WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual conference and exhibition will be held from November 19 to 21 in Boston. Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, and is the recent recipient of Tradeshow Week’s “Fastest 50,” honoring the 50 fastest growing shows in North America. This year, more than 25,000 attendees will attend, eager to learn more about LEED green building certification, the nationally accepted system for green buildings, developed by USGBC as a tool to build healthy, energy-efficient, resource-friendly structures.
This year’s show will explore “Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability,” with Boston serving as the ideal backdrop. The city, home to innovations that have far-reaching impact, will be the location for a variety of educational sessions, full- and half-day LEED workshops, exciting speakers, special events and building tours.
Each year at Greenbuild, one of the highlights is the assortment of master and keynote speakers, comprised of internationally renowned industry experts and influential leaders. This year, world-renowned leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu takes to the stage as the opening keynote speaker. A Nobel Peace Laureate, Bishop Tutu led a crusade for social justice and racial conciliation in South Africa as then-General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Today, he is revered worldwide as a “moral voice” seeking to end poverty and human rights abuses. Tutu’s opening keynote address will take place Wednesday, November 19, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Closing keynote speakers include: E.O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator of Entomology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University; and Janine Benyus, co-founder and principal, Biomimicry Guild. Master speakers will include Paul Anastas, director, Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, Yale University; Stefan Behnisch, principal, Behnisch, Behnisch & Partners; Carol Browner, principal, The Albright Group, and former EPA Administrator; Majora Carter, executive director, Sustainable South Bronx; Howard Frumkin, director, The National Center for Environmental Health, CDC; Van Jones, president and founder, Green For All; Bill McKibben, environmentalist and author; and Leith Sharp, director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI).
Many Workshops, Educational Sessions
A variety of workshops and educational sessions will be offered throughout the show related to green building, and for the first time, this year’s selection of more than 100 educational sessions will also include programs that have been approved through the USGBC Education Provider Program. A few of the workshops will include: LEED 2009: Implementation for Building Design and Construction; Solving the Green Cleaning Puzzle; and Commissioning for LEED Projects.
Visit the Greenbuild website for an interactive and comprehensive listing of all on- and off-site educational sessions and master speakers. This year the Greenbuild exhibit hall will be held in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, which will house more than 1,300 booths featuring the newest and best products, technologies and services.
Known as “America’s Walking City,” the Boston cityscape is dotted with vibrant neighborhoods, historical sites and LEED certified buildings. Currently, there are 19 LEED certified and 118 registered buildings in the city. Full- and half-day tours of many of Boston’s most celebrated buildings, including many LEED certified projects, will take place throughout the event.
Greenbuild is presented annually by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization composed of more than 16,700 member organizations ranging from private companies to nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies, all working to transform the building industry. Since its founding in 1993, USGBC has been at the forefront of green building, introducing the nationally used LEED green building certification system in 2000 and launching the Greenbuild Conference in 2002.
Go to Greenbuild.
