Aside from the long lines at registration, the 2007 Greenbuild Conference & Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org) in Chicago, Nov. 6-9, was a huge success. More than 22,000 people were drawn to the event, which featured a keynote from former President Bill Clinton and several outstanding speakers, numerous educational sessions and product launches, and more than 850 exhibitors.

ED+C’s Learn Green + Earn Green contest was another huge success, offering a chance to win $20 instantly simply by asking “How does your product contribute to LEED?” at participating sponsor booths. Tove Anderson, Hickok Cole, Washington D.C., visited all participating booths and won a Solio solar iPod charger and iPod through our drawing.

Our staff party-hopped at a variety of events, including some sponsored by Siemens, Johnson Controls and the FSC. We hosted a sensational Sustainable Facility launch party on Tuesday evening and joined Greenguard as a media sponsor of its annual Pub Night party on Wednesday.

Below, you will find some of the newsworthy announcements and innovative products we discovered at this year’s event. We hope to see you next year in Boston.

USGBC News

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced several major news items, updates and innovations:

The 2007 Leadership Awards Recognized:

• Community: LEED faculty member Gail Linsey from Design Harmony.
• Education: The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, a LEED-Platinum building.
•  LEED: Rob Harris, Chief of the Engineering Division of the Directorate of Public Works, Ft. Bragg, N.C.
• Organization Excellence: David Eisenberg and the Development Center for Appropriate Technology.
• Research: KieranTimberlake Associates.
• Advocacy: Ashok Gupta, Director, Air & Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council.

New Websites:

• An updated website, www.usgbc.org, was unveiled.
• With support from Newland Communities, the USGBC has launched the Green Home Guide, www.greenhomeguide.org.
• The new learning portal, www.greenbuild365.org, offers free, live streaming videos, including the conference’s keynote and master speakers, courtesy of founding sponsor United Technologies.
• The USGBC and the City of Seattle convened with 20 partners to launch The Green Playbook for Green Buildings and Neighborhoods, www.greenplaybook.org, a Web-based resource that provides strategies, tips, and tools for cities and counties to take immediate action on climate change.

Former President Bill Clinton Announced Several New Energy Efficiency Partnerships:

• The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) will partner with the City of Chicago to enable a green overhaul of privately-owned housing around the city, as well as the Sears Tower and the Merchandise Mart.
• CCI will partner with GE Real Estate to identify and implement building retrofit projects across GE Real Estate’s global portfolio.
• Along with the USGBC and the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), CCI will create a Green Schools Program to retrofit schools and universities across America.

USGBC Announced the Results of the Election for its 2008 Board of Directors:

• Anthony Bernheim, Principal, Sustainable Design Solutions, HDR Architecture, Inc., elected to the At-Large seat;
• Elizabeth Whalen, Director of Corporate Sustainability, Columbia Forest Products, representing Building Product Manufacturers;
• Elizabeth J. Heider, Senior Vice President, Skanska USA Building Inc., elected in the Contractors/Builders category;
• Dennis Maloskey, Director, Sustainable Engineering & Development, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania — Governor’s Green Government Council, representing State and Local Governments.
• Reappointed Charles Allen, Eric Clifton, and Don Horn.
• Re-elected Mick Dalrymple, and Ted van der Linden.

Research, Partnerships

• The USGBC Research Committee announced its National Green Building Research Agenda, which identifies key research areas for advancing building performance and market transformation.
• The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and USGBC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides an open exchange of information regarding green building and maintenance practices during the entire facility life cycle.