September 12, 2008

West Coast Green to champion green innovation at San Jose conference

As energy continues its starring role as the defining issue of our day for Silicon Valley businesses and beyond, the worlds of energy-efficient green building and cleantech innovation are coming closer together.

West Coast Green, the nation’s largest green building, business and design conference is connecting these issues at the upcoming conference and expo Sept. 25-27, at the San Jose Convention Center.

Former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Al Gore is the keynote speaker at the West Coast Green Conference. He is expected to discuss the need for the building industry to “green” itself, and the important role that architects, engineers and homeowners play in this shift.

Former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Al Gore is giving the keynote address. He is expected to discuss the need for the building industry to “green” itself, and the important role that architects, engineers and homeowners play in this shift.  Gore’s personal story of dedicating his career to the environmental movement is also an inspiring message, empowering individuals to create unstoppable contagious positive change.

Other West Coast Green keynote speakers include the Mayor Chuck Reed who will discuss the San Jose Green Vision on Thursday, Sept. 25 from 9:30-11:30 am. Reed’s 10 ambitious goals guiding green building efforts in San Jose over the next 15 years include a commitment to obtain all electrical power from clean renewable sources and a mission to make the political process more accessible to the general public.

Joining Gore and Reed are some of the biggest names in green building and design thinking: David Suzuki, award-winning biologist and broadcaster; Sarah Susanka, bestselling author and architect; and Hunter Lovins, international consultant, professor and author. More than 200 experts and visionary leaders will be presenting their latest developments, insights and inspiration at the expanding frontiers of the field.

West Coast Green’s move to Silicon Valley from San Francisco was inspired by this shift. To champion the emerging solutions-based innovations and building materials being developed, West Coast Green has devoted space on the tradeshow floor to an “Innovation Pipeline” exhibit, featuring more than 50 of the market’s most revolutionary resource-efficient products, and some that have yet to break out of beta. Space will also be carved out to connect selected entrepreneurs to investors where they will have an opportunity to present one-minute elevator pitches and get critical feedback. Venture and angel investors will host a session for entrepreneurs describing what they’re looking for in the space.

Attending business owners at West Coast Green also will benefit from presentations on how to expand a business by incorporating green, how to improve the bottom line, what consumers are willing to pay based on the latest reports and information on consumer desires and trends and insight into what is leading behavior change in terms of green products.

The organizers behind West Coast Green understand the value of creating a network with a common goal of reducing the environmental impacts of building by adopting new technologies. At the heart of West Coast Green, is a commitment to revolutionize the way people build and live in their homes and offices by realigning with the natural world.