Environmental Design + Construction - January 2009 - (Page 58)

SPOTLIGHT U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL It’s Time to Take the Revolution to Main Street. By Kimberly Lewis, Vice President, Conferences & Events, U.S. Green Building Council It’s official: The revolution is in full swing. Every day since I’ve returned from Boston, as I attempt to catch up on sleep and the fresh thrill of Greenbuild 2008 gradually gives way to reflection and an eye toward next year, the magnitude of what we have just achieved sinks in a little more. “Revolutionary Green” truly was an apt theme for our Boston adventure. When we started Greenbuild in Austin in 2002, there were barely more than 4,000 of us there. The seeds of change were being planted, but it was clearly a movement in its formative years. This year, our soaring numbers just tell part of the story – but it’s a big part: ■ 28,224 registered attendees ■ From all 50 states ■ From 85 countries ■ From six continents ■ 25 percent increase over Greenbuild 2007 ■ 807 exhibitors in about 145,000 square feet of exhibit space ■ 68 percent more exhibitors than last year ■ 62 percent more square footage That really says something about our movement. That you care enough to be part of this essential transformation of the built environment – even though times are tough and organizations in all industries are cutting back – is a testament to your foresight and a harbinger of big changes to come. But now comes the next step – and the next step is always the hardest. As we bask in the inspiration still so fresh in our minds from Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s stirring words of inspiration and hope, we cannot be content to have been so moved. We must now convert that resolve into measurable, meaningful change. As we revel in being part of a movement that can draw 28,000-plus people together in tough economic times, we cannot sit smugly by, self-satisfied in our remarkable growth. We must make this a movement that embraces, and is embraced by, absolutely everyone. We must bring green to everyone, and everyone to green. Next year, Greenbuild heads to Phoenix, to the American Southwest, a region with unique environmental and social challenges and opportunities. Greenbuild 2009, with its theme of “Main Street Green: Connect to the Conversation,” makes clear the imperative: Green building can and must come home to all people, boosting the quality of life on main streets across the country and around the world. That is our task now. I can’t wait to see you in Phoenix next year and to hear your stories of how you’ve been doing just that. 58 ed+c J A N UA R Y 09

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Environmental Design + Construction - January 2009

Environmental Design + Construction - January 2009 Contents Web TOC Editor's Note Newsline New + Notable Civic Responsibility Readers’ Choice Awards Success Story 2009 Manufacturer Spotlights Feeling Right at Home Marketplace + Classifieds Advertiser's Index Parting Shot

Environmental Design + Construction - January 2009

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