Building on each other

In about a month, the greatest one-city, one-year confluence of green-building events ever (ever!) will culminate when GreenBuild, the annual trade show of the US Green Building Council, comes to Boston.

As if to underscore the confluence, highlighted by the American Institute of Architects' national convention in May and the annual NESEA show in March, the three-day show will overlap with BuildBoston, a regional show put on annually by the Boston Society of Architects.

BuildBoston, now in its 24th year, will be Nov. 18-20 at the Seaport World Trade Center. GreenBuild will be at the big house a couple of blocks away, the Boston Convention and Exposition Center, Nov. 19-21.

For attendees, it is a potential boon. A BSA spokeswoman, Lisa Quackenbush, says the organizations "are partnering to offer attendees of one show free registration for the other show’s exhibit hall." Each will have a registration counter at the other's event, too.

But the overlap is also a drawback. BuildBoston, and its spring cousin, ResDesign, are very rich combinations of trade show and seminars, not to mention great opportunities to meet like-minded people.

I expect GreenBuild to be the same in overdrive, considering that the audience is worldwide, and that 25,000 people are expected, compared with 16,000 for BuildBoston.

Even when it's just BuildBoston, one has to decide which seminars to attend — and which to forgo — in each time slot, and now the competition will be even more intense.

The week is gonna be a good thing, but might also be too much of a good thing.


Author and wellness innovator Michael Prager helps smart companies
make investments in employee wellbeing that pay off in corporate success.
Video | Services | Clients