Your support of the GreenBuilt Tour helps us create the foundation and framework for a more sustainable San Diego. The purpose of the tour is to highlight sustainable building practices that are attractive, practical, and affordable today – to show that energy and resource efficient residential and commercial design and construction is simply the right way to build.

On Saturday and Sunday, October 4-5, 2008, San Diego EarthWorks will host a self-guided tour of San Diego County homes and businesses that feature sustainable building practices that are attractive, practical, and affordable today. These structures demonstrate that energy and resource-efficient design and construction are the right way to build. Sites on the tour will include new construction as well as rebuilds and retrofits.

    Homes and businesses in San Diego County will be open for touring from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The structures demonstrate many different “green” sustainable building practices, including:

• Ecologically sound, sustainable, renewable building materials and technologies, such as straw bale and steel frame construction, bamboo flooring;
• Energy-efficient building components, such as “low-E” insulating windows, heating and cooling systems;
• Water-efficiency features, including appliances and native landscaping;
• Active and passive solar;
• Healthy, non-toxic building materials and finishes;
• Recycled and reused materials, including recycled plastic carpet and composite decking.

    Owners, architects, and builders will be available to answer questions about each project throughout the day. Literature about the materials used and the providers of services will also be available.

    Participants can purchase tickets either before the tour, or at one of the sites on the day of the tour. Tickets are $20 before September 30, and $25 after; students receive a $5 discount, and children 14 years and under are admitted free with parent or guardian.

    When they purchase a ticket, participants are given a map to the sites. They then travel to the sites they want to visit and take the tour. Time and distance generally limit the number of sites a participant can visit; the average participant visits 3-4 sites per day.

Tour participants represent a cross-section of the population of San Diego County. From our survey of participants, it is clear that most were primarily interested in specific topics, although the subject varied from individual to individual. About 15% indicated that they planned to build or remodel within a year; 34% planned to build or remodel within 3 years.

The GreenBuilt Tour could not be sustained without the financial support of our sponsors. The fees paid by attendees cover only part of the cost of producing the event.

    We provide sponsor acknowledgement at GreenBuilt Tour sites, and in pre-event promotions, through the placement of sponsor’s logo and/or name on a variety of print and electronic media and signs for the event.

    The following sections describe the promotions we are able to offer. A color key at the bottom of each section indicates the sponsorship levels that will receive recognition in that promotion. Our standard sponsorship package levels are:

    Please ask if you have special needs that are not addressed by these programs.

    To speak to someone about being a GreenBuilt Tour sponsor, please call the EarthWorks office at (858) 272-7370 or send email to: gbt08@EarthDayWeb.org.

Presenting Sponsorship of GreenBuilt Tour is available at the $5,000 level. In addition to all the promotions described here, the event will be recognized as “GreenBuilt Tour 2008, presented by <your organization>” in all event signage and materials, and in all pre- and post-event promotions. Contact EarthWorks for more information.