5 Events in 2014 For Every LEED Professional's Calendar

Regardless of what industry you belong to, the opportunity to learn, collaborate and brainstorm should always be regarded as beneficial. However, for those in the rapidly changing field of green design and construction, especially LEED AP's, such opportunities are absolutely vital for continued excellence. So between fulfilling your continuing education credits and engaging your career head on, I've rounded up a list of the top 5 conferences and conventions that should make it into your schedule for the year.

International Conference on Intelligent Green Building and Smart Grid

Taipei, Taiwan; April 23-25. The first international summit for IEEE, you may feel so inclined to make yourself one of the inaugural attendees. With presentations covering a wide range of topics, including but not limited to bio-electronic devices, renewable energy research, home entertainment multimedia systems, and intelligent lighting, and visits to smart home prototypes, expect to be immersed in news if and applications for smart, green technologies.

Fortune's Brainstorm Green

Laguna Niguel, California; May 19-21. Have you ever dreamed of sitting in a room full of leading environmentalists, CEOs, investors, celebrities, and inventors, all discussing the future of green technology? If so, this is the place for you. A sure fire sell out event, you'll walk away with an entirely new sense of whee corporate social responsibility is in this country and where it's heading.

Dwell on Design

Los Angeles, California; June 20-22. This 3-day expo brings together more than 350 of the world's coolest designers and design products. Set in the LA Convention Center, more than 70 presentations will occur on three separate stages, complimenting home tours and other exciting events that will be offered throughout that week. While not specifically focused on green, Dwell is well known for its progressive focus on environmentally-friendly design.

Grey to Green Conference

Toronto, Canada; August 25-26. This annual two-day event focuses on green infrastructure and social, economic and health impacts. Industry thought leaders offer in-depth presentations on cutting edge research, discussing everything from urban forests to best of breed practices in green roofing design.

Greenbuild International Conference and Expo

New Orleans, Louisiana; Oct 22-24. With hundreds of seminars available over the course of three days, USGBC doesn't put on just any ordinary event. While the 2014 schedule is just being hand picked now, last year's offerings ranged from "Green Building Post Mortem: What Went Wrong?" to "Transforming the Materials Market via Radical Transparency." The best part? Of course they offer many LEED specific presentations designed just for you.

If you were worried it might be a boring year, you were surely mistaken! With events like these, you'll have plenty to talk about and just as much to implement in your future LEED designs.