ARTICLE
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2020 EUISSCA Virtual Sustainable Sourcing Conference. Due to the pandemic, this year's conference was virtual rather than in person. We missed having the opportunity to catch up face-to-face, but were thrilled by the engagement and ability to reconnect with peers on the sustainability journey – even from afar. Many members also took advantage of the lack of travel to engage a wider group of individuals in their organization who would not normally attend the in-person event. Although we missed the in-person interactions, we made the most of our time together with two days packed with engaging content and networking opportunities. The conference kicked off with a dynamic keynote presentation from Lauren Phipps, Director & Senior Analyst, Circular Economy at GreenBiz. Lauren emphasized the importance of filtering procurement and end of life decisions through the lens of circular economy. Day One of the conference also featured an overview of 2019 Supplier Survey results with several utility members sharing the importance of Improvement Planning, Data, Metrics and Targets and RFx; and a Utility Member Panel, where three utility members shared the evolution of their sustainability focus regarding purchasing practices. The day also included 9 rapid fire sessions where suppliers shared their successful practices in quick, eye-opening and inspiring summaries. Further, between the Virtual Supplier Showcase exploration and optional happy hour, there were many opportunities to connect, collaborate and share what is working and what we hope to solve together across the value chain. Day Two, which is dedicated to our utility and Supplier Affiliate Members, also featured insightful presentations and panels, including a CPO panel, where CPOs from Duke, Dominion, and Entergy discussed challenges from 2020 and their vision for the future. Attendees enjoyed the breakout sessions covering two important work streams from 2020, the Hot Spot Assessment and the RFx Assessment Tool, where they got an overview of each tool and how utilities are planning to use them. Again, there were several opportunities for engaging within the community of members, with many expressing the value of these opportunities and the desire for more next year. Finally, at the COVID session at the end of the day, there was an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from the shock and response to COVID-19 in 2020. Thank you again to the Conference Team, attendees, Alliance Office, and everyone who contributed to making this year’s virtual conference a success. Finally congratulations to John Lindley, Mike Atwater and the whole Entergy Team for being awarded the 2020 Utility member of the year!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2020 EUISSCA Virtual Sustainable Sourcing Conference. Due to the pandemic, this year's conference was virtual rather than in person. We missed having the opportunity to catch up face-to-face, but were thrilled by the engagement and ability to reconnect with peers on the sustainability journey – even from afar. Many members also took advantage of the lack of travel to engage a wider group of individuals in their organization who would not normally attend the in-person event. Although we missed the in-person interactions, we made the most of our time together with two days packed with engaging content and networking opportunities.
The conference kicked off with a dynamic keynote presentation from Lauren Phipps, Director & Senior Analyst, Circular Economy at GreenBiz. Lauren emphasized the importance of filtering procurement and end of life decisions through the lens of circular economy.
Day One of the conference also featured an overview of 2019 Supplier Survey results with several utility members sharing the importance of Improvement Planning, Data, Metrics and Targets and RFx; and a Utility Member Panel, where three utility members shared the evolution of their sustainability focus regarding purchasing practices. The day also included 9 rapid fire sessions where suppliers shared their successful practices in quick, eye-opening and inspiring summaries. Further, between the Virtual Supplier Showcase exploration and optional happy hour, there were many opportunities to connect, collaborate and share what is working and what we hope to solve together across the value chain.
Day Two, which is dedicated to our utility and Supplier Affiliate Members, also featured insightful presentations and panels, including a CPO panel, where CPOs from Duke, Dominion, and Entergy discussed challenges from 2020 and their vision for the future. Attendees enjoyed the breakout sessions covering two important work streams from 2020, the Hot Spot Assessment and the RFx Assessment Tool, where they got an overview of each tool and how utilities are planning to use them. Again, there were several opportunities for engaging within the community of members, with many expressing the value of these opportunities and the desire for more next year. Finally, at the COVID session at the end of the day, there was an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from the shock and response to COVID-19 in 2020.
Thank you again to the Conference Team, attendees, Alliance Office, and everyone who contributed to making this year’s virtual conference a success. Finally congratulations to John Lindley, Mike Atwater and the whole Entergy Team for being awarded the 2020 Utility member of the year!