Testimonials

“I think the quality of the content has really surpassed what most conferences have to offer. A lot of conferences are at a very basic level, assuming the audience is completely uneducated about the topic. This conference has functioned at a very high level. They know we can understand. I find that more valuable, and it gives us a better picture of how all the different industries or players are working, as opposed to an individual technology or an individual policy measure. It’s kind of a bird’s eye view of everything that’s happening right now.”
— Robyn Beavers, Blueprint Power
“VerdeXchange has become the preeminent gathering place for the intersection of green jobs, green technology, green business.”
— Eric Garcetti, Mayor, City of Los Angeles
“The hallmark of VerdeXchange is that it’s a global perspective. There is money to be made in protecting the environment, and VerdeXchange is a good place to find it.”
— Rick Cole, Former City Manager, City of Santa Monica
“There is no better place than VerdeXchange to talk about energy challenges and opportunities in Southern California. At Southern California Edison, this conference is a major asset to future collaboration and cross-sector education.”
— Ron Nichols, President, Southern California Edison
“Here in LA County, we are trying to bring all of the splintered pieces together to move forward on water resiliency, reclaiming and reusing more water. VerdeXchange is valuable through bringing those leaders together.”
— Sheila Kuehl, Los Angeles County Supervisor
“VerdeXchange highlights our great Quebec-California partnership on cap-and-trade, and shows the world that we have results on job development, reducing emissions, and adapting to climate impacts. There is great value to being able to have an event where we can show off the facts. ”
— David Heurtel, former Québec Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change
“Everyone, whether you are in a red state or blue state, wants clean air and clean water. We have made huge advancements in the last 10 years, since the inception of VerdeXchange. Events like the VerdeXchange correctly state the facts about the growth of the new clean energy economy. ”
— Bob Wieckowski, California State Senator
“California's leadership on energy and environmental issues is very important, and some of the most important discussions happen here at VerdeXchange.”
— Kazuo Furukawa, Former Chairman, NEDO
“VerdeXchange is the central hub to learn about new companies, new products and new policies for the most pressing environmental and energy challenges.”
— Janea Scott, Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals at U.S. Department of the Interior
“The great value of VerdeXchange is that affords members of the public utilities commission an opportunity to sit down and talk with folks who are executives at utilities. I think it’s really important to be able to have a forum like VX outside of the administrative hallways.”
— George Minter, Fmr. Regional VP External Affairs & Environmental Strategy, Southern California Gas Company
“At VerdeXchange you really have a chance to hear people out in a public setting, as well as all the side conversations, both in the hallways, over meals.”
— Lauren Faber, Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Los Angeles
“Brazil's at VerdeXchange, Japan's here, China's here, Canada. It's a great, great opportunity to build those regional relationships, because the federal government is just nuts.”
— Bob Hertzberg, California State Senator
“Cleaning up the air and addressing global climate is good for the economy, and attending VerdeXchange conferences is a chance to actually meet the people who are proving that is true.”
— Mary Nichols, Fmr. Chair, California Air Resources Board
“VerdeXchange gathers the key leaders and policymakers in the environmental, financial, and clean technology world. Equally valuable to the panels and plenaries is the time spent in the hallway, catching up with the people that are making things happen in Los Angeles. ”
— Gary Gero, LA County Chief Sustainability Officer
“I think it’s valuable on one level to be inspired by all that’s going on. But on another, very practical level, there are people here who know what the cutting edge is. By investing a couple of days in seeing what the cutting edge is, you save yourself months, if not years, of wasted time being stuck wherever you were, fighting to get onto the cutting edge of each of these things, wanting more. Otherwise, people sort of labor in the knowledge they can amass, having to go in depth. No one can be an expert on all of the issues. Another thing that is particularly useful about this meeting is that it brings together a bunch of sectors that rarely come together in the same meeting for any time. Generally, government meets with the private sector in meetings, and it meets with environmentalists or community groups in another meeting; it rarely meets with investors. That same lack of connection all together in one place happens so frequently. What you see is people are having these funny, separate conversations, but they don’t actually understand the economics or they don’t understand the sincere community concerns or they don’t really understand the legitimate concerns of government. Just in the energy of the hallway conversation, let alone the panels, you have people from all of those sectors looking at the same issue. This is exactly what we need if we’re going to make progress.”
— Felicia Marcus, Fmr. Chair, State Water Resources Control Board
“VerdeXchange Conferences offers attendees an opportunity to see things through other people’s lens.”
— Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association
“This event captures the issues in all our marketplaces. Green business is affecting all of our built and natural environments. Until now they were separated in stove pipes. What VerdeXchange has done is to pull together all those issues and underscore it with what we’re going through now with financing and all of that. That may be the common thread. But before, they were separated. For example: transportation done in a green way; building LEED-certified in a green way; and building a highway with a context-sensitive design. What VerdeXchange has done is pulled all those interests under one roof.”
— Jack Baylis, President and CEO, The Baylis Group
“VerdeXchange stands for sustainability, and our clients are focusing on sustainability not only for an environmental and governance perspective, but their ability to pay the benefits that have been promised. ”
— Allan Emkin, Meketa Investment Group, Managing Partner
“VerdeXchange, on an annual basis, brings together some of the best minds, some of the best thinkers, the influencers in this space.”
— David Fransen, Former Consul General of Canada, Los Angeles
“Attendees of VerdeXchange over the last 10 years have turned an idea into an action.”
— Jim Wunderman, CEO, Bay Area Council
“I would argue that what happens after the VerdeXchange Conference, with the contacts that you make is as valuable—maybe even more valuable—than what occurs in the rooms.”
— Bob Foster, EPCOR Utilities Bd Member, Former Chair CAISO
““There are many green building conferences, but VerdeXchange is the one that brings together the decision makers from government, regulators, industry and technology to discuss and act on realtime changes in the sustainability landscape. Attending the conference is one of the highlights of my year and I always leave with high-level action items."”
— Sara Neff, Senior Vice President of Sustainability, Kilroy Realty Corporation
““VerdeXchange clearly sets the highest standard of excellence for bringing together key public and private business leaders to discuss the greatest challenges and opportunities to create sustainable energy and water partnerships. The topics are critically relevant, the discussions meaningful and the resulting initiatives are most effective in making a real difference in our rapidly growing clean energy economy. I cannot think of a more effective forum and meeting of the minds to lead in our dynamic energy and environmental transition.””
— Dennis McGinn, Vice Admiral, United States Navy (Retired)