GSDC's Local Industrial Retention Initiative (LIRI) along with the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council, and LIRIs from across the city are organizing a free "Sustainable Industrial Development Expo" to be held at the Coyne American Institute (330 N. Green St., Chicago, IL) on June 26 from 7:30am - 1:00pm.

With Mayor Daley scheduled to be the keynote speaker, the Expo will begin with breakfast and an opportunity to explore LIRI exhibit tables, peruse industrial real estate listings from across the city, and network with invited speakers. Afterwards, a plenary discussion on the "Three Legs of Sustainable Development"-- Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability -- will set the table for roundtable discussions on a wide array of topics, including Green Building, Building a Sustainable Workforce, and Developing Sustainable Products.

Roundtable discussion leaders will include representatives from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Clinton Global Initiative, state and city government, and the private sector. Companies from across Chicago will be participating and sharing their experiences in going green. Each session will run about 45 minutes, and all participants will be able to attend 2 of the discussions. Following them, Mayor Daley will address attendees over lunch on the connection between economic advancement and sustainable industrial development.

The Expo will focus not only on what might be called "green infrastructure" and how companies can put it in place but also on how companies can tap into a growing market for green products like solar panels and wind turbines. Indeed, green product development is happening beyond the energy industry in areas like home construction and car production. The Expo is a great opportunity to explore and perhaps even to join in this burgeoning Industrial Green Movement.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Piotr Korzynski by phone at 773.436.1000 Ext. 109 or by email at p.korzynski@greatersouthwest.org.