Every year, the educational tracts offered during GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky. are wide ranging. A mini-series, called GIE+EXPO Workshops, is available for lawn and landscape pros who want an introduction to the Green Industry Conference.

Workshops for lawn and landscape pros announced

Every year, the educational tracts offered during GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky. are wide ranging. Attendees can choose from sessions specifically for dealers; the design/build/installation, landscape management and lawn care markets; hardscape contractors or distributors and professional grounds managers. A mini-series, called GIE+EXPO Workshops, is available for lawn and landscape pros who want an introduction to the Green Industry Conference, sponsored by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) during the show.


GIE+EXPO Workshop Schedule


Thursday, October 27


Session A


10:00 – 11:30 a.m.


Adding Hardscape Installation to Your Company’s Success


Pat McCrindle, MW Hardscapes, Inc.


New to hardscapes? If you are considering adding hardscapes to the list of services that your company offers, this workshop will answer some of your questions. Learn about the equipment, training and capital investment you will need to get started, and start planning the best structure for your work crews and how to approach promotion of your new services. Pat McCrindle is one of the top trainers in the industry. He offers knowledge accumulated over numerous years of hands-on experience as a contractor and business owner.


 


Session B


3:00 – 5:00 p.m.


How to Become a Great Foreman


Phil Harwood, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, Pro-Motion


A weak foreman may put you out of business and a good foreman may help you stay in business. But, a great foreman will help you grow your business and increase profitability.


This workshop will include ample time for attendees to pause, think about their own unique situations, develop their thoughts on paper and discuss as a group. Who should attend? Foremen, assistant foremen and managers of foremen who desire to improve their businesses.


Attendees will learn how to:


•Be a great foreman


•Develop skills to become a great foreman


•Experience real-life lessons from the field



Friday, October 28


Session C


10:00 – 11:30 a.m. (repeat of Thursday 10:00 a.m. session)


Adding Hardscape Installation to Your Company’s Success


Pat McCrindle, MW Hardscapes, Inc.



Session D


3:00 – 5:00 p.m.


10 “Best” Practices that All Smaller, Growing Companies Need to Know and Practice


Bill Arman, The Harvest Group


This workshop is designed for smaller companies that want to move to the $1M to $2M level and want to know what practices will guide them to achieve this level more quickly and with less pain! If you are the owner or leader of a smaller company and you are learning your way on the run and as you go, this session is for you. Learn successful companies’ best practices to help you build your organization with sound, simple-to-implement practices that will accelerate your journey to success.


Attendees will learn how to:


•Recruit the best employees for their organization


•Train employees effectively


•Retain the right customer


•Apply simple cost tracking



Saturday, October 29


Session E


9:00 – 11:00 a.m.


Breakthrough Selling in a Tough Economy


Jeffrey Scott, Landscape Success Systems


Learn a systematic sales process that will show you how to make emotional bonds with your clients, create more on-target proposals and close more sales – without selling on price. This is an easy, eight-step process that guarantees sales success.


Attendees will learn how to:


•Gain control of the sales process and waste less time


•Shift the conversation away from price


•Separate yourself from your competitors


•Close more sales and close them faster


•Earn higher margins through a targeted process



Note to editors: Click here to download photos of the GIE+EXPO Workshop speakers.



An early-bird registration fee of $10 is being offered for a three-day pass to the tradeshow until September 14. After that, pre-registration will be $25. The onsite registration fee will be $50.


Go to www.gie-expo.com to register and reserve your place in the GIE+EXPO Workshops, which are $50 per session. As a bonus for signing up for Workshop Session A or C, attendees will receive free access to a series of live demonstrations throughout the day on Thursday and Friday in the Demo Area. Demonstration topics will cover compaction for paver installation, outdoor living enhancements, basic paver installation, water features, permeable pavement construction, segmental retaining wall construction and more. That’s 10 hours of live demos offered through Hardscape North America, which will be co-located with GIE+EXPO.


GIE+EXPO is sponsored by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS). It is the 14th largest tradeshow in America, according to Trade Show Executive magazine.


In addition to the website, information about the show can be obtained by contacting Sellers Expositions at 800-558-8767, 812-949-9200 or info@gie-expo.com.