Greenbuild Sustainability Report Released for 2014 Show

Dallas, TX, July 31, 2015—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 last fall in New Orleans, has been released by Informa Exhibitions U.S., Construction and Real Estate and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

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 new projects, including exhibitor engagement and a redesigned process for sourcing materials and resources required for the event in a responsible manner. The report can be accessed online at greenbuildexpo.com.

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% diversion rate.

Stakeholder Engagement: The event 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% of the food served at the Greenbuild Celebration was local, exceeding the 2014 goal by 17%. New birchwood hotel key cards were introduced and t-shirts sold on site 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% 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 on-site, alternative energy generation and distribution. Greenbuild 2014 also became the largest U.S. 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 9^th 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.

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