USGBC’s 2024 IMPACT Conference—taking place from April 30 to May 1 in Saint Paul, Minnesota—is the leading event for sustainable development in the Midwest. With inspiring keynotes, standout project tours, a hands-on workshop, a Women in Green lunch, an exhibitor hall, three engaging education tracks and more, IMPACT is expected to convene hundreds of building professionals for a two-day event focused on transforming the market and addressing pressing climate change issues at the regional level.

While IMPACT offers learning and networking opportunities of value to Midwest green building professionals across the spectrum, this year’s IMPACT is a must-attend event for individuals in the field of commercial real estate (CRE). According to the ULI 2024 Global Sustainability Outlook Report, market pressures such as the growing connection between sustainability and financial performance, increased government regulations, extreme weather events, and a focus on the importance of human health and equity are causing real estate firms to further prioritize sustainability.

IMPACT 2024 will provide an inside track for Midwest CRE professionals looking to keep on top of the emerging trends and respond to these market pressures. Over two days, industry experts will present and discuss strategies, tools and resources for meeting sustainability goals while working at scale, drawing from experiences and using case studies specific to the Midwest market.

Here are just a few of our session picks for CRE professionals who attend IMPACT 2024.

Tour of RBC Gateway: Celebrating Deep Roots While Charting a Sustainable Vision of the Future

April 30, 9–11 a.m. CT

See how sustainability drove the development of RBC Gateway, a 37-story, 1.2 million square foot skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Home to the U.S. headquarters of RBC Wealth Management, the Pohlad Companies, a Four Seasons Hotel and nearly three dozen residential condos, RBC Gateway currently has several types of LEED certification in progress.

Adaption and Resilience Workshop: Scalable Actions for Buildings to Communities

April 30, 1:30–4:30 p.m. CT

Participants in this interactive session will not only learn about the latest trends, but will actively contribute to the discourse on creating adaptive and resilient built environments.

Decarbonizing Commercial Buildings in the Upper Midwest

May 1, 10:30–11:30 a.m. CT | Decarbonization and Development Education Track

Get insight into how to create a cost-effective decarbonization plan for your commercial buildings through a case study that highlights emerging technologies, implementation strategies and current and upcoming utility incentive and rate programs.

Hathaway Brown: A School Leveraging O+M v4.1 to Enhance Building Operations and Sustainability

May 1, 1–2 p.m. CT | Green Building for All Track

Learn how a daycare though 12th grade school in Ohio achieved LEED v4.1 O+M Gold certification for its large facility through improved documentation management, effective communication of sustainability goals to stakeholders and user education. If LEED v4.1 O+M works on a building as complicated as a school, imagine what it could do for your commercial property.

Decarbonizing Upper Harbor Terminal

May 1, 2:15–3:15 p.m. CT | Solutions at Scale Track

Hear how the developer of this 58-acre brownfield site has analyzed the feasibility of achieving net zero development at scale. See how green financing tools like the Inflation Reduction Act, PACE financing and green value creation can help these efforts succeed. Learn about how developer/owner modality changes the calculus and understand the challenges and opportunities discovered along the way.

Visit our website to see the full agenda and all session descriptions.

Learn more and register for the conference

IMPACT 2024 offers track for CRE professionals on sustainability strategies