HNA announces networking opportunities, free concerts for trade show

LOUISVILLE – From receptions to free concerts, networking opportunities will be plentiful at this year's Hardscape North America. The annual trade show is set for October 16-18, 2019 at the Kentucky Exposition Center, but the industry will begin to gather on Tuesday, October 15 for education and networking.

On Tuesday evening, after a day packed with education opportunities, rock band The Crashers will kick off the free concert series at Fourth Street Live! The group has performed all over the country, from the Super Bowl (as the official pre-game band for NBC at Super Bowl XLVI) to serving as the backing band for national artists like Luke Bryan and Kid Rock.

The trade show floor opens on Wednesday with a preview for dealers, retailers and the media at 11 a.m., followed by a networking reception from 3 to 7 p.m. for all industry members. During the reception, attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with manufacturers and peers while enjoying refreshments compliments of the exhibitors. All of this will take place on the show floor among the new products on display.

Following the reception, country music star Easton Corbin will take the stage at Fourth Street Live! for the second free concert. With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, Corbin has made a lasting impression on the country music landscape with hits such as "A Little More Country Than That," "Roll With It" and "Baby Be My Love Song."

Grammy nominated artist Cassadee Pope will round out the concert series on Thursday evening. Following her victory on Season 3 of NBC's The Voice, her 2013 full-length debut, Frame by Frame - with its lead single "Wasting All These Tears" - topped the charts. During 2016, Pope teamed with Chris Young for the No. 1 hit "Think of You" and garnered a 2017 Grammy nod in the category of Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Along the way, she has toured with Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts and more.

Rising star JD Shelburne will open for Pope. During his whirlwind career explosion, Shelburne has opened for many national acts, including Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Kellie Pickler and others. "One Less Girl," the first single from his 4th studio album, Two Lane Town, made its world-wide premiere on CMT in September.