When green industry professionals convene in St. Louis, Mo., for this year’s Green Industry Expo, the group will have a variety of opportunities to hear from top-notch educators and motivational speakers.
Specifically, conference participants of the industry’s associations can plan to learn from keynote speakers scheduled to take the floor on Thursday morning, Nov. 6, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
The Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) will learn about “Strategic Marketing in Anxious Times.” Members of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) will hear a presentation titled “Breaking Barriers: Business Is Combat.”
ALCA’s keynote speaker, Clyde Fessler, is the former vice president of business development for Harley-Davidson Motor Company. He will share the Harley marketing story, explaining the strategy that transformed a nearly bankrupt company into one of the top performing corporations on the New York Stock Exchange and made it one of the most respectful brands in the world.
Fessler, the man behind much of the strategy, spent 25 years creating and leading the plan. He played an integral role in the company’s dramatic turnaround by providing creative strategies, clever positioning, hard work and passion. Drawing on his success in addressing Harley’s management manufacturing and marketing challenges, Fessler will show GIE attendees how to create a vision and a mission, build a brand, define goals and strategies, create customer loyalty by exceeding expectations and stay on track.
PLCAA’s keynote presenters, Afterburner, have been featured in nearly every major business publication in the United States, including the Wall Street Journal and Business Week. These fighter pilots, now active reservists, have translated their extreme combat skills into success in the business field.
Deemed “the hottest speakers on the circuit right now” by Meetings and Convention Magazine, Afterburner promises a high-energy presentation.
The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) will offer two educational sessions during the keynote addresses scheduled by ALCA and PLCAA. Attendees can choose between Stan Jensen's course titled “Anticipation: Leadership on the Cutting Edge” and Kevin Heatley's course titled “Mapping Turf to Trees – GIS/GPS Systems.”
Jensens' remarks will focus on the importance of preparing for success and challenges within an organization. Heatley's instruction will center on technological systems that benefit the green industry.