Registration Now Open for U.S. Green Building Council’s Annual Greenbuild Conference

This year’s show commences on Boston for the world’s largest green building conference and expo

September 2, 2008 (Washington, DC) –If you are a reporter covering green building, residential construction, real estate, energy or human health, chances are you’ve encountered LEED along the way. Itching to learn more? Join over 25,000 attendees at the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual conference and exhibition, which will be held from November 19-21, 2008 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 fifty-fastest growing shows in North America. This year, over 25,000 attendees will attend, eager to learn more about the LEED® green building certification, the nationally accepted system for green buildings, developed by the 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 is 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, 8:00-10:00 am.

Closing Keynote Speakers include:
• E.O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator of Entomology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
• Janine Benyus, Co-founder and Principal, Biomimicry Guild

Master Speakers:
• 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
• Leith Sharp, Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI)

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 over 100 educational sessions will also include programs that have been approved through the USGBC Education Provider Program.

Workshops

LEED 2009: Implementation for Building Design and Construction
• Designed for contractors, building owners, design team members, , and other stakeholders involved in the design and construction of commercial buildings.

Solving the Green Cleaning Puzzle
• Geared towards cleaning industry professionals who want to learn how to design and implement a green cleaning program.

Commissioning for LEED Projects
• For those who want to learn the building commissioning process required by LEED, including cost / benefit and the commission¬ing agent’s role in LEED design and documentation.

Understanding LEED Project Costs and Returns
• Geared towards all audiences interested in learning more about building environmentally sound projects at a reason¬able cost, building life-cycle and construction costs, and LEED project case studies.

Educational Sessions

A Policy Perspective - Green Legislation and Its Influence in the Public, Private, and Non-Profit Sectors

Greening the Trades of Tomorrow

Measuring Green Building Performance through Research and Innovative Tools

Fostering a Community of Environmental Stewards by Using Real-Time Display of Building Performance Data

Green Schools: Two programs Create Sustainable Standards

Greening our Historic Legacy: Sustainability and Preservation Standards

LEEDing Internationally: Sustainability in the World Market

Navigating Green Labels and Certifications

Visit the Greenbuild Web site for an interactive and comprehensive listing of all on and off site educational sessions and master speakers: https://register.greenbuildexpo.org/scheduler/eventguide/publicScheduleByType.jsp

This year the Greenbuild exhibit hall will be held in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, which will house over 1,300 booths featuring the newest and best products, technologies and services.

New to this year’s show is Green Homebuilder's Day, a day of programming and panels of industry experts dedicated to various residential green building topics. Green Homebuilder’s Day will take place on Thursday, November 20 and will feature a variety of educational tracks and speakers, including Kevin O'Connor, host of This Old House. For more information about this event, visit: http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/Program/green_homebuilders.html

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, and will be complimentary to press. http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/Events/GreenBuildingTours.html

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. Visit the Greenbuild Web site: www.greenbuildexpo.org.

Registration
Greenbuild has undergone some changes in preparation for this year’s show. In order to make the Greenbuild experience as enjoyable and seamless as possible, we’ve undergone a transformation. Some of the changes you’ll find at this year’s show include:

• Self-service kiosks for session and conference registration (located in the press room)
• Ticketless entry to events – your name badge is all you need
• More room! 50% more exhibit space (over 300,000 square feet), additional educational session space, and more registration counters

Registration for members of the press is complimentary, and includes access to all 100+ educational and break-out sessions; Keynote presentations; the master speaker series’ and green building tours.

To learn more about press registration at Greenbuild 2007, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org/Press

To register as a working press member, visit http://www.zoomerang.com

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About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 16,500 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building certification systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.