Architects of Change

The AIA show last month in L.A. was bigger and greener than ever before

By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 7/3/2006

Los Angeles—Buildings are the biggest source of emissions and energy consumption world-wide, according to the American Institute of Architects, a group that is fervently promoting environmental responsibility in virtually every aspect of its AIA Natl. Convention & Design Exposition.

The convention and trade-show last month at the Los Angeles Convention Center emphasized green building and sustainability more than ever, and its 2007 event in San Antonio will surely top that with a theme of "Growing Beyond Green."

Christopher Gribbs, senior director, convention, for AIA Conventions & Meetings, said AIA leaders decided to up the show's green ante after they conducted an environmental audit following the 2005 show in Las Vegas. The group realized there were numerous opportunities to incorporate environmentally sustainable principles into the show.

"It's something we've never done before," Gribbs said of the audit. "There's a lot of waste (from tradeshows)."

Stephen Varraso, group show director for M|C Communications (which has managed the show for AIA since 1995), added, "Especially in the span of a week."

Jerry K. Roller, an AIA board vice president and senior principal of J.K. Roller Architects in Philadelphia, said the 78,000-member AIA has an obligation to involve green efforts in its show.

"We have a real serious opportunity to affect the world," Roller said.

One green effort AIA made at the June 8–10 event (its 138th annual convention) was to print placards on recyclable cardboard instead of foam board. Instead of sending show marketing materials to "everybody," the group this year targeted specific audiences to minimize waste, Gribbs said. Print material AIA sent out was mostly made of recycled paper, which "comes at a higher cost, but one we're willing to pay right now," he said.

Additionally, the association asked show participants to recycle their badge holders, turn off lights and air conditioners when not in their hotel rooms, and support hotels' conservation efforts by reusing towels and linens. It also suggested that attendees ask exhibitors to send them information electronically, instead of picking up materials at booths.

Los Angeles groups and service providers — including the hotels, convention center and convention and visitors bureau — were also on AIA's green bandwagon.

"We're involved from start to finish," said Michael Krouse, vice president of convention sales for L.A. Inc., the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Los Angeles AIA chapter inserted in exhibitor manuals a map of green restaurants and hotels in the area. Of the convention's 100-plus professional tours of L.A. sites, offices and architects' homes, 20 percent were related to green design, and many continuing education seminars were environmentally focused.

Show organizers encouraged participants to take public transportation — which, in Los Angeles, is at least somewhat green too.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority operates the largest compressed natural gas bus fleet in the country, according to L.A. Inc. The authority has nearly 2,000 buses (80 percent of its fleet) running on CNG.

And the L.A. Convention Center has several green programs, including:

• Additional receptacles for bottles and cans and education for cleaning contractors and center staff, thanks to an $80,000 grant from the California Department of Conservation.
• Transferring materials disposed of after shows to material recovery facilities. There, about 80 percent of the waste, mostly construction and demolition materials, is recycled.
• Diverting food waste from the food services division to agencies and groups that can redistribute it.
• A solar energy project (completed in 2001) with 3,400 solar panels that can supply 15 percent of the South Hall's energy needs. According to L.A. Inc., it is the largest installation of its kind in the city and LACC is the largest solar energy generating convention center in North America.

As it looks at locations for future meetings, along with evaluating the usual criteria (a city's architectural offerings, dates, exhibit and meeting space, hotel availability and venue proximity) Gribbs said the AIA and M|C are asking "How green is the city?" and are taking a "layered evaluation" (the commitment of the city, convention center, hotels, off-site venues and service providers) of the city's green level.

The AIA will audit its show's green practices again in 2007.

Coincidentally, during the convention, the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously approved a resolution to adopt the 2030 Challenge for All Buildings. The resolution was prompted by an AIA position statement that calls for the immediate energy reduction of all new and renovated buildings to one-half the national average for that building type, with increased reductions of 10 percent every five years so that, by 2030, no new building will use fossil fuel energy.

The June AIA show spanned 197,700 net square feet with 847 exhibiting companies and attracted a record 24,860 registrants. According to L.A. Inc., the economic impact of the show was roughly $11.5 million for more than 20,000 room nights. The show was last in L.A. in 1994.

The 2005 AIA event, ranked No. 142 on the TSW 200, spanned 193,600 sq. ft. with 868 exhibiting companies and 24,444 registrants.

The show's growth in exhibit space and attendees has prompted the AIA to "expand everywhere we can," Gribbs said, including larger exhibit halls and more hotel rooms, tours, events and special parties. For example, the group sold 3,500 tour tickets last year. This year, more than 6,000 tickets were sold.

"We bring more operations staff; there are more staff than ever before," he added.

However, Varraso said, in order to maintain a positive experience for attendees, the convention staff tries to keep the show size manageable. This year, exhibitors on the show's wait list wanted about 20,000 sq. ft.

The 2007 AIA convention, scheduled May 3–5, is mapped out at about 198,000 sq. ft. at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Varraso said. "We'll be there in a big way," he added.

During next year's convention, the AIA San Antonio chapter will spearhead "Green 150," a citywide initiative to plant 150 trees throughout the city in honor of AIA's 150th anniversary as an association.