ATASS Respect launches corporate responsibility focused conference in Exeter

ATASS Respect, the not-for-profit enterprise of Exeter-based research and investment company ATASS Group, has today announced its annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) conference will take place on Thursday 17 October at Woodbury Park Golf and Country Club.

Entitled 'Think Partnership 2013', the conference will bring together companies from across the region to discuss how businesses can be more society-friendly, by working with community and charitable enterprises for mutual benefit.

Following on from the success of last year’s conference, the event will comprise a panel of key speakers including Chris Ashworth, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the global charity Oxfam, as well as a series of workshops and panel discussions.

Vanessa Cobb, Managing Director, ATASS Respect stated: “We are so pleased to bring this conference once again to Exeter. The traditional view that a company’s social responsibility is simply to donate money to charities every once in a while is no longer viable; it’s a wider commitment to building a better society around you and the environment in which you work.

“Through the conference we want to show how effective partnerships between businesses and non-profit-making projects can deliver increased brand equity, enhanced staff productivity and strengthen customer loyalty by reflecting stakeholders genuine interests and passions.”

A recent report conducted by Forbes, found that the more a company actively pursues worthy environmental and social efforts, the more engaged its employees are. The Society for Human Resources Management compared companies that have strong sustainability programs with companies that have poor ones and found that in the former, morale was 55 per cent better, business processes were 43 per cent more efficient, public image was 43 per cent stronger, and employee loyalty was 38 per cent better.

Vanessa added: “There are many stats available that provide a credible business case for adopting a CSR strategy. Particularly in the areas of research that demonstrate a large percentage of graduates that are looking for an employer that demonstrates strong CSR credentials. These people want to work for a company whose values they share and their opinions are respected.”

Steve Lodge, a Think Partnership 2012 delegate from SW marketing agency Oxygen, stated: “I found the conference enlightening and extremely inspiring. CSR is not just about managing the reputation of your company, you have to be sincere in your efforts and transparent otherwise the whole exercise can be viewed sceptically. The conference was excellent at demonstrating the way forward.”

For more details on the conference please see www.think-partnership.com.