Hanley Wood and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) have announced the results of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, held recently in New Orleans. According to show officials, attendance at the event totaled 17,507, with 552 exhibiting companies participating in 142,000 square feet of exhibit and display space on the trade show floor.
Greenbuild featured over 240 sessions, tours, summits and workshops in the robust education program that saw 37,250 hours of continuing education credits earned. Notable education program speakers included Deepak Chopra, mind-body medicine field pioneer; Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak, Acting Surgeon General of the U.S.; and New Orleans Mayor Mitchell Landrieu. “Every year, we strive to bring world-class education and programming to the green building community and maintain the standards that make Greenbuild the most sustainable building conference in the world,” said Kate Hurst, USGBC's director of conferences and events. “With more than 240 education sessions, every member of the green building community had an opportunity to focus on topics that mattered to them at this year’s show.” Greenbuild featured several key events, including:
•Opening Plenary and Celebration held on the field at the Superdome and featured an engaging and entertaining discussion with philanthropist Tom Steyer, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and moderator Paul Hawken. The celebration featured a special appearance by Ivan Neville and ended with a concert featuring Alabama Shakes
•Closing Plenary featured author David Brooks
•USGBC Leadership Awards Luncheon, which annually recognizes outstanding efforts to advance green building design and construction
•LEED Certification Work Zone, where participants got one-on-one advice about their LEED projects from LEED reviewers
•TalentFX, a place for millennials to gather for career building skills
•Women in Green Power Breakfast, which celebrated females who are actively making a difference in sustainability
•The Greenbuild Film Festival, which showcased films, international videos and documentaries that promote the advancement of the green movement
“At the heart of all activities that took place during Greenbuild, sustainability remained at the forefront of this year’s event and each participant walked away with fresh motivation and inspiration, equipped with the most cutting-edge knowledge in the market,” noted Lindsay Roberts, Greenbuild show director. Attendees also spent significant time during the week exploring and enjoying the "Crescent City." USGBC Louisiana, the official host chapter of Greenbuild, hosted 16 tours throughout the week, exploring natural wonders, historical landmarks and resiliency in the Lower 9th Ward. “New Orleans offers a very unique experience for Greenbuild that no other city in the nation can provide,” Roberts continued. “The southern hospitality, culture, history, music, food and spirit of the city perfectly captured the resilience and energy that continues to propel the green movement forward.” According to Roberts, exhibit space sales for 2015 surged on-site with 325 exhibitors and 100,000 square feet already contracted for next year’s event, exceeding on-site renewals one year ago.
