Hanley Wood and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) have announced the results of the 2014 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, held Oct. 22-24, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Attendance at the event totaled 17,507, with 552 exhibiting companies participating in 142,000 sf of exhibit and display space on the trade show floor.

Greenbuild featured more than 240 sessions, tours, summits and workshops in the robust education program and throughout the week, with many sold out sessions. Throughout the course of the week an impressive 37,250 hours of continuing education credits were earned at Greenbuild.

Several high-level speakers proved to be a huge draw within the education lineup, including:
• Dr. Deepak Chopra, a pioneer and global leader in the mind-body medicine field
• Rear Admiral  Boris Lushniak, Acting U.S. Surgeon General
• New Orleans Mayor Mitchell Landrieu

“Every year, we strive to bring world-class education and programming to the green building community and maintain the standards that make Greenbuild the most sustainable building conference in the world,” said Kate Hurst, director of conferences and events, USGBC. “With more than 240 education sessions, every member of the green building community had an opportunity to focus on topics that mattered to them at this year’s show.”

Greenbuild 2014 featured several key events, including:
• The Opening Plenary & Celebration on Oct. 22, held on the field at the Superdome featured an engaging and entertaining discussion with philanthropist Tom Steyer, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and moderator Paul Hawken. The celebration included a special appearance by Ivan Neville and ended with a concert featuring Alabama Shakes
• The Closing Plenary featured dynamic best-selling author David Brooks, who  brought the house to its feet on Oct. 24
• The USGBC Leadership Awards Luncheon, which annually recognizes outstanding efforts to advance green building design and construction
• The LEED Certification Work Zone, where participants could get one-on-one advice about their LEED projects from LEED reviewers
• TalentFX, a place for millennials to gather for career building skills
• The Women in Green Power Breakfast, which celebrated females who are actively making a difference in sustainability
• The Greenbuild Film Festival, which showcased films, international videos and documentaries that promote the advancement of the green movement

“At the heart of all activities that took place during Greenbuild, sustainability remained at the forefront of this year’s event and each participant walked away with fresh motivation and inspiration, equipped with the most cutting-edge knowledge in the market,” noted Lindsay Roberts, Greenbuild show director. “

Attendees also spent significant time during the week exploring and enjoying the magic of the Crescent City. USGBC Louisiana, the official host chapter of Greenbuild 2014, hosted 16 tours throughout the week, exploring natural wonders, historical landmarks and resiliency in the Lower 9th Ward.

The expo hall again showcased the leading products and services available to professionals within the sustainable building industry and had several notable areas, including:
• The Greenbuild LivingHome, the first modular home built to LEED v4 Platinum standards that was donated to Make It Right and the Lower 9th Ward
• The world’s first Net Zero Zone, a 1,500 square foot pavilion powered by solar panels located on Level 2 of the Morial Convention Center
• Two Expo Stages that hosted relevant and engaging sessions complimentary to all attendees 
• Nine sponsored Education Labs with CE accredited education on the show floor
• An art display featuring mosaics made from recycled Mardi Gras beads.

Exhibit space sales for 2015 surged on-site with 325 exhibitors and 100,000 square feet already contracted for next year’s event, exceeding on-site renewals one year ago.

“New Orleans offers a very unique experience for Greenbuild that no other city in the nation can provide,” Roberts continued. “The southern hospitality, culture, history, music, food and spirit of the city perfectly captured the resilience and energy that continues to propel the green movement forward.”