41,000 Design and Construction Industry Professionals Hitting the Hub in November

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 20, 2008 -
41,000 Design and Construction Industry Professionals Hitting the Hub in November

Timing of Build Boston and Greenbuild creates synergy and savings for tradeshow attendees


Boston, MA – (October 20, 2008) – Boston is the place to be in November for professionals in the design and construction industry, thanks to the overlapping of two leading tradeshows: Build Boston and Greenbuild.  


Build Boston (www.buildboston.com), the Boston Society of Architects’ convention and tradeshow, is the premier regional event for the design and construction industry, with some 350 exhibits and 240 workshops, tours and other professional development opportunities. Now in its 24th year, Build Boston is expected to draw 16,000 attendees, and will take place November 18-20 at the Seaport World Trade Center.


The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org) will come to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center November 19-21.  Greenbuild’s 25,000 attendees are hoping to connect with their green building peers, industry experts, and influential leaders as they share insights on the green building movement and its diverse specialties. Greenbuild will also host Archbishop Desmond Tutu as opening keynote speaker.


“Green building policy is the cornerstone of what makes Boston one of the greenest cities in the U.S.,” says James Hunt, Boston’s Chief of Environment and Energy. “These two signature events will bring leading international design professionals right here to Boston to experience firsthand the transformation taking place in our city, as well as to share the latest innovations from around the globe.   Combined, these events will have more than a $32 million economic impact, a different kind of green that’s also good for our local economy.”


Attending either conference affords a great two-for-one opportunity. The BSA and the USGBC are partnering to offer attendees of one show free registration for the other show’s exhibit hall. A registration counter for Build Boston at Greenbuild and one for Greenbuild at Build Boston will also feature each other’s show hours and event highlights.


“It was very clear to us at USGBC that Boston was a city of growing importance to those who live and build ‘green’,” says Kimberly Lewis, Vice President of Conferences and Events, USGBC.  “The fact that attendees to one show will be able to visit the Expo floor of the other free of charge is a great opportunity.  We think that some of the tours Build Boston is offering – like the walking tour of the Big Dig, for instance, which the rest of the country has been hearing about for years – will provide real insights into the design and construction industry in Boston.   Likewise, Build Boston attendees who want to delve even deeper into the world of sustainable materials and technologies will benefit immensely from attending Greenbuild.”  


“Build Boston has been a ‘must-attend’ event for the design community in New England for more than 24 years because of its robust education tracks and extensive tradeshow exhibits,” says Diane Georgopulos FAIA, an architect at MassHousing and 2008 president of the Boston Society of Architects. “The conference program includes many sessions on green design and a comprehensive track of workshops that focus on the ‘other kind of green,’ such as strategies for running a profitable business and successful business development. Build Boston also boasts a symposium on green, in a literal sense – sustainable landscape architecture,” says Georgopulos.


She adds, “Build Boston can help you save some ‘green,’ too, thanks to the wide array of a la carte options we offer.  Attendees can register for just the specific workshops, symposia, and tours that have the most value to them. It’s a very economical solution.”


Greenbuild offers full or one-day conference registration options. Build Boston has multiple registration options including one-, two- and three-day packages, special symposium pricing, a la carte options, and a free exhibit hall pass. Build Boston offers a multitrack workshop schedule from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily on November 18, 19 and 20. In addition to a robust track of green/sustainable programs, Build Boston offers sessions that focus on business development, profitability, universal design, housing, landscape design and interiors—making a day at both conferences an easy way to meet architects’ many interests and professional-education goals. Build Boston offers 240 workshops over the three-day period.    

“With both Greenbuild and Build Boston in town, there’s a terrific intersection for AEC professionals interested in finding out more about the realignment of processes in the building industry,” says Phil Bernstein, FAIA, vice president of Autodesk and a featured speaker at both Build Boston and Greenbuild.  “I am delighted to kick off Build Boston 2008 on Tuesday morning, and share some of our thinking about integrated project delivery methodologies and why we all need to embrace the long view across the lifecycle of a project.   We are fortunate to be able to take advantage of the synergies offered by these two shows, and attendees will surely benefit from having so many innovators in the same place, at the same time.”


About Build Boston:

The Boston Society of Architects’ Build Boston event is New England’s largest annual convention and tradeshow for the design and construction industry. Attendees include architects, engineers, contractors, builders, interior designers, facility managers, engineers, and landscape architects. The conference program features more than 240 workshops, symposia, and tours led by internationally and nationally recognized leaders, and Build Boston's exhibit hall has 350 booths filled with the nation’s leading suppliers of building technologies, products, and services. For more information and to register online, go to www.buildboston.com.


About Greenbuild:

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference & Expo convenes the industry’s largest gathering of representatives from all sectors of the green building movement. Three days of extensive educational programming, workshops, a vast exhibition floor and ample networking events provide unrivaled opportunities to learn about the latest technological innovations, explore new products, and exchange ideas with other professionals. Greenbuild 2008 will be held on November 19-21, 2008 in Boston, MA.  Last year’s conference drew over 23,000 attendees and featured more than 850 exhibit booths. Visit www.greenbuildexpo.org  for more information.   To view last year’s Greenbuild show, go to www.greenbuild365.org.


About the City of Boston

The City of Boston has recently implemented a number of sustainability initiatives under Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s leadership, particularly in the areas of green building policy, renewable energy and efficiency, and groundwater protection.  In January of 2007, Boston became the first major city in the nation to require private development to follow the US Green Building Council’s LEED standards as part of the City’s zoning review process.  Boston has also been recognized by the US EPA as the largest municipal purchaser of green power and biodiesel fuel in New England.  This commitment to sound environmental and energy practices has led to the City of Boston being ranked the “3rd Greenest City in North America” by Popular Science Magazine.  Visit www.cityofboston.gov/environmentalandenergy for more information.