Press Room
About Greenbuild
Greenbuild is the world’s largest green building conference and expo in the world. Founded in 2002, the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo has become the go-to place for the green building industry to convene, and it is where the future of the green building movement is shaped. It’s where inspiration happens, business relationships are cultivated, innovation is recognized and celebrated, and where people from around the globe come to reconnect and remind each other why they do what they do – and why they work hard every day to better the built environment.
Thousands gather at Greenbuild each year to renew their commitment to the green building movement. The conferences include uplifting speakers, unmatched networking opportunities, showcases, LEED workshops and tours of green buildings in each local market.
Celebrities, activists and politicians have graced the Greenbuild stage. Past speakers include: President Barack Obama, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, President Bill Clinton, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director James Cameron, explorer and author Sebastian Junger, Ret. Gen. Colin Powell, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore, among many others. Grammy Award-winning artists X Ambassadors, Sheryl Crow, Maroon 5, Bon Jovi and Train are just a few of the artists who have provided entertainment during Greenbuild.
In North America, Greenbuild is owned and operated by Informa Exhibitions U.S. and presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In 2017, Greenbuild expanded internationally to include conferences in China, Europe, India and Mexico.
Sustainability at the forefront
- Greenbuild is committed to raising the bar in sustainable conferences each year. As a result, the Greenbuild brand is a four-time recipient of the IMEX Sustainable Meetings award.
- Each Greenbuild show has seven primary sustainability objectives: move toward zero waste; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; improve sustainable sourcing; improve performance tracking; increase stakeholder education and engagement; positively impact the local host community; and lead the event industry through the advancement of sustainable event management initiatives.
- The 2018 sustainability report is currently available and highlights valuable metrics and key benchmarks regarding the impact on energy use and waste management at the 2018 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Chicago. Key highlights include:
- The conference reached an 86 percent waste diversion rate and once again achieved TRUE Platinum certification. Informa, USGBC, McCormick Place, Freeman and local vendors worked together to optimize waste management strategies.
- The Greenbuild team consistently evaluates the materials used on-site to reduce the overall environmental impact. Greenbuild was able to remove plastic straws rom all concession areas.
- Meat, cheese and egg production are the largest carbon footprint culprits in the menu planning. For the first time, catered meals featured 3,500 meals that were 100% vegan, reducing the conference’s carbon footprint by more than 9.35 metric tons of carbon dioxide (MTCO2 Eq).