I have been attending trade shows since 1989 and I can honestly say I have never seen anything like Greenbuild. Held in Chicago last week, the event drew more than 20,500 attendees and featured more than 850 exhibitors. There certainly are shows in the hospitality industry that are larger but none has grown as quickly as Greenbuild. The attendance at last year’s event in Denver was 13,500. It was painfully obvious at McCormick Place that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was not ready for the huge turnout.
It reminded me of the kind of crowd that turns out on a surprisingly sunny day for a baseball team that it realizes is actually a winner. Lines for registration in McCormick Place stretched down corridors and some attendees had to wait hours to get their name badges. Even in the early afternoon, there were still long lines. USGBC could have used four times the number of registration points—at least. Almost 8,000 people turned out to see former President Bill Clinton speak and crowds that could not get in to see him sat on the floor outside the show entrance and watched him on large TV screens.
Inside the trade show area, aisles were crowded with prospective buyers. Exhibitors would have had an even busier time if registrants could just get in the hall. Those who did get in found a wide variety of vendors more than eager to talk about their innovative green products and services. As unprepared as USGBC was for the turnout, it did do a great job in many other ways. I have never seen as many educational sessions and the meeting itself was “green” thanks to recycling containers and the minimization of waste such as paper and plastic bottles.
If you still question the reality, the vitality, and the potential of the green building movement, you should have been at Greenbuild. I guarantee you would have been converted—if you were lucky to register in time, that is. If there is one thing the USGBC and anyone else pursuing the green market should remember about this year’s event, it is to be more than prepared for success. So where is Greenbuild next year?
Next year’s Greenbuild will be held in Boston. Be sure to visit the Greenbuild website for specific details.
New Founding Sponsor
Green Lodging News welcomes American Atelier, Inc. (AAI) as a Founding Sponsor. AAI is committed to manufacturing furniture products with the most environmentally friendly technology in an efficient and responsible manner while maintaining high standards of excellence. Four generations of ownership at AAI have demonstrated the company’s commitment to excellence by continuously improving its manufacturing processes since its founding in 1920.
AAI sources raw materials through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Its manufacturing process uses water-based adhesives, finishing solvents and stains. The company also uses recycled materials as specified by its customers without compromising workmanship and durability, while promoting improved local air quality with lower chemical emissions.
Each piece of furniture is hand-wrapped using recycled paper and reusable blankets that are returned to AAI after each delivery. This eliminates cardboard and plastic waste, labor costs to unpack, and the cost of dumpsters. AAI’s suppliers are located within a 500-mile radius of its Allentown, Pa. manufacturing location. All manufacturing is done at this location. AAI is located within 500 miles of 38 percent of the North American population including all of New England, New York City, Philadelphia, the greater D.C. market, Montreal, etc. The company’s delivery process supports fuel conservation by scheduling back hauls for every new product delivery.
AAI heats its 160,000-square-foot factory and 40,000-square-foot warehouse by utilizing its own wood waste materials as an alternative to fossil fuels. It is currently working with Weyerhaeuser to source wood from a regenerated forest, and it uses water-based finishes as well as glue deemed appropriate for LEED products.
AAI is registered with the NEWH Green Initiative and works to promote efficient operation and negative environmental impact. To learn more, go to American Atelier, Inc., call (610) 439-4040, or e-mail Jim DeCamp at jdecamppa@aol.com.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
