Press releases

«LET’S RETHINK GROWTH»

The Lille World Forum makes entrepreneurs face the challenges of the future.
Créé le jeudi 4 septembre 2014 16:52

Since its launch eight years ago, the Global Forum for a Responsible Economy highlights the issues in order to adapt to the significant changes occurring in the world ... Each year, thousands of participants from all over the world gather to share and learn from CSR best practices (Corporate Social Responsibility) program.

All heroes of change?

The aim of the 2014 edition is to focus the debate on nine major challenges. The world Forum seized the opportunity to launches its own challenge: “always have more impact on its territory”. With the extension of the event in Arras, Valenciennes and Dunkerque on October 22, it is the entire region that will live in the era of responsible economy.

Mobilised since a year, with the third industrial revolution, the highlight of the 2013 edition, will be presented during this 8th edition. With this experience, the World Forum Lille impulse this year a new ambition: Establish the reputation of the Nord Pas de Calais as social innovation territory

Adding a fourth day to the program, the World Forum Lille dedicate the final session to social business
It will bring together for the first time during a conference Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace and Antonio Meloto, the social entrepreneur who took up the challenge of eradicating poverty in the Philippines (also present in the opening plenary), it will end with the launch of the Social Business project north of France.

Finally, the World Forum Lille is a gateway to the world:  special focus on CSR challenges of the new European Commission and special opening plenary session with the Global Compact World as part of the preparations for the COP 21, the United Nations conference on climate change to be held in Paris in 2015.

7th World Forum for a Responsible Economy

WORLD FORUM LILLE 2013, TO BE HELD OCTOBER 23rd - 25th 2013, WANTS THIS YEAR'S EVENT TO USHER IN CHANGE

Under the banner "Yes We Change: Another way of doing business and consuming", the 2013 World Forum Lille event will focus its roundtable discussions on the necessity to effect change. How do companies succeed in introducing change and incorporating new models capable of meeting today's challenges? These answers will be shared October 23rd to 25th at the World Forum Lille 2013 gathering.

Among this year's highlights, we're eagerly anticipating the presentation by Jeremy Rifkin, economist and futurist, of his strategic plan requested by the Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council after he exposed the Third Industrial Revolution at World Forum Lille 2012. Another much awaited moment: the opening session assembling leading change agents like Ellen MacArthur, on hand to explain the amazing deployment of her Foundation in favor of the Circular Economy.

Created in 2007, as an economic and societal crisis was being unleashed that would cause changes to ripple throughout our society, World Forum Lille, an initiative sponsored by the Réseau Alliances* network and presided by Philippe Vasseur, has sought to showcase during each annual event the possibilities available for building economic models that are both profitable and responsible.

In pursuit of this goal, the 2013 program intends to share the experience of companies, which along with their stakeholders already possess the keys to change, allowing them to develop their activity today according to a responsible strategy.

Four approaches will be explored in depth:

 - Changing the corporate model: redefining the corporate mission, its purpose, role within the society and territory and, consequently, reorganizing the corporate structure

 - Changing relations with consumers, whose input influences product parameters: sustainability, accessibility, etc.

 - Changing business practices by demonstrating ethical behavior and reassessing ties with clients, suppliers and other partners

 - Changing human resources management: reconfiguring workplace organizations, capitalizing on employees' potential and promoting growth as a collegial exercise.

Moreover, to ensure compatibility with the "Another way of consuming" focus, World Forum Lille 2013 is located this year in the heart of Lille. Many events have been scheduled around the city's Grand Place, in collaboration with local merchants, and outdoors to generate greater enthusiasm among residents. For 2013, in involving the general public as well, the Forum expects to spark sustainable behavioral changes.

*Réseau Alliances is an association that has been partnering with companies in the Nord-Pas de Calais region for the past 20 years in an effort to improve their performance while treating people and the environment with full respect. Réseau Alliances, like World Forum Lille, is presided by the former Minister Philippe Vasseur.

We look forward to seeing you in Lille on October 23rd, 24th and 25th 2013 to learn another way of doing business and consuming!

Practical information

WORLD FORUM LILLE 2013: follow agenda changes → www.worldforum-lille.org

PLUS: on Twitter pages → @WorldForumLille @PhVasseur

and the Facebook page → World Forum Lille

SIGN UP: enrolment opens at the end of August 2013

or: Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Century and Lille-based events 

organized around the Grand Place of Lille

For further information: www.worldforum-lille.org

Press contact: Stéphanie Riquet - +33 (0)20 01 41 86 - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NORD-PAS DE CALAIS: A LEADING REGION IN THE PROGRESSIVE STRATEGY TOWARDS A CARBON-FREE ECONOMY 

In November 2012, during the 6th World Forum Lille, the regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Nord-Pas de Calais regional council asked Jeremy Rifkin to take part in designing a roadmap to lead Nord-Pas de Calais towards the third industrial revolution. It was a first in France.

On the 15th of May, after spending three days thinking together and debating passionately, regional political and economic players and Mr Jeremy Rifkin’s teams closed the seminar that brought them together in Lille. It is a crucial step in the design of the Masterplan defining the guidelines that will enable the region to build its third industrial revolution resorting to the five pillars, as well as to energy efficiency, circular economy and function-based economy. This Masterplan will be unveiled publicly on the 25th of October, during the 7th World Forum Lille.

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THE WORLD FORUM LILLE MAKES ITS MARK AS  THE REFERENCE EVENT FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTORS  IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 

On November 14th through 16th 2012, a total of 5,250 participants gathered at Lille's Grand Palais Convention Center for the 6th edition of the World Forum for a Responsible Economy.

For the 6th year running, World Forum Lille has assembled, around the topic of building a responsible economy, a host of leading economic actors (companies, associations, institutions) and students, destined to be our world's future managers.

The Forum's lineup of 130 speakers, two-thirds of whom based abroad, shared their testimonials proving that  "responsibility entails [the entire corporate sector] taking action in concert"  (Emmanuel Druon, CEO Pocheco).

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