. So 50 plus hundreds is the right answer. But, you knew that, right. That's why you registered. Not registered? Go register.

So, by now, your have realized that S I N G A P O R E stands for #ReportingMania. Come and get some. 🌟

elaine cohen, CSR Consultant, Sustainability Reporter, former HR Professional, Trust Across America 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, Ice Cream Addict, Author of three totally groundbreaking books on sustainability (see About Me page). Contact me via Twitter (@elainecohen) or via my business website www.b-yond.biz (Beyond Business Ltd, an inspired CSR consulting and Sustainability Reporting firm). Need help writing your first / next Sustainability Report? Contact elaine: info@b-yond.biz 

Elaine will be chairing the Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit in Singapore on 19-20 September 2017 and the edie Conference on Smarter Sustainability Reporting  in London on 27th February 2018

Reportingmania in Singapore

There's definitely going to be a lot of talk about reporting in Singapore in September. This will be at an event I am totally looking forward to - except for the long-haul flights that I try to avoid - but in this case, it's worth it.

The Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit will bring together some of the leading experts in business, sustainability and reporting from the region as well as from the international scene. Take a look at the speaker page:

You'll notice I snuck in there at the end. I'll be moderating a few sessions over the couple of days, and also running a breakout session on Sustainability Reporting for Human Resources. 

It's not by chance that I will be taking part in this summit. Here's why I decided to help bring on the reportingmania in Singapore in 2017. 

• Organizer Rajesh Chhabara of CSR Works is a veteran gentleman professional of the reporting  landscape and I admire tremendously his advancement in and of the field. When Rajesh says I have to be there, I am there. 
• I heard there is great ice cream in Singapore.
• I'll be humbled to share a stage with two super sustainability professionals (and clients): Gwen Migita, Vice President Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship with Caesars Entertainment, coming in all the way from Las Vegas, and Uday Gupta, Managing Director, Mahindra Sanyo Special Steel from Mumbai. These are leaders who are passionate, knowledgeable and forward-thinking in their approach to sustainability and reporting. I'll be honored to introduce them to you in Singapore.
• Even a 10 hour flight has to come to an end sometime. I am prepared. I have a Power Bank.
• The Summit is a "brand-extension" of the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA), now in their third year. (Submissions for ASRA2017 open until 24 November 2017). It is my pleasure and privilege to have been involved as a strategic partner and judge since the inception of the Awards and experience the amazing wealth and diversity of reporting in Asia. Each year so far, to be repeated again this year, I read and review ALL the sustainability reports entering the Awards, and contribute my scores and recommendations to the judging panel. For me, this is more than judging. It's a wonderful way to learn about current issues in the region, new approaches, and of course, experience some delightfully creative and innovative reports. During the summit, I expect to meet many of the reporters from different countries in Asia who have enlightened and educated me over the past couple of years. You can read about some of them in the brochure (I was the writer) Learn from Asia's Best which was published after the inaugural awards of 2015 to showcase how the winners won and what it takes to make the grade.

• We are super-fortunate in being able to welcome not one but two leaders of the reporting movement from the Global Reporting Initiative. Chair of GRI, an experienced business leader, Christy Wood, will give an opening address on The Future of Sustainability Reporting and GRI's South Asia Director, the accomplished Aditi Haldar, will talk to the potential of Asia's leadership in reporting. GRI's voice in the reporting landscape remains the most prominent and the most influential, and this is a great opportunity to hear perspectives from two top women in the organization.
• I heard there is great ice cream in Singapore.
• As always, there are many dilemmas and choices in any reporting journey. The main sessions of the event will focus on what's new across a range of topics that drive the way companies report - from global and regional influences, to investor expectations, regulatory drivers and of course, one of my absolute favorites, the quality of reporting. We'll have a chance to hear from leaders, engage with practitioners and learn from each other. I expect this to be an empowering event for all who attend. 
• I am looking forward to hearing from many other speakers and panelists over the two-day event. While I have called out just a few in this post, I will be writing more as the event approaches. It will be the first time that such summit focusing on reporting has been held in this region  - but, I expect, not the last.
• I heard there is great ice cream in Singapore. 

If you have any chance of joining us all in Singapore in September, please do. I'd love to see you there! You can register here.

Include promotional code BLOG17 at registration to enter a prize draw to join me and my guests at a special private event during the conference (details to be revealed to the lucky two winners). 😉

 

elaine cohen, CSR Consultant, Sustainability Reporter, former HR Professional, Trust Across America 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, Ice Cream Addict, Author of Understanding G4: the Concise Guide to Next Generation Sustainability Reporting  AND  Sustainability Reporting for SMEs: Competitive Advantage Through Transparency AND CSR for HR: A necessary partnership for advancing responsible business practices . Contact me via Twitter (@elainecohen)  or via my business website www.b-yond.biz   (Beyond Business Ltd, an inspired CSR consulting and Sustainability Reporting firm).  Need help writing your first / next Sustainability Report? Contact elaine: info@b-yond.biz