Green Building Symposium to Highlight the Benefits and Challenges of Sustainable 21st Century Construction

LOS ANGELES, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading innovators in green building and construction sustainability will headline the 2010 Sustainability in Construction Symposium to be held April 20, 2010 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. The Symposium, among the largest events for California's construction and design build professionals, is being hosted by the University of Southern California chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.

According to Symposium co-chair Asiri Perera, the event will present a wide range of topics to encourage companies to expand and embrace sustainable construction and business practices. "This year's event will bring together leading U.S. experts on the topic of sustainable development to educate and motivate Southern California's built environment professionals as well as government and elected officials on the latest trends, techniques, technologies, and materials in green building," Perera says.

Highlights include a keynote address by Thomas Smith, NBC Universal's senior vice president of West Coast real estate. Smith will accept the 2010 Visionary Award in recognition for NBC Universal's Evolution Plan, a long-term development strategy for the company's Universal City, Calif. property. The plan will utilize environmentally-sustainable practices while creating thousands of new jobs and pumping billions of dollars into the local economy. Mark Rios, founding principal of Rios Clementi Hale Studios will elaborate on the plan, enlightening guests on the design and architectural details. Bloom Energy Corp. will receive the 2010 Innovators Award for its revolutionary "Bloom Box," a collection of fuel cells which provide clean electricity to homes and businesses. An executive from Turner Construction will inform guests on the myriad new economic opportunities of the sustainability movement as well as green construction's impacts. Steve Watts, president of CSI Electrical Contractors, will conclude the program by discussing opportunities, risks and technologies in the bustling clean energy market.

To register for the 2010 Sustainability in Construction Symposium, go to www.2010greensymposium.com or call 877-990-2USC (2872).

About the 2010 Sustainability in Construction Symposium

The University of Southern California (USC) chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has provided an educational forum for the construction, design, architecture, contractor, and developer industries since 1994. Showcasing everything from transportation to sustainability, the USC AGC Construction Management Symposium attracts established environmental-sustainability professionals from across the region. The 16th Annual USC AGC Construction Management Symposium: Sustainability in Construction will occur during Earth Week on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.2010greensymposium.com.

SOURCE Sustainability in Construction Symposium