Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, to be held at the Georgia World Congress Center Nov. 9-11, will promote companies using environmentally friendly building practices and attract delegates from 24 countries, said Nancy Rogers, spokesperson for the event, who is in charge of welcoming international visitors.
The two-day conference, which is to bring architects, contractors, educators, urban planners and other building industry professionals from all over the world to Atlanta, has been organized by the U.S. Green Building Council. The council is a 10-year-old non-profit association of public and private organizations that promotes energy-efficient, environmentally friendly building techniques throughout the United States.
One of the conference’s keynote speakers, Ray Anderson, who founded the Atlanta-based carpeting company, Interface Inc., told GlobalAtlanta that when he addressed a U.S. Green Building Council conference in 1995, there were only 135 people in attendance. This year, conference organizers expect to see some 10,000 people at the Greenbuild conference.
“Attendance to this conference has had an explosive growth pattern, and it is only a microcosm of what is happening in the business and environmental movement worldwide,” Mr. Anderson said.
Green building practices involve designing, constructing, operating and maintaining a building and its site according to environmentally friendly, energy-efficient standards that reduce the potential for negative impacts on an individual’s health and the environment.
More than 500 companies are expected to participate at this year’s Greenbuild conference, and delegates from all over the world are expected to attend. Canada is to lead the international representation with an expected 220 individuals attending, Ms. Rogers said.
Vancouver, British Columbia-based EcoSmart Foundation will showcase its “sustainable condo” at the conference, which employs 50 of the latest green building technologies. A traveling example of a green-built living environment, the condo will offer its visitors natural ventilation and daylight, non-toxic fabrics made from hemp and cotton and energy and water-saving appliances, including an energy-efficient refrigerator, washer, dryer and toilet.
Quebec-based insulated concrete company, ICForm Inc., which produces and distributes its brand name Nudura in Columbus, Ga., is also expected to be at the conference. The Canadian Consulate in Atlanta is hosting a booth during the two-day expo, as well, William Stoltz, business development manager at the consulate, told GlobalAtlanta.
China is also expected to have sizeable representation at the conference, with some 50 delegates scheduled to attend, Ms. Rogers said. Other participating countries include Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Venezuela, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
In addition to Mr. Anderson, other keynote speakers include Paul Hawkin, author of the books Ecology of Commerce and Natural Capitalism, and Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.
For more information on the conference, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org. Contact Mr. Stoltz at (404) 532-2017. Visit Interface’s Website at www.interfaceinc.com.