A multi-stakeholder, global virtual summit connecting 60 speakers and over 2,000 delegates to build a global network focused on a sustainable future

The limits of what we can achieve together as a community is immeasurable, especially when that community is united in a shared belief. For Sideshift that shared belief was connecting people to explore on how to move forward into a sustainable future. Through dedicated community-building and a powerful Hybrid Platform, the result was a “resounding success”.
For Sideshift we provided the experiential expertise, international network and focus on meaningful change to create a leading, virtual event for the ages. Across the entire experience, from build-up on social media through to the summit and post-event surveys and roundups, we engaged over 2,000 speakers, delegates and students from 50 countries on a series of targeted subjects designed to engage and initiate debate and innovation. The summit reached senior representatives from major global corporations, start-ups and entrepreneurs, universities, business networks, membership organisations and NGOs creating a unified community which has gone on to collaborate on truly impactful change across various industries.
In addition, the community powered by Cosaris built a targeted network list for Sideshift, containing thousands of people and organisations interested in what they offer, whilst also expanding the reach and connection of every speaker to a wider pool of sustainability-focused collaborators. Finally, the community gained access to high-quality information from trusted sources, plus a huge network of potential customers and business partners.

A unique Study and Development program which forged productive international working networks, and an ongoing collaborative community focused on environmental change.

To change the world we have to think outside our own boxes and interact with communities both close to home and across continents too. For the prestigious American University they recognised that to truly make a difference in the field of Sustainability Management, they must grow their community and engage their students with organisations already pushing the environmental envelope.
Building off the back of a sustainability study tour, Cosaris transformed The American University’s learning experience to become a major collaboration project for students, businesses, and local communities alike. Incorporating site visits, impactful workshops, networking events, community outreach and sustainable innovations, the project enabled multi-disciplinary opportunities, to tackle genuine challenges in the industry relating to sustainability, environmentalism, and positive change.
In addition to the student and organisations working together, we also laid the groundwork for a self-sustaining, collaborative network of local and global people to share ideas, highlight best practices and cooperate on implementing sustainably-focused innovations for the entire world.
At Cosaris we believe if engage every stakeholder, both inside and outside an organisation’s network, then the benefits are endless. Whether it’s productivity, retention, economic or sustainability, increasing engagement impacts everything. For the American University, one key aspect of what set this project apart was the unique and inspirational organisations we connected with which made all the difference. From major brands like Ericsson and ClimaCheck to boundary-pushing start-ups like Vélosophy or Swegreen, every new partnership we forged was excited to support, learn from and collaborate with the university and its students.
The engagement extended far beyond just the study tour with our network connecting with us to add stronger connections and deliver more impactful learning experiences as the tour progressed. Following the project, all the business organisations, local community partners and even the students remained engaged and reached out to Cosaris and the network as a whole to continue the discussions, offer new opportunities and collaborate on ongoing change.
Several students gained internships and other opportunities through this project and the benefits for everyone involved have continued to provide productive collaborations and engaged partnerships.
David L Bartlett, Professorial Lecturer and Program Director, The American University, said: “For the American University, the Scandinavian program has burnished our sustainability brand. It has enhanced our standing as a leader in sustainability among American colleges and universities.”

A bespoke, digital hub to engage membership organisations, increase industry collaboration and create an interactive space to cooperate as an industry for EMD

It takes a village to change the world. The leading European membership organisations, European Marketing Distribution (EMD), has been keen to engage its members across 250 grocery retail chains in 20 countries and we partnered with them to create a full-service Hybrid Platform to do this.
Following an extensive survey of their member database, and a collaborative approach to any communications and webinars EMD provided for its members, we proposed an interactive, digital platform which would allow every stakeholder across the organisation to engage however they see fit.
The platforms we design are not simply ‘cookie-cutter’ websites, they are unique to every client we work with. To optimise EMD’s network and ensure the platform works for and with all the unique levels of individuals who will be using it, Cosaris has undergone rigorous testing, assessments, and ongoing research into tailoring the platform experience specifically to EMD.
The hub will provide unique insights, an extensive library of resources and most importantly a social platform enabling members to interact and discuss membership specific details and industry insights in a social media style manner.
The impact of the hub will be a long-term growth strategy both internally and externally, enabling EMD to innovate how membership organisations work and create clear added-value for its members on a day-to-day basis. It will also allow for the community to benefit from and interact with key resources, communications and learning tools, turning every interaction into evergreen content for members across the globe and sharing best practice to change not just their industry, but business on a global scale.
Commenting on the strategy and upcoming implementation of the project, Philippe Gruyters, Managing Director at EMD, said: “For us, this is unknown territory. If we want to achieve our targets as described above, we need world class experience. I see that on a long term, as Cosaris is best in class to activate the resources necessary for this project.”