News & Notes

Win big at GIE+EXPO

If you’re feeling lucky, you might be the winner of one (or all!) of these giveaways.

FABULOUS FRIDAY $10,000 GIVEAWAY

Every show registrant receives an entry form and instructions for entering along with their badge. You must be present to win. Be there Friday, Oct. 21 to see if your name is called. Sponsored by Belgard.

STIHL

One lucky dealer will win $5,000 during Wednesday’s dealer welcome reception.

GRAVELY

One landscape contractor will win Gravely’s Equipment Giveaway. An entry form and instructions will be sent with your registration badge. The winner will be drawn on Friday, October 21 at 3 PM.

CUB CADET

The PRO Z 900 is the flagship series of Cub Cadet’s new commercial zero-turn mowers. Visit the Cub Cadet booth 5116 for you chance to win the mower.

PROJECT EVERGREEN/EXMARK

Project EverGreen, in conjunction with Exmark Manufacturing, is offering the opportunity to support Project EverGreen’s “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” Initiative and have a chance at winning a new Exmark Lazer Z-X Series Mower – a $14,000 value! The mower will be raffled off to one lucky winner on October 21 in the Project EverGreen booth 10154 at GIE+EXPO. (Winner need not be present). Individual tickets are $10/piece or 6 tickets for $50; 12/$100; 18/$150; 24/$200. All proceeds go to support the Project EverGreen’s “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” Initiative.

SFA COMPANIES EVO IX GIVEAWAY

SFA Companies is giving away an EVO IX indoor cycle. Stop by booth 6018 to enter for a chance to win.

KEYSTONE RETAINING WALL SYSTEMS

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Keystone Retaining Wall Systems will have giveaway items and raffle drawings for a Yeti cooler and Yeti mugs at booth is 23018.

ROBOMOW

Attendees can stop by the RoboMow booth (24092) to enter for a chance to win a new robotic lawn mower.

Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI)

Lesson learned from California’s landmark drought will take center stage with OPEI during GIE+EXPO. It’s an issue of paramount interest to the outdoor power equipment and landscaping industries. Extensive lawn and landscape removal and lawn shaming have led to serious environmental and social problems in California, and we are now seeing similar issues in other parts of the country. Stop by our booth to talk about policy and practical responses to drought and attacks on the managed landscape.

TurfMutt, the caped crusader who teaches children about environmental stewardship and responsibility, will also be part of OPEI’s activities as he gears up for another season of Lucky Dog on CBS. We will showcase TurfMutt’s expanded essay contest for grades K-5 with Scholastic and a new TurfMutt Teacher award to launch in spring 2017.

OPEI also will debut a new look for its popular “Look Before You Pump” campaign at the event, which has been embraced by dealers, manufacturers, retailers, and sister organizations. The campaign, which focuses on educating consumers about proper fueling for outdoor power equipment, is even more relevant with recent events, such as the Oklahoma gasoline recall where 450,000 gallons of gasoline that included excessive levels of ethanol was distributed to retailers and private entities across the state. Look for new, OPEI ethanol education resources this fall.

LANDSCAPES 2016 to feature six education tracks; new power sessions

LANDSCAPES is hosted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals and is produced in conjunction with GIE+EXPO and Hardscapes North America.

This year’s convention will feature more than 40 sessions, presented in six different learning formats including town hall meetings; deep-dive workshops; lightning-round sessions; facilitated roundtable discussions; and power sessions. NALP members can also schedule one-on-one 75-minute business consultations with leading business owners who are part of the association’s Trailblazer program.

New this year, instead of one keynote session to open the conference, there will be three “power sessions” – one each morning – that will feature the most in-demand experts.

Education will be delivered in six tracks this year including: leadership; business management; operations; human resources; sales and marketing; and safety and technical.

“Our education line-up delivers vital education for every career position in the industry,” said Sabeena Hickman, CAE, NALP CEO. “When you add in networking with national experts and the peer learning, it really is a must-attend event.”

LANDSCAPES registration also includes registration to GIE+EXPO, the nation’s largest landscape industry equipment expo.

LANDSCAPES 2016 is approved for Landscape Industry Certified recertification at 1 CEU per hour of instruction attended. PGMS and HNA educational programs also qualify toward recertification.

LANDSCAPES 2016 is sponsored by JOHN DEERE at the Platinum level, with additional support by Caterpillar as Gold Sponsor, and Bayer as Silver Sponsor.

For more information about LANDSCAPES 2016, visit landscapesconvention.org.

PGMS goes to the races

Kicking off the Professional Grounds Management Society’s (PGMS) School of Grounds Management, as part of the GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky., will be a field trip to the site of the famous Kentucky Derby – Churchill Downs on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 11:30 a.m.

Led by Matt Bizzell, director of horticulture, attendees will have the opportunity to get an exclusive, behind the scenes tour of the grounds. The tour begins at the Gate 10 gardens, where Bizzell will discuss the 12,000 square foot greenhouse where all of the annuals for Derby Day are grown. With more than 300,000 guests welcomed over the three-day Derby weekend, there are many challenges involved with growing, installing and maintaining 25,000 plants at the facility.

The tour continues with a visit to the Paddock, Winner’s Circle, and Aristides Gardens and the opportunity to view the grounds, iconic Twin Spires, and race track from the fourth floor balcony. The tour concludes with a discussion about the diverse and unusual species of trees, shrubs, tropical, annuals, perennials, and grasses that the track uses to keep the facility looking great year-round.

Details for the PGMS School of Grounds Management are available online at http://pgms.org/2016/07/19/2016-school-of-grounds-management-gieexpo.

Lots of stops to make

With so many booths to see, here is a round-up of the entertainment some companies will have at their booths.

Black Diamond Coatings Booth #23000

Black Diamond Coatings promises to have an unforgettable and myth-defying guest in their booth #23000. This special guest will only be at the show during the dealer event on Wednesday, October 19, from 3-7 p.m., and when the show is open to the rest of the industry on Thursday, October 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

GPS Insight Booth #10057

Magician Scott Tokar will be at the GPS Insight booth tying in illusions and magic tricks with what GPS Insight does. You can learn a card trick, and GPS Insight will provide the cards as a giveaway so youcan trick people back home.

Intelligro. Booth #3008

Attendees and customers will be able to dig into the latest research, results and sustainable benefits of CIVITAS WEEDfree BRAND Concentrate, a hybrid selective herbicide that kills over 60 listed broadleaf weeds with no offensive odor right down to the root. They’ll also discover CIVITAS TURF DEFENSE, a plant protection product and fungicide for the golf and sports market that works with the plant to create healthier, stronger turf that can better withstand abiotic and biotic stresses.

Techniseal Booth# 20052

Visitors to Techniseal’s booth will also have the opportunity to play a video game and show off their hardscape knowledge.