World Green Building Council at international trade fair and congress for sustainable building, investment, operations and maintenance in Stuttgart

Consense, the international trade fair and congress for sustainable building, investment, operations and maintenance, is celebrating its 5th birthday. A special guest has been announced to appear at the anniversary event from 19 - 20 June 2012 at Messe Stuttgart - the World Green Building Council, WGBC. Expert groups from over 80 countries have already confirmed their attendance. The Chairman of the German Council for Sustainable Development, Hans-Peter Repnik, is assuming the patronage for Consense and the WGBC. 

  Following appointments in Singapore and Toronto, Consense in Stuttgart was selected as the ideal conference platform for 2012.
 It is thus the first time Germany will host the annual congress of the WGBC. The international trade fair and congress offers the experts and decision-makers an exceptional forum to enter into dialogue with one another, obtain information on current developments and establish new contacts. The Council is a global network of non-profit organisations, who advocate a sustainable environment.

At the same time, it is the largest international organisation which is setting standards in sustainable building worldwide. It promotes effective communication measures and cooperation ventures between the countries. One aim is to influence the changeover of key industries in the construction sector in the direction of sustainability and create appropriate framework conditions. The WGBC is an important contact partner for transnational and international organisations, for example for the United Nations and the European Union.

For two days in June Consense, organised by Messe Stuttgart and the German Sustainable Building Council, will once again become the innovative platform on the theme of "sustainability”. Representatives from the building and property industry, architects, planners, construction engineers, investors and project managers will find the whole range here: from marketable solutions and current services to exciting new developments and products.

There will be individual areas of focus in the trade fair area for clear orientation. The skills of various manufacturers and providers will be concentrated in the pavilions. The range is to be further expanded in 2012 - planning has commenced. Taking place parallel to the event is a framework programme with centres of attraction on the trade fair grounds.

  Approximately 13 per cent of visitors to the last Consense came from outside Germany to Stuttgart.
A further increase is expected in 2012. The excellent location of the trade fair centre between the A8, B27 and Stuttgart Airport offers considerable advantages. The direct S-Bahn (urban railway) connection also ensures short routes and maximum comfort for visitors to the trade fair and congress, as well as exhibitors. 

The 5th Consense is also taking place in a climate-neutral environment. PE International, a strategic consultancy firm in the area of sustainability, is once again seeing to this. The experts record all emissions produced during the event and calculate the carbon footprint based thereon. Here for example the water and electricity consumption, as well as the traffic of visitors, keynote speakers and exhibitors, carry weight. The calculated volume of emissions is compensated by offset projects. For 2011 PE International calculated 270 tons of CO2 emissions. To offset this, wind-power projects are now supported in Turkey and China.

  Messe Stuttgart is once again offering a special rate for exhibitors:
Early bookers benefit from a 10 per cent discount off the normal price for bookings made before 31 January 2012. Again it is possible for visitors to visit the trade fair independently of the congress - combo tickets, however, are also available for the trade fair and congress.

Further information about the trade fair: Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH, Melanie Bachmann, Messepiazza 1, 70629 Stuttgart / GERMANY
Tel.: +49 (0)711 18560 – 2631. melanie.bachmann@messe-stuttgart.de