Recently, Informa Connect, a division of Informa plc, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is moving its 2020 event to an all-virtual format with expanded education and sourcing opportunities as part of a wider strategy to meet both immediate and long-term market needs. In addition to the Digital Education Series launched earlier this year, Greenbuild is adding three virtual summits preceding a three-day virtual capstone event taking place November 10 – 12 to better serve evolving customer needs.
“In simplest terms, our goal for 2020 and beyond is about proactively doing what’s right for our customers and the industry. We’re excited for the journey ahead,” said Sherida Sessa, Greenbuild Brand Director. “We’ve seen strong customer engagement with our recent digital education series. This strategy builds on that momentum and further expands Greenbuild’s value in new, safe, sustainable ways without geographic boundaries. Our industry can connect in real time or any time. And when we reintroduce in-person events in the future, they will be driven by the voice of our customers, be produced to meet the highest sustainability standards and complement our digital offerings.”
The change broadens Greenbuild’s education offerings to include more advanced green building courses and sessions on high-demand topics such as social equity, materials, circular economy, health and wellness, resilience, corporate social responsibility and more. This year’s virtual experience will also include three powerful summits focused on some of the most critical challenges the industry faces. This year’s summits are Green Business, Global Health & Wellness and Resilience. Summits are currently targeted to take place between September and October; exact dates are expected to be announced soon. With the multi-event, virtual format Greenbuild customers can now participate in all three Summits as well as the capstone event in November.
“This year’s reimagined Greenbuild experience will bring leaders together to share and explore new ways sustainable design, construction, and operations can enable better buildings and better lives,” said Kim Heavner, Vice President of Conferences and Events at USGBC. “We look forward to sharing updates on USGBC initiatives such as LEED v4.1, LEED Positive, LEED Zero and expanding on our new post-pandemic ‘healthy people in healthy places equals a healthy economy’ strategy.”
The Greenbuild virtual events widen the array of learning, sourcing, and thought-leader access customers have come to expect from the physical event, and include:
- Interactive and collaborative education sessions offered live and on-demand, curated by market leaders and satisfying continuing education (CE) credits for AIA and GBCI credential renewal
- A virtual sourcing platform to provide suppliers with opportunities to generate leads, interact with buyers and share market insights before, during and after the live event
- Inspirational, future-focused keynotes from high-profile voices
- Variety of peer networking and industry recognition events
The new Greenbuild 2020 strategy introduces a variety of high-value lead generation and peer connection opportunities for suppliers and has already been met positively by major partners.
“Greenbuild represents a leading forum of ideas and discussion on the key topics shaping the building industry and our shared focus on more sustainable and resilient design, materials and practices,” said Jeff Terry, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability at GAF. “At GAF, we are committed to supporting Greenbuild 2020 in a new and virtual environment, joining in the dialogue that helps explore and drive many of the new opportunities and trends affecting the residential and commercial building sectors.”
Detailed information for each event experience, including the expanded education program and ticket options, are being finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks.
Companies interested in virtual exhibition or sponsorship opportunities should contact Jeff Stasko, Sales Director at jeffrey.stasko@informa.com or +1. 917.608.9294.
Individuals interested in receiving the latest updates as more 2020 details are announced should visit www.greenbuildexpo.com or contact the event team at info@greenbuildexpo.com.
