By Suzie Mills
Somehow (and I’m not sure how), 2025 was the first time that Change Now has come onto my radar, despite this year being its 8th year and also being the largest event of its kind in the world. With a strapline of ‘The World Expo of Solutions for the Planet’ and billing itself as the place ‘where global leaders and changemakers come together to shape a sustainable world’, I had high hopes with a healthy dose of intrigue as I headed off to Paris (on the Eurostar of course).
And it was impressive. From the moment you set foot in the Grand Palais (iconic in itself), Change Now is slick. Well run, thoughtfully created, an amazing line up of speakers and topics, innovative and interesting exhibition booths to explore, amazing food options and all with sustainability front of mind. As an independent agency with digital sustainability at the heart of what we do for our mission-driven clients, I felt I was in just the right place to make new connections and further my learning.
Personal highlights on the agenda were:
- AI at a crossroad: with progress comes responsibility, with such innovation and insight coming from Shani Gwin in particular
- The future of leadership; women paving the way for long-term change, (as a female founder and owner of Oxygen, I resonated with and took inspiration from all the panel members on this session)
- How B-Corp standards are reshaping business impact in Europe & beyond; I’m pretty up to speed with B-Corp as we are soon submitting our own application to become one, but it’s always good to hear about the support organisations offer each other within this community and just how far it has come in the last few years
- Don’t drill baby, don’t! This session made me feel proud that we are ambassadors for Clean Creatives and have pledged never to work with fossil fuel companies, actively discouraging other creatives to do so; the story of Uruguay’s green power revolution from Ramon Mendez Galain was fascinating
Whilst in Paris, I also hosted a Clean Creatives meet up alongside Mathilde Serrero of Sharpbrands, Alex Holliman of Climbing Trees and Megan Thudium of Content for Good & Co. meeting lots of new faces, sharing stories and offering ways to get involved in this movement to use creative as a force for good.
So was it worth the cost of attending and the time out of the office and away from my family? Well, I’ve already booked my ticket for next year, so I would say 100% yes!
