GreenBuild 2017 Recap

Andrew Breiter-Wu, President of Breiter Planet Properties

A few weeks ago, the MA USGBC hosted the 2017 GreenBuild Conference and Expo here in Boston and it was absolutely incredible. I really love GreenBuild because it attracts amazing people, emits incredible energy through every square foot of conference space, and leaves a legacy in every city it comes to. The days were packed with early morning educational sessions to inspiring afternoon luncheons, and late night “receptions.” This was my fourth GreenBuild and this year it was located in my home city of Boston which gave me a different perspective than prior years.

Bringing GreenBuild to Boston took a year of planning and collaboration with the USGBC MA Chapter, USGBC National, Informa, and numerous other stakeholders and sponsors. This was the first time that I have helped in the planning and organizing of a conference of this magnitude and it was extraordinary to see everyone’s hard work come together and flawlessly blossom over the course of the week. In a recent press release from Informa,  it was stated that “The week-long events included an overall attendance of 24,731 and 703 exhibiting companies participating in 169,000 square feet of exhibit and display space on the trade show floor.” Great job team!

My role on the GreenBuild Host Committee was as the Co-Chair of the Volunteer Committee. Our committee was responsible for recruiting participants for the GreenBuild Volunteer Program who led the implementation of the waste diversion efforts of the conference. We did extensive outreach to colleges and professional organizations to inform them of the incredible benefits of Volunteering at GreenBuild, and managed to recruit over 365 volunteers. Once we reached the week of GreenBuild, our committee collaborated with USGBC employees in the implementation and operation of the volunteer program. Overall the volunteer program was a great success!

Being a part of the GreenBuild process definitely brought me closer to the USGBC MA Chapter and reaffirmed my long-term commitment to the incredible organization. I truly value the relationships that I have built through the GreenBuild planning process and that's the true legacy that I am leaving this year’s GreenBuild with.

Apart from the host committee perspective, the core GreenBuild program and expo was also incredible! I brought a few of my Breiter Planet Properties team members to the expo floor and developed some very valuable connections and partnerships. We also had the pleasure of hosting two impactful keynote speeches from both President Bill Clinton and Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. The unifying theme from their keynotes was to recognize the fact that collaboration is the only way humans and other species have been able to survive in this world for billions of years. This same theme can be applied to our everyday lives: As leaders of the green building movement, we can and will solve the social, economic, and political challenges we face from climate change through collaboration and innovation as a global society.

We are on to Chicago for GreenBuild 2018!

P.S. Keep an eye out for my green blazer ;)

You can find photos and my complete blog post here.