Trade show secrets
It’s time to roll up your organic cotton shirtsleeves. Two green building and design conferences are hitting San Francisco this month, and both feature passes for homeowners (or renters with lofty goals) who’re looking to green up their living space.
Next weekend—September 14-16—Dwell magazine is hosting Dwell on Design at the San Francisco Concourse and Exhibition Center. While the $350 and $895 conference passes are only affordable to those attendees funded by their companies’ dime, a $20 2-day exhibition-only pass is also available. The hands-on exhibition includes more than 100 modern design products and services as well as programming focused on prefab building, green building practices, architectural innovation, landscape design, and more.
As an apartment-dweller with homeowner dreams, I’m particularly intrigued by the promise of the InstaHouse Dwell is building on-site. I might also sign up for the San Francisco Living: Home Tours for a voyeruistic peek into the homes of others, along with an edifying dose of modern architecture.
The following week—September 20-22—West Coast Green, the largest residential green building trade show in the country, takes over the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The conference will host over 250 industry analysts, political leaders, and green building experts, including Gavin Newsom, San Francisco’s own water-bottle banning mayor; Sarah Susanka, architect and bestselling author of The Not So Big House; and Allison Arieff, “Living Design” blogger for the New York Times.
The auditorium doors swing open for homeowners on Saturday. Although hardcore DIYers are welcome to attend the full conference, the Homeowner Day pass costs only $25 in advance ($35 at the door). Special presentations geared toward consumers will show you how to make use of greywater in your Bay-friendly garden, remodel green, select a green contractor, and design an energy efficient house. You can also drool over the mkLotus modular home (pictured above) and its surrounding sustainable garden in the Civic Center Plaza. Designed by Michelle Kaufmann of the Sunset Breezehouse, this environmentally-friendly home features a living roof, LED lighting, 100 percent solar generator power, and a greywater system.
Bonus: In practicing what it preaches, West Coast Green is also a zero waste conference—which is no small feat, considering that the trade show industry is second only to construction in waste generated. And this is a construction trade show!
Low on funds? Not to worry. You can work as a volunteer in exchange for a conference pass!
