Greenbuild: A Success for Sustainability

SAN FRANCISCO — The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo presented by the U.S. Green Building Council, was a booming success in San Francisco, Calif. last week. The Moscone Center was jam-packed with green designers, innovators and spectators from across the globe on Nov. 14-16. The expo hall featured three floors and nearly 1,000 exhibitors.

The show started with the opening ceremony, featuring Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” newscast. Brzezinski and Scarborough were also joined by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, mayor of Newark, N.J. Cory Booker, urban revitalization strategist Majora Carter, environmentalist, entrepreneur and author Paul Hawken, former governor of New York George Pataki, lieutenant governor of California Gavin Newsom, and David Kohler, president and COO of Kohler Co.

The group discussed the recent November elections and what that will mean for the environment, green jobs and innovations. They also were there to inspire and motivate those listening to get involved and become more environmentally responsible about our planet.

Greenbuild is Open for Business

While the tradeshow floor featured some of the latest products in the green building market, the conference rooms were full of attendees learning about market trends and noteworthy projects making today’s headlines.

The convention featured LEED workshops, a green building job fair, education sessions and green building tours, among other activities and attractions.

Not only were all the exhibitors featuring products and services in the green building market—the venue itself was an example of green building. The Moscone Center’s North and South Buildings recently received LEED (Existing Buildings) Gold certification while the show demonstrated sustainable practices including the elimination of conference shuttles to promote walking and public transportation; recycling of conference materials; and a commitment from Greenbuild exhibitors to follow the Greenbuild Mandatory Exhibition Guidelines for sustainable booth materials.

For those who missed the exciting event, mark your calendars for 2013 as Greenbuild takes the show on the road to Philadelphia, Nov. 20-22. Those interested are urged to visit Greenbuild on Twitter by following @Greenbuild for the latest updates.