Greenbuild Sustainability

by Jonathan McGaha | October 19, 2014 12:00 am

The 2014 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo[1] is just around the corner, October 22-24 in New Orleans. Earlier this summer, Hanley Wood[2] and the U.S. Green Building Council[3] (USGBC) released the 2013 Greenbuild Sustainability Report[4], which highlighted valuable metrics regarding the impact on energy use and waste management during the 2013 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo last year in Philadelphia.

The show resulted in 115,875 pounds of trash, 3,559 gallons of fuel used for shuttles and 26,655 square feet of signage. It also led to 4,592 pounds of food donated locally, engagement with 25 hotels on sustainability practices and one new adventure playground for Philadelphia’s youth.

The report details the sustainability programs that were implemented last year through a review of objectives, goals and best practices. Case studies provide an overview of the processes used to implement innovative new projects, including exhibitor engagement and a redesigned process for sourcing materials and resources required for the event in a responsible manner.

“Hanley Wood and USGBC are committed to creating an amazing experience for attendees and exhibitors at Greenbuild,” noted Peter Goldstone, CEO of Hanley Wood. “Sustainable and responsible management in the planning and operations of the event is a major element of the Greenbuild brand. Our goal is to continue to lead the industry in making it a top priority.”

“We have an established record of integrating sustainability into every aspect of planning for Greenbuild to reduce our impact while creating a powerful experience for attendees and creating change within the industry,” said Kate Hurst, Director, Greenbuild Conference and Events for USGBC. “The Greenbuild Sustainability Report highlights both our successes and challenges, and is utilized to spread best practices and help our industry peers learn from our experience.”

There were seven sustainability objectives for Greenbuild, which the report reviews. Some highlights include:

• Waste: Hanley Wood and USGBC helped the Pennsylvania Convention Center alter its waste management strategy, increasing its rate of waste diversion from landfills from 10 percent to 67 percent during the week of the 2013 Greenbuild Conference and Expo.

• Energy: To reduce energy use, all laptops and projectors used for 120 education sessions were EPA Energy Star certified. All carbon emissions caused by Greenbuild, including attendee travel, were offset through the purchase of carbon credits.

• Stakeholder Engagement: The report includes a case study on implementing the Greenbuild Mandatory Exhibition Greening Guidelines (GMEGG), one of the industry’s largest exhibitor sustainability programs. The GMEGG requires exhibitors to comply with mandatory greening requirements ranging from limiting handouts to using energy-efficient displays.

• Sourcing: The City of Philadelphia’s many sustainability initiatives made it a fitting host for Greenbuild 2013, from its progressive energy and water benchmarking laws to the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s LEED Gold expansion building.

• Community: Hanley Wood and USGBC partnered with the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, Smith Memorial Playground and Public Workshop on the 2013 Greenbuild Legacy Project to create a youth-built “Adventure Playground” at Smith’s historic facility in East Fairmount Park.

• Leadership: Hanley Wood and USGBC also worked with the Delaware Valley Green Building Council to engage, educate and support the Philadelphia hospitality community in compliance with new energy and water benchmarking and reporting regulations in Philadelphia.

The 2013 Greenbuild Sustainability Report can be downloaded here[5].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/blog/greenbuild-sustainability/

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