Informa Exhibitions U.S., Construction and Real Estate, one of the world’s leading business intelligence, knowledge and events businesses, along with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released the 2014 Greenbuild Sustainability Report, highlighting valuable metrics and key benchmarks regarding the impact on energy use and waste management at the 2014 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, held Oct. 22-24 in New Orleans.
The comprehensive report details the sustainability programs implemented in 2014 through a review of all objectives, goals and best practices. Case studies provide detailed overviews of the processes used to implement innovative new projects, including exhibitor engagement and a redesigned process for sourcing materials and resources required for the event in a responsible manner.
“Our goal each year is to not only create an unforgettable experience for all participants of Greenbuild, but also bring sustainability to life,” stated Lindsay Roberts, Greenbuild show director, Informa. “Sustainable and responsible management in the planning and operations of this event in particular is a major element of Greenbuild. Our goal is to continue to lead the industry in making it a top priority.”
“From reducing environmental impact and waste to saving resources and energy, we have an established record of integrating sustainability into every aspect of planning for Greenbuild,” said Kate Hurst, vice president, community advancement, conferences and events, USGBC. “The Greenbuild Sustainability Report highlights both our successes and challenges and is utilized to spread best practices and help our industry peers learn from our experience.”
The report shares the progress of seven sustainability objectives at Greenbuild, including the following highlights:
- Waste: Informa Exhibitions and USGBC worked with the Morial Convention Center and the New Orleans Superdome to alter their waste management strategies resulting in an overall 71.5 percent diversion rate.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Provided information to attendees, exhibitors and volunteers that encouraged participation in Greenbuild’s sustainability programs. While this is a priority every year, 2014 included more in-depth vendor collaboration, established the Greenbuild team as an industry resource for our hotel partners and continued sustainability education for attendees onsite as well as a feedback forum for participants.
- Sustainable Sourcing: In 2014, 97 percent of the food served at the Greenbuild Celebration was local, exceeding the 2014 goal by 17 percent. New birchwood hotel key cards were introduced and T-shirts sold onsite and given to volunteers were made from domestic, and in some cases organic, cotton.
- Performance Tracking: Again leveraging vendor partnerships, Informa and USGBC collected post-show sustainability impact reports from 81 percent of hotel partners and improved metrics in attendee registration to more accurately calculate our carbon footprint.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenbuild was proud to showcase the first ever Net Zero Zone, a 1,500 square-foot exhibit space on the show floor that was fully powered by onsite, alternative energy generation and distribution. Greenbuild 2014 also became the largest US conference ever to become Green-e certified for its carbon offsets.
- Community Impact: The Greenbuild LivingHome, designed and developed by LivingHomes and in partnership with the Make It Right Foundation, was featured in the expo hall during Greenbuild and was permanently placed for occupancy in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans following the conference. Greenbuild also provided both YouthBuild and Make It Right with complimentary expo space and an opportunity to get exposure within the green building community.
- Hospitality Industry: USGBC and Informa continued to establish themselves as leaders within the hospitality and event planning community by engaging meaningfully with all event partners and stakeholders and encouraging Greenbuild best practices to be used at other events.
Greenbuild, owned and operated by Informa and presented by USGBC, is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. The three-day conference attracts over 20,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors annually from across the green building sector, spanning commercial and residential professionals, architects, building owners and operators, students, advocates and educators. This year’s conference takes place at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. from Nov. 18-20.
For more information and to view the full report, visit greenbuildexpo.com
