by kevin, on November 3rd, 2009
The 2009 Greenbuild Expo is just one week away. Building on posts from the past few weeks, here’s some of what we’re working on and interested in:
Interviews & Conversations: If you haven’t attended Greenbuild before, be prepared for a large exhibit floor. In the past, my strategy has normally been a quick random sweep of everything by rushing up and down every aisle. Not only did that tend to wear me out quickly but it was a terrible waste of time. This year, and I recommend this for everyone, I’ve picked out an A, B, and C list of exhibitors I would like to see or chat with. I’ve reached out to them all ahead of time and arranged meetings. You don’t need to go that far, but you should map them out and have a strategy for getting in and out as quick as possible. Nothing taps your energy more than wandering around aimlessly on a concrete floor hoping to find something surprising. Allow some time for serendipitous discoveries, but don’t feel compelled to see every inch of the floor.
Conference Sessions: Every conference has a theme, but after attending nearly thirty events a year I’ve noticed that themes tend to be skin deep. I can’t think of a conference I’ve been to in the past five years where a theme was reinforced and supported by more than a few educational sessions. For this year’s Greenbuild it’s Main Street Green – Connect to the Conversation. For starters, I’m not entirely sure I know what that means. Let’s assume it has something to do with bringing green building design to the mainstream. During the economic melt down a year ago I quickly grew weary of Main Street vs. Wall Street comparisons, but I think the theme could still have some gas left.
All sessions are organized into these topics: Models, Metrics & Methods; People Power; Responsibly and Affordably Green; Systems and Strategies; The Federal Effect; Earth and Water; LEEDing and Learning; Material Impact; Reducing the Load; Owning and Operating; Proactive Communities – Making it Happen; Existing Buildings – Stretching What We Have; Learning Spaces; Getting it Built; To Your Health; and The Business Case. A cursory glance of the event grid suggests the sessions are well matched to the topics and the topics relate to the theme in some way. As an example, in the Earth and Water topic there are sessions such as: Getting the Waste out of Water and the Water out of Waste; Desert/Urban: Where the Mountain Meets the Desert City; Water Resource Use and Green Design; and others. There’s a good mix of subjects to cover all stakeholders and every possible attendee background interest.
Last week I listed the sessions I plan to attend, and the week before I listed the sessions Aleida will be attending. Our lists are an eclectic mix of issues I think will cover many issues of interest. Like all conferences there are bound to be duds (I attended several yawners last year) and real standouts. In previous years, the session you least expect will be the one that blows you away. So it’s difficult to recommend for anyone what will really resonate. A session last year about blogging green topics was an excellent surprise.
I’ve never been to the Phoenix Convention Center. The expo has gotten exponentially bigger each year necessitating larger facilities, so I’m assuming the PHX CC will be a sprawling complex. In Boston last year it was difficult to get every agenda item done. I have to admit I was lured away by the city too many times. I like Boston, don’t get there often, and have many friends and clients who live there. Since I’ve been to Phoenix so many times before I’m more likely to stay close to downtown and more focused on events at the convention center.
For anyone attending their first Greenbuild, be prepared to walk briskly from one side of the building to another as you rush between sessions. Don’t try to do too much, because there is too much. That’s a reality. Instead, manage your time at a pace appropriate for you and accomplish as much as you can without running yourself into the ground. And there will always be something amazing going on at the same time you’ve chosen to attend a certain session. Get comfortable with that, there’s always something cool happening somewhere.
Book Preview: Mr. Gore’s book, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis, goes live today. I was hopeful that my connections within one of his organizations would put me in a position to get an advance copy, but I’ve gotten no response from them. So I’m going to write this one off. I was hoping to at least report today that I had a copy on my Kindle ready to go, but for some reason the book is not available in digital form. I find that very strange since it’s intended to be a follow up to An Inconvenient Truth and focus on solutions. Printing only soft cover versions is an odd way to get that word out. Maybe a Kindle version will be available later.
LA to Phoenix: In a comment posted to greenbuild 2009 preview 3, someone reminded that there are a number of excellent samples of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work – in particular his home Taliesin West. I think a visit is well worth the time if you can find the time. And get a drink at the patio bar at the Arizona Biltmore in the late afternoon, or stay in the area through the weekend and do the Sunday brunch. I suppose I forgot to mention his work because I’ve spent a lot of time in Phoenix in the past and have been to all his projects there.
I’ll post another preview next week and then once a day during the conference. Let me know if there’s anything you want me to check out on the exhibit floor that I haven’t yet mentioned.