WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild conference, the largest green building conference and expo in the world, has selected Los Angeles as the location of the 2007 show. Greenbuild will be held at the L.A. Convention Center from October 17-19, 2007. The theme of next year’s conference is “Accelerating Green Communities,” which also coincides with USGBC’s 2007 educational agenda.
“We’re expecting next year to be the Greenbuild conference’s biggest year yet and L.A. is the perfect place for it,” says Peter Templeton, vice president of education & research, USGBC. “Not only is L.A. renowned for its culture and entertainment, but it’s also gaining significant recognition for its leadership in green building.”
Greenbuild 2006’s record breaking attendance signifies the booming interest in and practice of green design and construction. Held in Denver, the 2006 show welcomed 13,500 attendees and featured more than 700 exhibit booths. The annual conference and expo features three days of extensive green building educational sessions and workshops, a vast exhibition floor, and numerous networking events. Attendees come from around the world, and include architects, engineers, facilities managers, developers, contractors, builders, interior designers, product manufacturers, and government representatives.
L.A. Commits to LEED
Los Angeles was chosen to host Greenbuild 2007 because of its involvement in green building, the strong USGBC chapter presence, and the city’s overall commitment to sustainability. The local government has passed several initiatives to promote sustainability and the construction of green buildings citywide. In April 2002, the Los Angeles City Council voted to require Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for all public works construction projects larger than 7,500 gross square feet. In July 2003, the city extended this requirement to all building projects funded by the city.
“The USGBC-Los Angeles Chapter is one of our most active, and the city ranks seventh in the U.S. for the most LEED certified green buildings,” Templeton says. “We’re very eager to bring Greenbuild to this exciting and unique city.”
In conjunction with the announcement of the venue selection for Greenbuild 2007, USGBC is unveiling the 2007 Greenbuild website: www.greenbuildexpo.org. The newly redesigned site offers a vast array of resources including links to past Greenbuild conferences, 2007 conference registration, and information on the many education sessions, networking events, green building tours, new products and technologies, and press opportunities that will be available at the show.
USGBC is currently accepting session proposals for Greenbuild 2007. The deadline for submission is January 12, 2007. Click here for more information.