If you think of Green Summit as a door that has been pried open, there’s going to be a rush for seats from now on. In fact, it could soon turn into a stampede –figuratively speaking, of course!

The person behind this huge conference and expo that begins in Phoenix tomorrow, is Chris Samila, who is still an ASU student and evangelist of green business practice. He says his student project has now taken a life of its own. I told him his timing couldn’t be more prefect. He is amazed at the response the conference (more than 10,000 people are expected to attend) is getting from businesses. I am not. Consumers are pulling at one end, the media is pushing at the other, businesses have no choice but to go along.

Sustainability is more than a fun project, just as ‘going green’ is not just a flavor of the month. Politicians are embracing it, local governments and cities have made it their mantra, Walmart has bought into it.

I see this first hand at the Decision Theater. In fact I just presented to a group of people who came in to look at some of our projects around sustainable cities and water management and the key question are not ‘why is this important?‘ but ‘how could this apply to ”(name of city here).” Lots of architects, urban planners, even designers and students recognize where this is all headed.

Samila says he finds it interesting how even marketing and HR people have signed up for the conference. One theory: Potential hires are beginning to ask if the company they are considering has a green building policy.

The conference looks at alternative futures with regard to building design, energy, water, even green foods and green careers! The doors are wide open to this exciting area. Like to join the stampede?

Green Summit dates: Sept 5th and 6th, from 10 am to 5 pm

Venue: Phoenix Convention Center

Check these summit tracks

As a ‘native’ of Arizona I have seen many sides to John McCain that the traditional media don’t do a good job reporting, partly because they are stuck with the labels they have created for him, and partly because they play to the stereotypes –POW, oldest candidate etc. So if you look at the coverage, it always falls within these confines.

Meghan McCain’s blog, however, sidesteps all of this and gives us the daughter-as-citizen journalist view of a McCain. Her posts, and her photojournalist Shannon, capture images like this. A picture that tells a story of not just a celebrity governor, but a working mum under the glare of the cameras.

And this. A narrative of not just a been-there-done-that senator, but a hardworking man who isn‘t catching his z’s on the campaign plane.

Meanwhile from the Republican convention, we are fed the same old, same old. Slogans, campaign pins, and speeches, with the rest of them tiptoeing around Palin.

Jason Baer, a well-known digital marketing name in Arizona, has created an unusual political pay-per-click challenge around John McCain’s Vice presidential pick.

The requirement: To create an effective 25-character PPC ad around her. The winner will receive $200.

Contest closes today at 6 pm (Pacific). Details here.

In case you’re wondering, people do bid on keywords around candidates. Type “Sarah Palin” into Google, and there’s one paid ad that appears for www.indecision2008.com which links to a Comedy Central site (“Something approximating election news…”)

In what must be a measure of $$$ attached to Washington keywords, type in “Joe Biden” and you’ll see about six paid ads. One of them links to an Obama campaign site, another to MoveOn.org, one for the New York Sun, and another for CafePress (selling Obama stuff.) But one exhibits a nice guerilla tactic from the so-called unsavvy new media candidate – a link to a landing page on John McCain’s site, Decision Center.

In pure marketing terms, the vice presidential pick could be seen as a positioning statement for both Barack Obama and John McCain. After all:

• Obama’s ‘freshman senator’ image is nicely counterbalanced with a professional hardball political insider like Joe Biden.
• John McCain’s age factor is nicely offset by Sarah Palin who is 26 years his junior.

Both tickets have an age, youth and diversity mix. Both have experience, unpredictability/maverickism, and the vibes of ‘change.’

The Economist, in a less-than-flattering analysis of Biden paints him a loose cannon: “And when he talks the sentences and paragraphs tumble over each other with no obvious end in sight. Members of the audience just have to cross their fingers and hope.”

The Associated Press comments on Palin’s age this way: “She is younger and less experienced than the first-term Illinois senator, and brings an ethical shadow to the ticket.”

It’s shaping up to be a very exciting positioning exercise. May the best brand win!

Apart form lots of coverage of the Greco-Roman set at the Democratic convention, the timing of Barack Obama’s acceptance speech with Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream speech,” there was a media circus of sorts.

The Media Guardian‘s  magazine-styled podcast reports on the bloggers and the media that covered the event. Amazing how there was a ‘pecking order’ for the media. Businessweek had an oak paneled desk! Watch a Guardian video from Shehani Fernando (no relation).

Some interesting facts of media and corporate attention this event received:

• There was a 4:1 ratio of media and delegates at the event.
• ExxonMobil sponsored CNN’s coverage of the convention. It’s an equal opportunit sponsor, though. EM is also backing the Republican convention coverage.
• New media was well represented. Bloggers, podcasters and vloggers were housed in the ‘Big Tent,’ a 9,000-square foot, two-story structure close to the Pepsi Center. This, however, was sponsored by Google and Digg.