The Green Scene

The art of nature is a discipline that requires constant practice and edification. Sculpting ornate landscapes, maintaining beds and expansive lawns and constructing eye-catching outdoor arenas, landscape architects need continuing education to keep up with the latest technologies, techniques and equipment in the landscape industry.

When it comes to informative industry forums for higher education, there is none bigger in the landscape business than the combination trade show of the Green Industry Conference and Expo (GIC/GIE) and the International Lawn, Garden & Power Equipment Expo (EXPO), which returns Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 23-25 to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. The event is sponsored by the industry’s biggest associate brainacs — the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI).

Industry members who want to stay on the cutting edge will be on hand to see the newest products and learn about the latest industry trends. Products on display will include lawn and garden products, outdoor leisure products, compact machinery, rental lines, outdoor power equipment and even some sweet-ass go-carts, utility vehicles and ATVs.

The merging of the two well-established events brings a long list of features and benefits together in one place. What the Kentucky Exposition Center is best known for is the best outdoor demonstration area in the country. Contractors and crews can actually jump on a machine and get stick time on the 19-acre outdoor demo area, which will boast 170 plus exhibits, open all three days of the show. Inside, over 650 exhibitors will be showcasing the latest green innovation and services in one 425,700-sq ft exhibit hall.

When it comes to education and application, PLANET’s Green Industry Conference and PGMS’s School of Grounds Management offers a comprehensive lineup of educational sessions for green contractors. These premier educational events for green industry professionals and professional grounds managers will take place Oct. 22-25 (one day earlier than the show), and, for the first time, sessions are open to dealers, too.

When it comes to fun, GIE + EXPO always attracts quality musicians to entertain the landscape crowds. Get ready for a rockin’ good time as 38 Special, LoneStar, The Briggs Bluesbusters and Candy Coburn hit the stage. These free concerts will be held at 4th Street Live! in downtown Louisville.

What’s left? Well, free cash and fun attractions. Giveaways, including $20,000 toward the purchase of a new truck in the Trucks of the Industry Giveaway, will be held throughout the trade show. If you don’t win, then just enjoy entertaining attractions like the Scheer’s Lumberjack Shows, presenting the STIHL Lumberjack Challenge each day in the outdoor demonstration area. Captivating audiences for the past 25 years, the STIHL Lumberjack Challenge will feature popular lumberjack events including chopping, log rolling, cross cut sawing, hot sawing, chain saw carving and (our favorite) axe throwing.

All and all, 2008’s GIE + EXPO looks to be the landscape show to attend this year. Pre-registration for a three-day pass to GIE+EXPO is $10 per person. The trade show admission for those who wait to register onsite will be $50. Additional details about the show are available by calling Sellers Expositions, (800) 558-8767 or (812) 949-9200, or visiting their Web site — www.gie-expo.com.