In what organizers call a “makeover” of the traditional opening plenary, the U.S. Green Building Council has announced that former vice president Al Gore will deliver the keynote address at the 2009 Greenbuild convention, followed by a performance by nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11

Roughly 30,000 participants are expected to attend this year’s conference, which will be held from November 11 to 13 in Phoenix, at the city’s newly expanded downtown convention center (part of which earned LEED-Silver certification). The theme of this year’s event is “Main Street Green: Connect to the Conversation.”

The opening ceremony will be at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. USGBC president Rick Fedrizzi will kick off the event, followed by Gore. Gore is the author of two best-sellers, one of which went on to become the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and has recently released a third book, Our Choice.

Crow is known for her eco-conscious choices and has used her celebrity status to spread the sustainable message. In 2007 she participated in the “Stop Global Warming” college tour (which showcased clips from An Inconvenient Truth), and she regularly tours the United States in a bio-fuel bus. She also made her home energy-efficient and drives a hybrid car.