Contact:
Sarah Meyers
(800) 689-2900 x4733
sjmeyers@csinet.org

CSI to Debut GreenFormat™ at Greenbuild International Conference and Expo

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (October 22, 2008) – The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) will introduce GreenFormat™, www.greenformat.com, at the U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild Conference and Expo, Nov. 18-20, Boston. Demonstrations of the format will be conducted throughout the event in booth #352.

CSI will also offer an education session, "CSI GreenFormat: Review of the Construction Product Sustainability Reporting Guide Release Version." The session is open to all conference attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis and will take place Wednesday, Nov. 19 at noon.

CSI and the Metropolitan New York Chapter will also hold a post-conference education session, 2-6pm, Friday, Nov. 21. "Incorporating LEED into Project Specifications" is for construction specifiers, designers and other team members who need to know how to integrate LEED requirements into specifications. The session will include directions for using GreenFormat in specifications.

"We are excited to release GreenFormat and will be offering educational sessions and demonstrations at our booth throughout Greenbuild," said CSI Executive Director and CEO Walter Marlowe. "We have completed an extensive testing process with manufacturers and have received many positive comments on the new format. Those in the construction industry that rely on CSI formats and practice guidelines will find GreenFormat reliable and easy to use, and a real benefit for bringing organization to the information overload that exists today."

Developed in collaboration with CSI member specifiers, product manufacturers, BuildingGreen, Inc. and the Charles Pankow Foundation, GreenFormat is a new web-based CSI format that provides a standardized framework for identifying the sustainable properties of building products. Designers, constructors and building managers will be able to use GreenFormat to find basic information about products to help meet 'green' requirements.
Product listings in GreenFormat are organized by MasterFormat divisions in a spec-friendly layout. The format's categories focus on topics that are important to design and product selection decisions. To enter products into the database, building product manufacturers complete an online questionnaire that collects sustainable information about their products. Data from the completed questionnaires is then displayed in a standardized manner to ease sustainable design decision-making.

More than 100 manufacturers already participate in GreenFormat. CSI is offering manufacturers a FREE account and product listing on GreenFormat if they sign up by Jan. 1, 2009.

To find out more about GreenFormat, visit CSI in booth #352 at GreenBuild or visit www.greenformat.com

About CSI
CSI is a national association dedicated to creating standards and formats to improve construction documents and project delivery. The organization is unique in the industry in that its members are a cross-section of specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors and building materials suppliers. The organization has 146 chapters and more than 15,000 members. Monthly chapter meetings allow members the opportunity to communicate openly with their counterparts and exchange information for successful project management. CSI is renowned in the industry for its rigorous certification programs for professionals seeking to improve their knowledge of accurate and concise construction documents. CSI provides continuing education, professional conferences and product shows. For more information, visit www.csinet.org or call 800.689.2900.