BizClik CEO Glen White on Sustainability LIVE Chicago
Sustainability LIVE Chicago is bringing together sustainability executives across a variety of industries under one roof to learn, network and connect.
Set in the iconic Convene Willis Tower on 28-29 May, this event is packed with the best of the best and co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Chicago.
This major US event marks a key moment for BizClik, a UK-based digital media and events firm that first stepped into live events in September 2021.
Glen White, CEO of BizClik, charts the evolution of the LIVE series and unpacks how sustainability now frames business dialogues, especially in procurement and supply chains.
How virtual roots became a global series
The LIVE series began during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when client demand shifted dramatically.
Virtual events became a necessity and turned out to be a new strength for BizClik.
"The pandemic drove our clients to ask for us to do virtual events, which we did because they needed the leads and we needed the business," says Glen.
"Suddenly, we found out that we were pretty good at it."
The company didnāt stop there. In September 2021, Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE became its first in-person event.
"It was the first time they'd been to any physical event since the lockdown," Glen recalls. "It was quiet to begin with, but it got us going."
These events have since become meeting grounds for some of the largest companies aiming to embed sustainability into their business models.
By combining Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE with Sustainability LIVE, BizClik now reinforces how both functions are interlinked in decarbonisation strategies, emissions reporting and ESG targets.
Chicago: A future-focussed business hub
Choosing Chicago for this event reflects more than just convenience.
"It's central, a great hub for people to come from the east coast as well as the west coast, but it's an industrial heartland of the US," explains Glen.
The Willis Tower venue is expected to welcome around 2,000 attendees.
Spread over an entire floor, the event will host three stages and more than 60 senior executive speakers.
"We have an entire floor with three very distinct stages," Glen says.
"It's incredible and our team has worked tirelessly to pull this off."
The Chicago event represents a significant milestone, featuring an impressive line-up of speakers including chief sustainability officers and VPs from major global organisations such as American Express, MasterCard, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Walgreens and Walmart.
These leaders will explore how sustainability has moved from a marginal topic to a primary business consideration.
"We have more than 60 really top level executive speakers from some of the world's largest corporations," Glen adds.
Industries featured include automotive, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and consumer goods ā sectors where decarbonising the supply chain, particularly through Scope 3 emissions, is both a challenge and a necessity.
Trump's impact on sustainability strategy
External political forces, such as potential changes to trade tariffs under US President Donald Trump, form part of the broader conversation.
"You always knew when Trump came back in that he never does anything quietly," Glen observes.
These policies affect international supply chains and, by extension, corporate sustainability efforts.
Glen says: "We need to understand how these tariffs impact China, Europe, the UK, Canada and more. People are trying to understand that and how it impacts sustainability and the supply chain."
Still, macroeconomic uncertainty doesnāt shake ESG foundations. Instead, Glen suggests companies are evolving their strategies.
"We see people bringing global decarbonisation into how they're developing their net zero strategies, how they're integrating the energy transition into their programmes.
Capitalism meets sustainability
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of BizClik's events is its focus on the business case for sustainability.
Glen cites a recent statement from a global leader at the last Sustainability LIVE event: "welcome to capitalism" ā highlighting how sustainability has shifted from being merely "the right thing to do" to a business necessity.
"Sustainability needs to be embedded into the business strategy," he argues. "Unsustainable business is no longer sustainable."
This pragmatic approach is particularly relevant when considering Scope 3 emissions, which typically account for 85-90% of most companies' carbon footprint and are largely embedded within their supply chains.
"Scope 3 emissions – those in the supply chain – often come from the top 20% of suppliers," says Glen. "Companies are score-boarding those suppliers and, if they are taking their sustainability more seriously, they have a greater chance of winning the supply chain business."
Plans for global expansion
Success in Chicago is just the beginning of BizClik's international ambitions.
"Technology is global; AI is global; supply chains are global; and these corporations [that we work with] are global," Glen asserts when discussing the company's expansion strategy.
BizClik and its brands have already announced an extensive global calendar, including LIVE events in London this September, Climate Week in New York and plans for a sustainability conference at COP 30 in São Paulo.
With the dates for next year's Chicago event due to be confirmed soon, Glen's confidence is palpable: "Every workshop is oversubscribed; every sponsor event is oversubscribed; we couldn't sell any more tickets even if we wanted to."
This success reflects a broader trend: sustainability and supply chain management are no longer optional considerations but fundamental elements of modern business strategy that require continuous learning, networking and strategic development on a global scale.
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