2019 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo Explores How Green Building Supports Social Equity, Resiliency and Mitigating Climate Change

NEW YORK, Dec. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sustainability and architecture leaders from across the globe descended onto Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from Nov. 19 – 22 for the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo.
The event’s 2019 theme – A New Living Standard – connected buildings to the health & well-being of the people who inhabit them, beginning with a moderated discussion with President Barack Obama as the Wednesday keynote. The theme was then reflected throughout the week with additional daily keynote addresses, delivered by visionary leaders including Jeanne Gang, architect; Dr. Bernice King, renowned civil rights and peace advocate; Jaime Margolin, teen climate change activist; and Dr. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, among other speakers. Key themes and learnings from the event were affordable housing, reaching net zero, the business case for sustainability, and building performance.“The sustainability industry is continuing its revolution and transformation, and Greenbuild is serving as a driver of innovation that’s taking place,” said Sherida Sessa, Greenbuild brand director. “Greenbuild is a crucial venue for the learning, interaction, and technology which will lead to greater efficiencies, a safer environment, and a healthier future. We are grateful to the community for their dedication to creating a new living standard for us all.”Greenbuild took place in the LEED Gold Georgia World Congress Center, and host city of Atlanta recently became the 100^th city or community to earn LEED certification. Atlanta is also the headquarters of the event’s Title Sponsor, Home Depot.“The excitement and passion we saw from this year’s attendees is proof that the green building community is committed to using sustainable design, construction, and operations to working toward a better living standard for every person,” said Kim Heavner, vice president of Conference & Events, USGBC. “Greenbuild remains a powerful platform for showing how our buildings, cities, and communities impact people and the environment. This was a remarkable conference and we thank all the attendees, sponsors and volunteers for making it such as memorable experience.”With more than 200 educational sessions available, attendees had the opportunity to earn up enough GBCI CE hours to fulfill LEED, SITES, WELL, and AIA professional credential maintenance. The conference’s robust programming throughout the week featured several key events, such as: Tuesday Keynote, featuring Dr. Bernice King, renowned civil rights and peace advocateTuesday Speaker Spotlight, featuring Jasmine Crowe, entrepreneur and creator of Goodr, a tech-enabled sustainable food waste management companyNew in 2019: the Resilience Summit, which explored elevating equity and creating a sustainable future for all.New in 2019: the Global Health and Wellness Summit, which looked at how to commit to green, healthy buildings.New in 2019: the Corporate Sustainability Forum, featuring panelists from Fortune 500 companies, speaking on the sustainability wins of their brands.Wednesday Keynote: “A Conversation with President Barack Obama,” where he challenged the audience to make affordability part of the sustainability dialogueThursday Speaker Spotlight, featuring Peter Sorckoff; strategist.Greenbuild Celebration, held at the LEED Platinum Mercedes-Benz Stadium, headlined by multi-platinum, Georgia-based rockers Collective Soul.Friday Keynote, featuring Jaime Margolin, teen climate change activist; Dr. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate; and Stephen Leahy, renowned biosphere journalist.Women in Green Power Luncheon, tackling the concept of ‘A Culture of Courage’20 Green Building Tours of sustainable buildings and neighborhoods located in and around the Atlanta area.The expo hall showcased the leading products and services available to professionals within the sustainable building industry and had several notable areas, including:300+ exhibitors and brands showcasing the latest sustainability solutions, while supporting the movement by adhering to Greenbuild’s d Mandatory Exhibitor Greening GuidelinesInteractive, content-specific Applied Learning Areas which featured extended Q&A from sessions in the education program, exhibitor-led lunch & learns and whitepaper discussionsEducation Labs with CE accredited education on the show floorA Mindful Materials Pavilion featuring companies promoting material transparency in their productsNew in 2019: two Happy Hours to increase the networking and engagement opportunities between attendees and exhibitorsA sustainable tiny homeA fully functioning microgrid, powered by Greenbuild installed solar panels, which were used to power a portion of the expo hall floor ‘off the grid’Photos and videos from the event can be viewed here. Greenbuild 2020 is scheduled for Nov. 3 – 6 in San Diego. About Greenbuild
Greenbuild International Conference and Expo is owned and operated by Informa Connect, a division of Informa, and presented by the U.S. Green Building Council. Greenbuild is the world’s largest event dedicated to green building. Each year, the four-day conference brings together attendees and exhibitors from across the green building sector, spanning commercial and residential professionals, architects, building owners and operators, students, advocates, and educators.About Informa Connect
Informa Connect is a specialist in content-driven events and digital communities that allow professionals to meet, connect, learn and share knowledge.  We operate major branded events in Global Finance, Life Sciences and Pharma, Construction & Real Estate, and in a number of other specialist markets and connect communities online year-round.About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Media Contact:
Megan Magaña
[email protected]
972-536-6367
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