Los Angeles Selected to Host Greenbuild 2007

Washington, DC, December 6, 2006--The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Greenbuild conference, the largest green building conference and expo in the world, has selected Los Angeles as the location of the 2007 show. Greenbuild will be held at the LA Convention Center from October 17-19, 2007. "We're expecting next year to be the Greenbuild conference's biggest year yet and LA is the perfect place for it," said Peter Templeton, vice president of Education & Research, U.S. Green Building Council. "Not only is LA renowned for its culture and entertainment, but it's also gaining significant recognition for its leadership in green building in their community." Templeton continued, "The theme of next year's conference is accelerating green communities, which also coincides with USGBC's 2007 educational agenda." In addition, the USGBC's LEED green building rating system for Neighborhood Development will be pilot launched next month as the green building industry focuses on developing entire green communities over the single green building approach. Greenbuild 2006's record-breaking attendance signifies the booming interest in and practice of green design and construction. Held in Denver, Colorado, the 2006 show welcomed 13,500 attendees and over 700 exhibit booths. The annual conference and expo features three days of extensive green building educational sessions and workshops, a vast exhibition floor, and numerous networking events. Attendees come from around the world, and include architects, engineers, facilities managers, developers, contractors, builders, interior designers, product manufacturers, and government representatives. Los Angeles was chosen to host Greenbuild 2007 because of its involvement in green building, the strong USGBC chapter presence, and the city's overall commitment to sustainability. The local government has passed several initiatives to promote sustainability and the construction of green buildings citywide. In April 2002, the Los Angeles City Council voted to require LEED certification for all public works construction projects larger than 7,500 gross square feet. In July 2003, the city extended this requirement to all building projects funded by the city. In addition, in March 2002 LEED certification of new construction projects was approved as part of the $1.6 billion bond proposition funding building projects on the nine campuses of the LA Community College District. "The USGBC-Los Angeles Chapter is one of our most active, and the city ranks seventh in the U.S. for the most LEED certified green buildings. We're very eager to bring Greenbuild to this exciting and unique city," noted Templeton. Los Angeles boasts seven LEED certified projects, including the Platinum-rated Lake View Terrace Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The city also has 59 LEED registered projects, placing it fifth in the U.S. for the highest number of registered projects. Los Angeles' other sustainability initiatives include a strong Brownfield redevelopment program; a residential rehabilitation program; and a building deconstruction and recycling program. In conjunction with the announcement of the venue selection for Greenbuild 2007, USGBC is unveiling the 2007 Greenbuild Web site: http://www.greenbuildexpo.org. The newly redesigned Web site offers a vast array of resources including links to past Greenbuild conferences, 2007 conference registration, and information on the many education sessions, networking events, green building tours, new products and technologies, and press opportunities that will be available at the show. USGBC is currently accepting session proposals for Greenbuild 2007. The deadline for submission is January 12, 2007.

Print the Article