More abuse for LEED

I have been a pretty vocal critic of the LEED green building rating system over the years.  Many people have taken shots at me because of that, but it sure seems that as time moves on, I have not been too far off base.  This past week, I was alerted to two situations that cast LEED into the negative once again.  While some of the attacks that this program took on recently may be even a little beyond the pale even for my tastes, the fact remains that this system is not what its cracked up to be and is really not making the difference most people assume it would.  Case in point an article that ran in the New Republic last week.  It broke down the absolute folly of the LEED rating system and how things do get off the tracks once the building is occupied.  Granted LEED is working to change some of these loopholes with new versions, but it’s still a massive sore point and even with changes, a lot of the holes will remain.  LEED also has been taking heat from the chemical industry on its lack of inclusion and stigmatizing of their products.  This article spells out the latest but its something I know well.  The rating system does play favorites and it’s frustrating.  At the end of the day the reason why anyone cares is simple… LEED is the system that the government uses and is most well known, so you are stuck with that path, which again is amazingly unfair.  There are better paths to true sustainability but the LEED machine crushes them.  And as we’ve seen in the past, it doesn’t matter; they (USGBC, the machine behind LEED) have too much money and power.  But as more articles get written, maybe some things will begin to change.

Elsewhere

--  Also this week the Wall Street Journal ran an article on government construction spending being at a 6 year low.  It was probably meant to depress you, but I actually took it differently.  We are now matched at 2007 levels (remember those days?  The GLORY days!!) and we’re way beyond the spending in 2000.  In addition its nice to see some spending control at the public level given the debt load already.  Plus a return to private construction spending surely would be nice. 

--  Time for another interview and this one serves an extra purpose.  With GlassBuild America coming up, I wanted to introduce you to some of the people and players involved so you could plan your time at the show accordingly.  This week I caught up with marketing guru Rich Porayko of Construction Creative Marketing & Communications, who will be leading a seminar that you cannot miss. 

Here’s the details and interview:

What seminar are you leading?

It’s titled, Guerrilla Marketing for the Glass & Metal Industry, and it will be an information packed, hour long presentation focusing on getting solid results using a system of creative yet cost effective promotions, relying on time, energy and imagination instead of big marketing budgets.

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding all the GlassBuild America seminars, including yours.  What can the attendees expect to take away from your class?

The session is fun, fast paced and broken into easy takeaways so attendees will literally leave with dozens of easy, cost effective, time tested marketing tips and tricks that have taken me almost twenty years of studying and trial and error to put together. It’s the best deal going in Atlanta!

Whether you are a closet marketer or a seasoned pro, there’s something for everyone.

The world of marketing has evolved quite a bit in the last several years.  What do you believe to be the biggest change?

Hands down, it has to be social media and its integration with email and web marketing. There is something really satisfying about watching a social media campaign go viral live in front of your eyes. Every social media campaign can’t be a homerun but digital marketing can be measured in so many ways that traditional marketing campaigns will never be able to. If you can measure it, it can be improved. Each tweet, post or email gives you more insight on what works and what doesn’t.

What would you say to any of the folks currently on the fence about attending the show and your seminar?

What are you waiting for? If you make your living in the glass business, GlassBuild America is the place to be. The economy isn’t out of the woods yet but it seems like every week you read and hear more positive news. If you miss GBA 2013, you will have to wait until September 2014 and with the pace things are currently moving, a lot can happen in 12 months.

Thank you Rich…

LINKS of the WEEK

--  Just a very interesting piece on those “Before and After” weight loss pictures.  This is great stuff.

--  A tremendous random act of kindness that we all should want to duplicate.

--  As someone who flies a ton and is a travel snob (as my wife calls me) this is just mind blowing.  No clue on why people do what they do.

VIDEO of the WEEK

Here’s a trailer for another movie that looks like a potential winner… based on the true story of the ABSCAM scandal.  Trailer is great and cast is strong… American Hustle coming soon to a theater near you….