GreenHomeNYC

Information for Forum Speakers and Hosts

Go to information for speakers or for forum hosts.

General Information about the Monthly Forum

  1. Who is GreenHomeNYC? GreenHomeNYC is a 100% volunteer-run non-profit organization that connects NYC residents with local experts and actionable information to help them improve the energy and environmental performance of their homes and buildings. Read more about GreenHomeNYC here.
  2. What is the GreenHomeNYC Monthly Forum? The Monthly Forum features presentations by green building practitioners followed by discussion. GreenHomeNYC has been hosting these public presentations since 2003.
  3. When does the Monthly Forum take place? The forums take place once a month, on the third Wednesday of the month, from 6:30PM – 8PM. We skip December, so it’s every month from January through November.
  4. Who comes to the Monthly Forum? Our audience is an unusually engaged and interactive crowd, ranging from 40 to sometimes more than 100 people. The guests tend to fall in to one of several groups: architects, landscape architects, and interior designers; members of the building-industry and related fields, including folks who work in city agencies and non-profits related to development; and people interested in green building, but not active in the building/design industry—students, professionals looking for a career change, co-op or condo board members / residents, and just plain folks.
  5. What are the topics for the Monthly Forum? The topics vary from month to month, but in general, relate directly to green building in New York City. Some forums are showcases or case studies of green projects, others are panel discussions around timely topics, and yet others are how-to’s. Once or twice a year, we do a forum that looks at projects outside of New York. You can see full list of the past 7 years of forum topics here.
  6. Does GreenHomeNYC charge anything to attend the Monthly Forum? The forums are always free and open to the general public. For architects wishing to earn AIA Continuing Education Credits, we do charge a small fee, usually $15.

Information for speakers

  1. What’s the typical format? The forum varies from month to month as appropriate for the topic. Usually, we have 2-3 speakers for each event, and we like to keep plenty of time at the end for questions and discussion. We try to keep the “presentation” portion of the event to no more than one hour, so that we have a full 30 minutes for audience Q&A.
  2. Can I show a PowerPoint presentation? Yes. We ask that you send your PowerPoint or PDF file to GreenHomeNYC at by Monday of the forum week so that we can assemble all of them into one presentation. If you show a PowerPoint, we will make it available on our Web site following the event, unless you tell us otherwise.
  3. How long should my talk/presentation be? If the topic is appropriate for presentations of case studies, each speaker will have 10-15 minutes for the case study. If the format is a panel discussion, each speaker will have 5 minutes or so for an introduction, before a moderated discussion and audience Q&A. These are, of course, just guidelines. Please feel free to let us know what works best for you.
  4. Is there a speaker’s fee or honorarium? GreenHomeNYC does not offer compensation (other than our undying gratitude and possibly a beer at the following happy hour) for presenting at a Monthly Forum.
  5. How does GreenHomeNYC select speakers? Speakers generally come recommended to GreenHomeNYC from our volunteers, board or Partners in Practice advisory board, or others in the NYC green building community.

Information for venues/hosts

  1. How many people will the space need to accommodate? The number of guests varies by topic and season, but can range from 40 to more than 100. We ask that forum venues accommodate at least 30 seated guests plus additional standing room.
  2. For how long will the space be needed? GreenHomeNYC volunteers will arrive between 5:30 and 6PM, and we do our best to escort all our guess out by 8:30PM.
  3. What equipment does the venue need to provide? We generally need chairs for at least 30 and a presentation set-up (projector and screen or other projection surface). If you have a computer that can be used, we appreciate it. Otherwise, please let us know and we’ll bring a laptop. Some hosts choose to provide snacks or beverages — we’re always thankful if you choose to do so. Otherwise, we will bring water for the speakers.
  4. Who will set up before the event and clean up after the event? GreenHomeNYC volunteers will arrive early to help arrange the space, and we will also help clean up.
  5. Will I receive a list of attendees? Guests have the option of telling us when RSVP-ing that it’s OK to share their contact information with the forum host. We will compile a list of those who choose to share their contact info, and you can expect to receive this list by email on the day of the forum. You’re also welcome to ask guests to sign-up for your mailings or to collect their business cards at the door.
  6. Does GreenHomeNYC pay for space rental? Forum hosts generously donate their space for GreenHomeNYC’s use for the duration of the event. We can’t thank you enough!