What we learned at CREATIVE COLLISION 2024
This year, Shared Value Initiative Hong Kong hosted the fifth edition of CREATIVE COLLISION which was attended by over 120 participants from businesses, academia, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, and the government. Our half day programme was packed with interactive tracks and inspiring speakers leading our participants into meaningful discussions on implementing sustainability and social impact within their sectors. Read about some of the key takeaways from our event below.
Colliding at the Wheel
Our reimagined Wheel of Fortune game welcomed Chris Brown from ReThink Hong Kong, Luca Fong from Accenture Song, Garrick Lau from Nan Fung Development Ltd, Veronica Sze from Nestlé Hong Kong, and Ada Yip from Second Stage as contenders.
The game is designed to cause creative collision by bringing together individuals from different sectors to answer thought-provoking questions about sustainability. There are no right or wrong answers, but colliding perspectives demonstrate how challenging aligning profit and purpose can be.
Photo by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
A Fresh Perspective on Corporate Challenges
At our highly anticipated “Exec Labs” track, Clement Li from Spare-it, Francois-Xavier Guiot from HSBC, and Kate Wood from EY contributed a problem statement from their respective companies. Facilitated by PALO IT, this session invited participants from different sectors to ideate and develop implementable steps to solving these challenges.
“It was a truly fruitful session at the CREATIVE COLLISION 2024. From the sessions and our business experience, we stress the importance of co-generating long-term commitment. Bridging the data and behaviour change is never easy and we all should be in the game and make it a team sport. Waste reduction will not happen just by implementing smart technology– it can be a catalyst, but humans are the valuable resource to drive the reduction efforts. ”
Photo by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
Bridging the Gap for Greater Inclusivity
Our Strategic Partner from Community Business, Len Nguyen, Client Solutions Manager and Yee Lin Ng, Senior Consultant led a track on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. They provided a landscape of the current challenges to achieving true diversity and inclusion and what can be done to practically challenge and create a more diverse and inclusive working environment.
“Community Business had the incredible opportunity to facilitate the ‘DEI at a Glance’ track at Creative Collision. What made the experience even more enriching was the exchange of knowledge between participants.
Many attendees shared fascinating statistics and insights that we ourselves had not been aware of before. It was a true two-way learning experience, where we all had the chance to broaden our perspectives and deepen our understanding of DEI. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this event.”
Photo by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
Driving change needs humans and that requires meta-competencies
Sustainability efforts also heavily hinge on the ability to leverage cooperation between different individuals and sectors. Humans Matter led a track on “Meta-competencies for Sustainability Transition” which highlighted four meta-competencies to drive sustainable change:
- Taking care of yourself and others: the ability to be attentive and evaluate the quality of interactions to create better socio-professional balances
- Constructing narratives: the ability to tell stories in a way that captivates, and conveys a message and reflection
- Creating common meaning: the act of bringing together and matching the mental representation of different perspectives
- Evolving towards collaborative networks: the participation in, but also contribution to the construction of a network
“At Creative Collision 2024, our track was centered around collaborative challenges aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), exploring the interplay of meta-competencies and human factors. We witnessed how much human factors coupled with strategic thinking can boost engagement and creativity. Through this experiential learning approach, we not only developed practical skills but also cultivated a deeper understanding of how to drive meaningful change in our organisations and communities.”
Photo by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
Imagine if nature was at your board table
The World Café track “Nature as a Stakeholder” asked our participants to imagine how their operations would change if nature sat in their boardroom. We invited Charlotte Lafitte from Banyan Workspace & Green Office Project, Nicole Siu from AXA, and Dorothy Lam from Dream Impact to facilitate discussions on how to consider nature a stakeholder in their operations.
This café-style discussion helped participants from various sectors openly share their challenges in applying sustainability within their context and brainstorm possible solutions to become more sustainable. Charlotte Lafitte summarises here concrete actions we can implement to create a sustainable workplace:
- Obtain management support by emphasising the workplace influence in shifting behaviours and mindsets, which in turn leads to greater impact and change.
- Transform our perception of the workplace: it should no longer be seen as a place to work, but rather as a dynamic hub, an ecosystem, a space for personal growth and continuous learning, and a place to experience the company culture.
- Highlight the benefits of aligning company values with the environment in which employees operate. It can lead to a sense of purpose and engagement among the workforce.
- The importance of starting through small actions. By celebrating wins, we can build momentum and leverage successful strategies to drive further impact and change.
“The event was incredibly insightful for us. It was the opportunity to hear diverse perspectives and points of view on change, impact, priorities, and actions. It was helpful to be reminded of everyone’s focus and the challenges they face.”
Photo by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
A New Life for Used Office Furniture
You probably aren’t aware of the amount of furniture is required to make an office space feel comfortable. Furniture plays a crucial role in productivity, creativity and community in an office. But when a company moves offices, oftentimes used furniture end up in the landfill if they are unable to find new homes for it. However, Hang Lung Properties Ltd, Sustainable Office Solutions (SOS) and Crossroads Foundation created shared value by giving new life to used office furniture.
During the Creating Shared Value Showcase, Kevin Ching from Hang Lung Properties Ltd, Melanie Cheng from Sustainable Office Solutions, and Joanne De La Zilwa from Crossroads Foundation walked us through a fruitful partnership that saved 139,508 kg of landfill waste. This cross-sector collaboration gave a second life to used office furniture from Hang Lung’s “Office Rejuvenation Project” through donation to 14 NGOs and a “take-home program” for the staff.
Photo by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
Bringing together Changemakers
Back by popular demand, our Impact Auction featured six changemakers making waves in the social and environmental space with innovative solutions. Our participants heard each of their two-minute pitches and “bet” an hour of their time to explore further potential connections.
We had the privilege to hear from Grace Cheng from Agewhale, Pirry Leung from Furry Green Pet Food, Cynthia Lok from Clean, Neil Shih from define CLEAN, Sylvine Wong from BSF Innovation Ltd, and Oliver Yeung from CLS Environmental Technologies Ltd.
Photo by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
Photos by Vincent Tsoi, We Image Productions
