Excitement and buzz are building as the final preparations take place for the 2014 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, scheduled for Oct. 22-24 at the Morial Convention Center.


“Hanley Wood Exhibitions has a long history of producing successful events in New Orleans, and we are thrilled to bring Greenbuild to the Crescent City,” said Lindsay Roberts, Greenbuild show director. “The city is always a popular destination with our audience. We’re looking forward to celebrating the progress New Orleans has made in the sustainable building movement.”



Greenbuild, owned and operated by Hanley Wood and sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the nation’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building design and construction. The three-day conference, aptly themed ‘Leadership Jazz’ for 2014, attracts 23,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors annually from across the green building sector, spanning commercial and residential professionals, architects, building owners and operators, students, advocates and educators.



“Greenbuild has been the premier convener of the green building movement for more than a decade, and it continues to grow and diversify,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “This year, we’ve created a world stage in New Orleans for two interrelated subjects – resilience and climate change — in a city that demonstrates the powerful force of human resilience every day as it rebuilds in ways that protect and showcase its dynamic cultural background. It’s the perfect city to host this year’s conference.” 



Among the highlights of this year’s event is the Opening Plenary and Greenbuild Celebration. The evening, which concludes the first expo hall day on Wednesday, Oct. 22, begins with renowned author and environmentalist Paul Hawken. The event will end with the rock ‘n’ roll tunes of Alabama Shakes.



The week of Greenbuild will feature more than 240 education sessions, LEED workshops, summits, expo education sessions and tours of notable areas in New Orleans. The expo hall boasts on-floor education and five dedicated product pavilions, including a smart grid pavilion powered by alternative energy. The show will also feature a net-zero electricity demonstration home that will be open for tours. The home will be donated to Brad Pitt’s foundation, Make It Right, after the event.



Noted author and New York Times columnist David Brooks will deliver the Closing Plenary presentation on Friday, Oct. 24.



Registration, schedule and event details are available for members of the sustainable building community online at www.greenbuildexpo.com.