Amy Fisher
Communications Associate
U.S. Green Building Council

With more than 28,000 attendees at Greenbuild, 100 educational sessions, special events and the world's largest expo hall devoted to the green building industry, it takes a lot of hands to make Greenbuild run smoothly. One of the vital groups that helps make Greenbuild a success is the countless volunteers.

You may be called a volunteer, but anyone who has volunteered at Greenbuild before knows the return is just as great as the investment. Where else do you get the chance to be a part of the green building community, with endless amounts of networking and educational opportunities right at your fingertips? - All at no cost for general admission to the conference. Volunteering at Greenbuild NEXT provides the priceless experience of learning from industry professionals around the world to add to your knowledge bank and resume.

Enabling students and young professionals to attend Greenbuild is important as it allows generations of all ages to be involved in the green building movement. For the many young adults who are just making their way into the industry, volunteer opportunities help them get involved in the conversation working toward a better, greener tomorrow.

So what is a volunteer expected to do? Volunteers assist attendees at the recycling stations, provide check-in support for the LEED workshops and education sessions, check badges at meals, help with green building tours and perform other similar tasks. The work that Greenbuild volunteers do is monumental in shaping the conference and makes a measurable impact on its success. For example, with the help of its amazing volunteers, Greenbuild was able to divert 85 percent of its waste in 2010 - a 50 percent increase over McCormick Place West's waste diversion rate average.

If you're a full time student or young professional age 25 and under who is passionate about the green building movement, you ARE a Greenbuild volunteer. This is a unique opportunity to be successful in what you learn, who you meet and how you grow in the green industry. Make sure not to miss out on the conference by making the most of this opportunity to volunteer.

Sound off in the comments below: What are YOUR reasons to volunteer? Any great experiences volunteering for Greenbuild in past years?

Volunteers from Greenbuild NEXT in Toronto are needed from Sept. 29 to Oct. 7. If you're interested in volunteering read the Volunteer FAQs to learn more and sign up to receive information