William McMahon is back from Philadelphia and ready to share his experience about the annual Greenbuild Conference and Expo.
This October, we featured a story on recent Patel College of Global Sustainability (PCGS) graduate, William McMahon. Facilitated through PCGS, McMahon was awarded a full scholarship to attend the annual U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Greenbuild International Conference and Expo for Greenbuild 2024. The events, held from November 12th to 15th, provided conference-goers the opportunity to explore every aspect of the Expo. Following the conference, McMahon eagerly shared his experiences and insights into the world of sustainability.
The conference took place at the Philadelphia Convention Center, which spans over four city blocks. Throughout the event, multiple sessions and workshops ran simultaneously, allowing attendees to tailor their experience to their interests. Occasionally, specific sessions extended over longer timeframes, highlighting their importance. The conference began with a welcoming session hosted by Sarah Zaleski, Chief Products Officer of the USGBC, on Tuesday, November 12th.
After the opening session, McMahon attended the 鈥淪ustainable Finance in the Built Environment鈥� session, where he gained insights on green building certifications, embedding the triple bottom line in design, and affordable decarbonization in multifamily buildings, among other topics. Other notable sessions included discussions on decarbonizing the built environment, achieving energy savings, occupant wellness with evidence-based design, and Phius passive house certifications.
Many notable keynote speakers presented at this event, including futurist Ari Wallach, who closed out Greenbuild by reimagining the concept of 鈥渢he future鈥� as a tangible and actionable goal. Wallach provided empowering advice on connecting to one's future self. In addition to learning opportunities, the conference included leisure activities like morning yoga, happy hours, and the Greenbuild Gala at The Franklin Institute, creating a well-rounded experience for attendees.
McMahon鈥檚 key takeaway from the event was realizing the vastness and diversity of the sustainability field. He emphasized the many ways sustainability principles can be applied to the environment. According to McMahon, professionals worldwide are collaborating to create a greener future, and Greenbuild serves as a vital platform for exchanging ideas and fostering innovation in sustainable projects.
Networking was McMahon鈥檚 favorite part of Greenbuild. He forged new friendships and connected with fellow scholarship students from around the globe, finding opportunities to relate what he learned to other professionals in the industry. Despite the overwhelming influx of new information, McMahon stayed motivated, using the experience to deepen his passion for sustainability.
McMahon credited his education at PCGS for preparing him to engage with complex topics discussed at the conference. One key concept he highlighted was the 鈥渢riple bottom line,鈥� a framework measuring businesses鈥� social, environmental, and economic impacts鈥攐ften summarized as 鈥淧eople, Planet, Profit.鈥� This principle, deeply explored at Greenbuild, resonated with his PCGS education and reinforced its relevance.
鈥淥ur large planet felt smaller simply through knowing that these professionals are employing the very same sustainability principles we do at Patel College.鈥� - William McMahon.
McMahon strongly recommends the Greenbuild Conference to other PCGS students and graduates. He described the workshops and sessions as highly technical and particularly valuable for those interested in architecture, engineering, and interior design. However, he believes any PCGS student can gain insights from the conference, learning how sustainability professionals work together and understanding the field鈥檚 breadth.
Looking ahead, McMahon plans to attend Greenbuild again and encourages others to seize similar opportunities. Next year鈥檚 conference is scheduled for November 4th-7th in Los Angeles, California. McMahon invites students to apply for scholarships and offers to provide advice to prospective attendees. Grateful to PCGS for enabling this experience, McMahon feels more prepared than ever to tackle the world鈥檚 sustainability challenges.