This month, Greenbuild 09 will occupy much of downtown Phoenix, centered around the new, LEED-certified Phoenix Convention Center. The conference will kick off with keynote speaker Al Gore on Nov. 11 and continue through the 13th. While attendance has swelled since the conference started in 2002, peaking at 28,224 registrants in Boston last year, most analysts expect those numbers to drop off somewhat given the economy.
Organized by the national USGBC, Greenbuild also involves the local chapter to a large degree. “Greenbuild has been a galvanizing event for our USGBC chapter,” says Mark Wilhelm, chair of the Greenbuild Host Committee. “Several hundred volunteers have devoted thousands of hours to making this a memorable event for visitors, but Arizona stands to benefit most. As a result of Greenbuild, we believe the community will be more supportive than ever of adopting green building strategies for a sustainable future.”