by Brianna Crandall — May 27, 2013—Hanley Wood, a premier media, event, information and strategic marketing services company serving the construction industry, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) , developers of the LEED building rating system, announced on May 23 a strategic partnership whereby Hanley Wood has acquired the USGBC’s major sustainable building event, the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.
USGBC will continue to produce Greenbuild’s hallmark programming: the thought-provoking plenaries, industry-leading education, the popular pre-conference sector summits, the USGBC Leadership Awards, and other special events that make Greenbuild a leading conference and expo for the green building movement. Hanley Wood’s expertise in exhibition and conference management along with its media, information and strategic marketing services will enable Greenbuild to expand to its next level domestically and to help position the brand globally.
Greenbuild is reportedly the largest global event dedicated to green building, with over 900 exhibiting companies, 171,000 net square feet, and 30,000 attendees. This year’s conference—to be held November 20-22 in Philadelphia—marks the 12th anniversary of Greenbuild, and the 20th anniversary of USGBC.
“The U.S. Green Building Council has established Greenbuild as the must-attend event in the sustainable construction industry, making this acquisition a natural fit for Hanley Wood,” said Peter Goldstone, CEO of Hanley Wood. “Greenbuild is a powerful community driven by a passion for creating a socially responsible and healthy environment that improves our quality of life. We are excited to partner with USGBC and advance the community’s mission by growing this important and globally significant event.”
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for USGBC and the green building movement,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of USGBC. “Through Hanley Wood’s commitment to Greenbuild, USGBC can now accelerate investment in our core mission. One of the reasons we chose to partner with Hanley Wood is because of their commitment to maintain and build upon those essential qualities of Greenbuild that make it such a unique experience. This partnership creates an opportunity for us and our members to expand the green building marketplace, broaden our influence on green building policy, enhance the tools that improve building performance, increase our focus on human health and social equity, and put an emphasis on new and existing homes.”
The USGBC Web site offers a “Message from Rick Fedrizzi: Greenbuild Goes Global ,” which explains more of the reasoning behind the move.
