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GIC is approved for PLANET Landscape Industry Certified recertification at 1 CEU per hour of instruction attended. PGMS and HNA educational sessions also qualify toward PLANET recertification. |
Wednesday Workshops
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Vegetative Green Roofs - How to Capture this Hot Opportunity (ticketed)
C. Merrill Moter III, Joseph & Joseph Architects
Vegetative green roofs present a growing market niche not only for roofers, but landscape contractors as well. Green roofs are part of the emerging sustainability movement. Many building owners are interested in the financial incentives, the "green" statement they make, and opportunities for creating urban green space. Entering this market requires specialized knowledge of the techniques, the special microclimate for plants, and teamwork between designers and contractors. The green roof market also provides a continuing opportunity to provide maintenance services ensuring long term client relationships. This workshop combines a one-hour presentation along with a bus tour to view several green roofs in Louisville.
Attendance is limited!
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Your Biggest Asset: Your People and How to Create Maximum Efficiency with your Existing Team (ticketed)
Jason Cupp, Kincaide, LTD.
In the green industry, our largest expense is clearly our payroll. In this fun, engaging and green industry focused workshop, former Design/Build Contractor turned Growth Consultant and Professional Speaker Jason Cupp will lead you through ways to immediately impact your bottom line by creating maximum efficiency with your existing team. Jason will share his own personal experience of how these strategies changed his business at a time when profitability was key and critical.
- Have you ever wondered the best way to hire a new team member? Learn Jason's coveted "hiring system" to determine the RightFit for new hires.
- With Jason's techniques, you can make up to a 5% change in costs almost immediately in your business.
- Do you have an organizational chart, employee handbook and safety manual? Attendees will be provided tools and templates to accomplish this easily.
- Are you constantly late for meetings, running around with your head cut off, and losing opportunity in your business as a result? Jason will give you tools and tricks to work smarter versus harder.
- Are you working in your "wheelhouse" and can truly say you LOVE your job all of the time? If not, Jason will share bullets to overcome not enjoying what you do every day.
- Are you looking for actual case studies from Green Industry Companies of the impact this workshop can have on your business? If so, each and every example is directly from a Green Industry company.
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Safety Training That Works!
Rod Wolford & Beth Larson, FOF Communications
Learn how to provide participatory instruction to employees with PLANET's new OSHA-funded training products. You will get results with your workers while they actually enjoy learning. Available in English and Spanish, these new products focus exclusively on land care workers:
- How Do We Protect Our Ears?
- How Do We Protect Our Bodies?
Attendees will learn how to:
- Motivate employees to adopt safe practices.
- Use training to meet OSHA obligations.
- Present DVD-based interactive demos.
- " Answer trainees' FAQs.
- Instruct in fitting hearing protection and other PPE.
Participants receive worksheets, pamphlets, trainer's guide, and posters.
GIC is approved for PLANET Landscape Industry Certified recertification at 1 CEU per hour of instruction attended. PGMS and HNA educational sessions also qualify toward PLANET recertification.
10:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Design/Build/Installation
How to Use the iPad to Sell Clients on New Projects
Timothy P. Johnson, Penn State University
With its sharp screen, multi-touch interface, lightweight form factor and mobile access to the Internet, the iPad can be an effective tool for marketing design concepts and details. Using simple and affordable applications, you can present and sell your designs by using drawings, photographs and video to more effectively help your clients visualize and understand your ideas.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Assemble and present a design notebook or "moodboard" collage
- Use the iPad to create simple video presentations
- Effectively use iPad presentation apps to sell a design
- Watch for future trends and tools
Irrigation & Water Management
Sustainable Landscapes with Efficient Water Conservation
Lynda Wightman, Hunter Industries, Inc.
Water is our #1 most valuable resource in the world. Creating and maintaining healthy, environmentally safe and pleasing landscapes, needs attention to the way irrigation is being applied and managed. Today's industry offers many new concepts, and programs that ensure water conservation with automatic irrigation systems. How the professional can be profitable while applying these is the ultimate concern!
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand the importance of the design, installation and management of a water conserving landscape with an automatic irrigation system
- Apply nationwide initiatives that are driving specific decisions for efficiency in an irrigation system
- Apply new programs that will assist in becoming knowledgeable and profitable in this field
- Understanding how efficient irrigation systems can lead to a sustainable landscape
Landscape Management
How to Use Business in a Box to Reduce Costs
Bruce Wilson and Tom Oyler, Wilson Oyler Group
In today's low-price environment, cutting costs is necessary not only to be profitable, but also to become more competitive. Business in a Box contains many tools to help, and this seminar will show you how.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Deal with high fuel prices.
- Manage labor more effectively.
- Increase their margins through price enhancement work
Lawn Care
The Art Science of Lawn Care Marketing
Jim Campanella, The Lawn Dawg, Richard Bare, Arbor-Nomics, Neil Campbell, Doctor Green, Mike Dietrich, John Deere Landscaping
Join industry icons as they present marketing programs, strategies, and creative pieces sure to give you the marketing edge needed in today's market. Closing percentage, response rate, cost per sale, and other important statistics will be presented and discussed.
Creating a Customer-Focused Culture
Phil Harwood, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, Pro-Motion Consulting, LLC
Many businesses claim to focus on their customers, but few actually do. While there are many reasons for this, the reality is that long-term growth and sustainability is not possible without creating a customer-focused culture.
Attendees will learn how to:
- What culture is and how it affects an organization.
- The power of a customer-focused culture.
- The impact of culture on profitability and growth.
- How to change their culture to be more customer-focused.
The Seven Habits of Highly Successful CEOs
Jeffrey Scott, Landscape Success Systems
Are you kicking butt as a CEO? Running a profitable green industry business requires seven critical skills that all successful CEOs have but many contractors do not. Discover the common traps you need to avoid, and how to create sustainable growth by adopting these seven habits.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Create accountability and ownership thinking.
- Benchmark your numbers to improve performance.
- Empower your employees.
- Stabilize growth and enjoy work more.
- Create more free time.
The Advantage of Great Systems
Mike Rorie, GIS Dynamics
Great systems make great players greater! When a business can quickly and accurately provide the information an employee needs, it instantly becomes a higher performer. Investing in the information your organization needs to quickly and accurately produce the answers to the test (estimates, job costing, scheduling, CRM, etc.) is a big advantage in the market place. If your current systems waste time and provide inaccurate information, your company loses credibility with its customers.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply an effective business management system and understand how it can help their company.
- Apply a business management system that gives them leverage and increases their staff's effectiveness.
- Understand how great systems increase accountability throughout their organization while simultaneously lowering costs.
Don't Ask for Referrals!
Clifton Pieters
Most companies miss out on "low hanging fruit" because they fail to fully leverage what is universally known as "referrals." With a few simple adjustments to a business development/sales process, you will be able to enjoy the full benefits of relationship-driven sales; i.e., higher close rates, better margins, shorter sales cycle times, and lower sales costs!
Attendees will learn how to:
- Create a high-quality, lead-generating process.
- Determine the right time to ask.
- Ask for highly qualified business opportunities.
- Create their professional leads network.
Leadership: Advancing to the Next Level
Liderazgo: Avanzando Hacia el Próximo Nivel
Manuel Castañeda, Pro Landscape, Inc.; Carlos Medrano, Landscape Industry Certified Technician, Co-Cal Landscape Company
This session will be conducted in Spanish
Motivating an employee is a complex process requiring an understanding of each employee's needs, wants and expectations. This course will offer a comprehensive introduction to leadership, present the importance of good leadership in successful organizations, and provide the steps to becoming a more effective leader. The course also discusses the importance of rewards & recognition, the proper handling of grievances, and the use of progressive discipline practices.
Sponsored by: 
1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Design/Build/Installation
More Than Just Another Pretty Plant!
Katharine Rudnyk, Monrovia
Presenting landscape plants that will make your project shine and keep choosy clients wanting even more. Quality plants are an affordable way to create a great first impression. As a take home, you may be able to trial one of the featured plants.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify new and classic landscape plant varieties
- Understand trends within planting design
- Added value of using quality plants
- Understand horticultural criteria to consider before adding a new plant to one's design palette
Irrigation & Water Management
Benefits of Irrigation Landscape
John Eggleston, Spartan/ServicesFirst Irrigation
Today's irrigation professional needs a complete understanding of the benefits our industry provided to the environment and quality of life.
Sponsored by: 
Landscape Management
How to Use Business in a Box Tools to Attract, Retain, and Develop Supervisory Employees
Bruce Wilson and Tom Oyler, Wilson Oyler Group
Even in a down economy, the landscape maintenance industry needs talented middle-management people. Attracting, retaining, and developing talent is an ongoing process. Learn how Business in a Box can make this easier and more effective.Â
Attendees will learn how to:
- Build a motivating company culture.
- Build their "bench" of future leaders
- Recruit and build bench through intern programs.
Lawn Care
Lawn Care Pricing Strategies
Dana Davis, Smith Tree Care
Do you create your price based off of market averages or do you really know your numbers. In today's ever challenging and price competitive market it is essential that you know your numbers. In this session you will learn proven strategies and techniques to properly price your lawn care programs.
Tree Removal Tips and Techniques That Save Time and Make Money
Mark Chisholm, Aspen Tree Expert Co.
Learn cutting-edge tree removal strategies that can help save you time, reduce the risk of injury, and increase your profit margins while satisfying your clients' tree care needs. Back by popular request, 2010 International Tree Climbing Champion Mark Chisholm will share some of the techniques he has learned as a third-generation, ISA-certified arborist over the last 25 years in the industry.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply cutting-edge tree removal strategies.
- Save time with efficient tree removal.
- Reduce the risk of injury with tree removal.
- Increase their profit margins for tree removal.
- Satisfy their clients' tree care needs while remaining profitable.
Sponsored by: 
Creating a Sales Machine: How to Grow Your Business
Kevin Kehoe, Three Points Group
Learn about the ways successful contractors are employing sales and marketing management techniques to build new sales.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Organize the right structure, goals, and reward system.
- Apply the right sales processes, tools, and reporting methods.
- Execute the correct lead generation and conversion approach.
- Apply the overall keys to success.
Qualify, Close, and Present
Patrick McManamon, Sandler Training
Gain a fresh perspective on how to take control of the sales process, instead of being controlled by it! Reduce the chase and the follow up on prospects that can't or won't decide. Increase your efficiency and improve your sales process by asking more clarifying questions on the front end of the sales process.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand why prospects act the way they do.
- Avoid the frustrations of "quote and hope."
- Apply the concepts that help to qualify and disqualify a prospect.
- Understand sales approaches that cause the sales person to lose control.
Seven Steps to Grow Green (Planet & Profit) Market Share
Sylvia Wright, The Wright Scoop
Through sharing her scoop - who, what, when, where, why, how, and the benefits of "growing green (profit/planet)" market share - Sylvia Hoehns Wright, as well as other Industry professionals, provide tips/strategies related to identifying a niche, developing sustainable business strategies, and implementing communication activities that "grow green" market share - not simply mechanics, but those proven to create niche presence.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Become a steward of the land because "green matters."
- Understand the Ps - product, publicity, promotion, people, planet & profit - and how each influences greening market share.
- Use mechanics involved in creating branded images and identify communication formats that create a differentiated message.
- Inject the marketplace with a unique, consistent, desirable "green" persona position that reigns over a consumer's mind.
Spanish - Sessions will be presented in Spanish
Keys to Successful Advocacy
Cómo Promulgar Sus Intereses con Éxito
This session will be conducted in Spanish
Part of running a successful business is understanding how the political decisions can influence demand for your services and your profitability. This course will define the keys to effective advocacy and present the key elements to effective engagement policy makers. Some of the concepts that will be addressed in this session include the importance of strength in numbers, building effective networks, personalizing your communications, and establishing a definitive goal.
Featured speakers: Freddy Balsera, Balsera Communications; Ralph Egües, Cruz Fox, LLC
Sponsored by:
3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Design/Build/Installation
Advantages of Design Technology for the Design/Build Firms Implementing Sustainable Landscapes
Eric Gilbey, Vectorworks, Inc.
Current design technology enables design/build firms to not only design but analyze a proposed site. This presentation will highlight the tools offered by general and landscape specific CAD programs and how design/build professionals can make use of these tools, such as erosion control, runoff calculations, cut and fill calculations, existing/proposed plant tracking, native plant selections, and sun/shade analysis to accomplish a sustainable site for their client.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Learn how GIS (Geographic Information System) file integration within Computer Aided Design (CAD) can provide an advantage in assisting clients in selecting (or passing) potential sites.
- Recognize the collaborative needs the Pre-Design Assessment and Planning benchmark within the Sustainable Sites InitiativeTM and how to approach the Integrated Design Team with file exchange expectations.
- Learn how general and landscape specific features within CAD applications can be essential tools in helping your clients meet not only the design objectives of a sustainable site, but those related to installation and maintenance as well.
Irrigation & Water Management
Landscape Irrigation: Gather the Low Hanging Fruit
Ed Klaas, Southern Sprinkler Systems, LLC
Explore the economic and environmental benefits of "gathering the low hanging fruit" of basic irrigation system maintenance and management.
Landscape Management
How to Use Business in a Box to Grow and Market Your Business
Bruce Wilson and Tom Oyler, Wilson/Oyler Group
Never before has it been as important to be able to grow and market your business. The competitive nature of the market is testing the best of companies. Learn how to use Business in a Box to help improve your growth opportunities.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Move up your customers' value chain.
- Build segment-specific proposals.
- Retain lifetime customers.
- Price strategies for competitive markets.
- Recognize the collaborative needs the Pre-Design Assessment and Planning benchmark within the Sustainable Sites InitiativeTM and how to approach the Integrated Design Team with file exchange expectations.
- Learn how general and landscape specific features within CAD applications can be essential tools in helping your clients meet not only the design objectives of a sustainable site, but those related to installation and maintenance as well.
Lawn Care
Unlock the Power of Google Ad Words While Reducing your Cost Per Sale
Shaun Kanary, Weed Pro
Spike your marketing effectiveness with the use of Google Ad Words, Google analytics, and other social media.
Post 2008-2011 Economy - What Can You Expect for 2012? Planning Essentials
Kevin Kehoe, Three Points Group
Learn about the critical planning elements essential to hiring, investing, selling, and pricing, and how you can use these to be prepared for 2012. The session includes benchmark data on key ideas.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Price: Where are they and in what direction will they go?
- Apply Gross Margins: Where are they and in what direction will they go?
- Interpret Staff Productivity: What are the ratios and in what direction will they go?
- Apply Conclusions: How should I make decisions for 2012 (more risk or less risk)?
The Manager Exam Mini-Prep Session
Phil Allen, Ph.D., Landscape Industry Certified Manager, Brigham Young University
Separate yourself from the pack by becoming a Landscape Industry Certified Manager (formerly CLP). Renowned instructor Phil Allen can give you pointers on how to earn this distinction of excellence. This fast-paced, exam mini-prep session will hit the highlights and give you a general overview of this certification. Whether you're a student looking to get a head start on your career or a green industry business owner, manager, or supervisor looking to certify your knowledge and skills, this jam-packed study session is for you.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Become a Landscape Industry Certified Manager.
- Apply tips with helpful Q&A on the manager certification.
- Study for the seven components of the exam, from HR to marketing.
Stop Thinking Like a Landscaper!
Jim McCutcheon, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, HighGrove Partners, LLC
Our world has changed dramatically and not just in the last three years. Our industry has fallen behind in meeting the needs of our increasingly sophisticated clients. We must begin the think and act differently to succeed. Ideas and thoughts will be presented and discussed in this interactive session.
Why Sales Efforts Fail and What You Can Do About It!
Patrick McManamon, Sandler Training
Product knowledge and industry knowledge are extremely important, but used at the wrong time in the sales process they can lead to your demise. Participants in this session will gain a perspective on why prospects behave the way they do, and the techniques to prevent that behavior. The outcome will be better closing ratios and shorter sales cycles.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Not apply the traditional selling techniques that make prospects run to the competition.
- Avoid providing "unpaid consulting."
- Understand what and when product knowledge should be shared.
- Apply ways to shorten the time from lead to close.
How Much Will Health Care Reform Cost Your Organization?
Kevin Bang, USI Insurance
For most employers, 2011 will be their first year dealing with health care reform. Now is the time to assess the additional costs and determine how to best budget for those costs moving forward. We'll review some effective ways to execute this process. We'll also review ways to understand and control health plan risks in an environment where insurance carriers are increasing their rates to deal with reform.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Calculate the health care reform cost drivers that will be impacting their group health plans.
- Better understand how the health risks of their employee population will affect their future costs.
- Effectively communicate pertinent health care reform topics to their employees.
- Build a strategy for dealing with the changes that health care reform may bring over the next 2-3 years
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Environmental and Human Health Benefits, Impacts, and Costs Associated With Maintaining Healthy Green Spaces
Katrina von Stackelberg, Sc.D., a principal with E Risk Sciences and a Research Associate at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis; Rev. Kenneth Robinson, M.D., M. Div., who has served as the Commissioner of Health for the state of Tennessee; and Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the UCLA School of Medicine.
This session will be a meaningful dialogue about the benefits and costs of maintaining healthy green spaces as it relates to the environment and public health.
Sponsored by:
Compliance, Safety, and Accountability - What Is CSA?
Jim Martin and Gary Clevenger, CNA
If you are a company with a Department of Transportation (DOT) number or anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle, you need to attend this session.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Reduce commercial motor vehicle crashes, fatalities, and injuries.
- Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of FMCSA's enforcement and compliance program.
- Prepare for compliance, safety and accountability.
- Understand the SMS methodology and the BASICs.
- Raise awareness that every inspection counts and every violation counts.
Marketing Your Contracting Business on the Internet
Jeff Carowitz, Strategic Force, Inc.
The days of using the yellow pages to advertise your business are just about gone. Today's consumers are using the Internet to identify landscape professionals. Learn the right way to use the Internet to market your landscape industry company without falling victim to scams and spending a fortune. Come ready to take notes on valuable Internet resources and how-to steps to accelerate your success. This seminar is designed from the ground up for landscape professionals, so expect real examples and beneficial advice geared to our industry.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of their current Web site in selling their company and services.
- Launch a paid-search advertising program using Google AdWords.
- Master Google Places.
- Understand and leverage Angie's List, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
- Avoid high-priced scams and false promises.
The Account Manager Guide: How to Attract, Get on Board, Keep, and Grow the Best Account Managers
Bill Arman, The Harvest Group
The ability to find, keep, and grow the account manager position remains a CRITICAL COMPETANCY for an organization to achieve sustainable success. This workshop will review what key programs, processes, and tools are needed for companies to find and keep the right account manager. This will be a fast-paced workshop for companies that really understand the role the account manager plays in their organization's success.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Identify qualified candidates and get them to become part of their team.
- Build an "onboarding" process that gets them up and running quickly.
- Design training and development programs that work.
- Track the account manager's progress.
- Keep their best on board with solid incentive programs.
Marketing to the Affluent - How to Find, Sell, and Keep the Wealthy Client
Jeffrey Scott, Landscape Success Systems
Affluent homeowners have the income and the mindset to hire you now, if you know how to win them over. The truly rich are different from you and me. With the Affluent Approach,™ Jeffrey Scott will fast-forward your learning curve so you can sell more and faster to this profitable customer segment.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Attract clients and prove you understand their needs.
- Sell them high-value at a higher price.
- Keep them wowed, spending, and referring you.
Getting to "We"
Bernie Ervin, Ohio State University
The title suggests that this is yet another teamwork topic. Not so! Instead, we will tackle the question, "How do employees make the transition from thinking of it as "your business" to thinking of it as "our business"? The topic includes a discussion of the critical roles of commitment from top management, a supporting organizational culture, employees compatible with the "we" culture, a change process, delegation, communication, and rewards.
Attendees will learn how to:
- How to help employees make the transition from thinking of it as "your business" to "our business."
- The importance of a supporting organizational culture.
- How to use delegation, improved communication, and rewards to help get to "we."
- Why it critical to hire the right people.
Real World Applications of Sustainability
Paul Fields, Lambert Landscape Co.; Jud Griggs, Certified Landscape Manager, Lambert Landscape Co.; Lara Moffat, Lambert Landscape Co.
Sustainability is a hot buzzword these days, no matter what topic is being discussed. At Lambert's, Sustainability is not a new trend but a way of life we have been adhering to for many years through our commitment to having the most qualified and highly trained staff; designing environmentally sensitive gardens while using natural, appropriate, and adapted materials; and by being completely organic.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Educate colleagues, clients, and the community about sustainability.
- Enrich the soil for optimum planting conditions considering soil structure, nutrient retention, and microbial activity.
- Reduce resource expenditure and heat island effects by means of softscape and hardscape choices.
- Maximize water infiltration and minimizing water runoff through appropriate material selection.
- Continue sustainable practices in maintenance and organic plant health care for the long-term health, vigor and environmental impact of the garden.
To Sell or Not to Sell? That Is the Question
David Minor, The Landscape Partners
In this thought-provoking session, Minor goes through the dynamics and thought process of selling your business.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Challenge their thinking about what they may want to do
- Apply insight that only someone who has been on both the buying and selling side can relate to.
- Maximize their selling price if indeed they do decide to sell.
Transitioning an Install Company to Maintenance and Vice Versa
Monroe Porter, PROOF Management Consultants
Landscaping is such a diverse industry that many companies try to be everything to everybody and end up being nothing to no one. This program will focus on core competency evaluation and how to determine which segment you are most likely to succeed with. Attendees will evaluate the key factors for both maintenance and install businesses and fundamental structures for success.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand the key factors that drive each business type.
- Avoid the standard pitfalls each business encounters.
- Know their core competencies and whether each business is right for them.
- Minimize overhead and over-complicated diversity.
1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
How to Win Jobs and Close Deals
Monroe Porter, PROOF Management Consultants
This sales program offers ideas you can put to immediate use without feeling pushy or phony. Unlike many sales programs, which are all motivation and fluff, this program focuses on skills you can use to close deals. Today's market demands customers clearly understand the value you bring and what is in it for them. Participants will also learn how sales and estimating must be efficient and treated as a profit center.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Connect with customers and identify needs.
- Close with no pressure and in a positive manner.
- Control estimating and design costs.
- React to objections, such as "your price is too high."
- Destroy the extrovert sales myth and recognize that anyone can sell.
10 "Best" Practices That All Smaller Growing Companies Need to Know and Practice
Bill Arman, The Harvest Group
If you are a smaller company that wants to move to the $1- $2 million level and wants to know what practices will guide you to achieve this level, you must attend this session! These "best" practices will help you build your organization with sound, fundamental, simple-to-implement processes that will accelerate your journey to success.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Recruit and train employees.
- Get and keep the right customers.
- Apply simple cost tracking.
- Estimate jobs and price for profit.
Have Fun Delivering Great Service
Bob Coulter, JP Horizons
This session will provide you with a road map for finding the right value proposition for and delivering excellent experiences to your target. Coulter will help leaders deliver great customer service in difficult situations. Each participant will create a personalized approach to deliver great value and form significant partnerships. In this session, Bob Coulter will take a creative look at the three components of great service: warm welcomes, magic moments, and fond farewells.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Gain clarity on the difference between the tasks they perform and the essence of their work.
- Frame a service culture that demonstrates how they should treat internal and external customers.
- Build their training to facilitate service excellence.
- Grow their communication skills as the vehicle of great customer service.
Are We Sleepwalking Through Life? Jokes and Stories to Caffeinate Your Afternoon!
Param Srikantia, Ph.D., Baldwin-Wallace College
In contrast to traditional stress management techniques, this session will seek to produce a transformative breakthrough by presenting short anecdotes, stories, and jokes that will awaken a deep sense of joy and help energize you. The approach will use stories and humor to tackle the grimness of life and help you cope with the more challenging elements of everyday living, such as failure, and overwhelming and even annoying bosses and colleagues!
Attendees will learn how to:
- Strengthen their leadership competencies by managing challenging situations and personalities.
- Promote stress management by increasing their enjoyment of the simple pleasures of everyday living, often missed in a busy world focused excessively on tangible outcomes.
- Uncover deeply hidden sources of energy within them that will help them combat the exhaustion of everyday life.
Sustainable Landscaping Toolbox
Bob Grover, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, Pacific Landscape Management
Sustainability is not a fad; it's the future of our industry. If you want to be more sustainable, but don't know where to start, this session is for you. From his experience as a pioneer in the sustainable landscape movement, Bob Grover will give you ideas and tools to make your business and landscape service more sustainable to meet your customers' requests and your own desire to become a more sustainable landscape installation or maintenance provider.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Establish a sustainable culture in their company.
- Reduce chemical usage, emissions, and their carbon footprint.
- Reduce water use and save their customers money.
- Integrate sustainable landscape elements into new and existing landscapes.
Building an Effective Organizational Culture
Bernie Erwin, Ohio State University
Organizational culture has the potential of playing a huge role in the success or failure of a business. However, some managers pay no attention to their culture and cannot describe the culture now in place. This topic approaches culture as a positive tool that top managers can use to improve business performance.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Define culture and how it is learned by employees.
- Tell the difference between a traditional control culture and an employer/employee partnership culture.
- Apply several practical guidelines to help employers and supervisors give more useful attention to their organizational cultures.
Success in Business
David Minor, The Landscape Partners
What is Success? How is it defined? How do you motivate and inspire your team to ensure you are all on the same page to help your organization be successful?
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply seven major points to consider and contemplate as you and your colleagues build your business.
Safety Discussion Panel
Rick Cuddihe, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, Lafayette Property Maintenance and Consulting Co.; Jim Martin, CNA; Chuck Stribling, Kentucky OSHA; Todd Pugh, Enviroscapes, Inc.; Jay Murray, LandscapeSafety.com
Discussion by respected contractors and safety experts on safe practices, training and ideas that will improve your safety programs. Panelist share successful programs resulting in a safer work place and operations. Bring your safety questions to this panel of professionals or come to listen to ideas that have worked.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply successful safety programs
- Implement the latest safety programs
- Apply safety as an important part of your business plan
Practice safe company plans which will help companies grow and prosper
Foundations in Human Resources
Veronica de Hoyos, Lawn Management Company
This session will be conducted in Spanish
This course provides an overview of the human resource activities most important to new supervisors including staff recruitment, selection, development, appraisal, retention, and progressive discipline. Attendees will also be instructed on how to manage conflict and difficult conversations, promote diversity, and properly handle terminations
Sponsored by:
3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
PLANET Trailblazer Panel Discussion: Business Solutions from the Experts in the Industry
PLANET Trailblazers, will share their knowledge and industry experience with you. Building on the success of this member benefit, take advantage of the opportunity to have immediate access to an industry leader. Bring your questions as they pertain to managing your growing business and walk away with concrete ideas to implement into the everyday running of your business. Don’t miss this valuable opportunity!
Becoming an Exceptional Performance Coach
Bob Coulter, JP Horizons
Grow your people so you can DRIVE your company to achieve your goals. It is essential that the leadership skills of managers develop in order for them and the company to grow. A company must have the individuals in its leadership roles define the "wins" for the team, and then learn how to coach and direct performance toward those wins. This simple concept will create both short- and long-term success for the individual and the company. In this fun session, Bob Coulter will explore the four steps to great coaching and will send each participant away ready to lead with COURAGE, CANDOR, and CONSIDERATION.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand the evolution that needs to occur when an employee goes from being a doer to being a coach.
- Construct a win-win agreement with each direct report.
- Perfect skill development that puts them in a position to facilitate productive coaching conversations.
- Establish the discipline to document what is important and to build a structured approach for follow-up.
Management Toolbox!
Bill Vogel, Spring Valley
Just as a mechanic has a toolbox full of a variety of unique tools to handle many different situations, business owners and managers need a toolbox to help them handle the wide variety of monetary and personnel challenges they face. What do all managers manage? They manage money (assets) and people. Owners obviously handle money and people, but managers also handle assets (monetary budgets, equipment, etc.) and people.
Attendees will learn how to:
- " Keep score - budgets made easy.
- Set up and use dashboards.
- Get banks in their corner.
- Learn ABCs of hiring and firing - hire star employees!
Expanding Your Business
LED Landscape Lighting Join the Revolution
Jeff Dross, Kichler Lighting
Why the new LED landscape lighting gets more bids and closes more jobs, profitably. Learn about applied LED technology that is revolutionizing the installation by virtually eliminating time involved with troubleshooting and associated labor costs. Learn the benefits of designing with LED for dramatic lighting effects.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Know the good from the bad LED innovations.
- Understand installation and troubleshooting.
- See an actual LED demonstration/comparison.
- Experience a mini-layout LED vs. Incandescent.
- Understand why LED, why now - No more blue light, really.
- Understand why they should start with using only LED if lighting is a new addition to their businesses.
- Understand BOM material costs (and labor).
- Calculate lifetime savings for homeowner in both energy savings and lightbulb replacement savings.
- Walk away with energy savings calculation for practical and immediate use.
- Be given facts to boost their sales skills.
How to Survive, Prosper, and Grow Profits in the Landscape Business
Monroe Porter, PROOF Management Consultants
Landscaping is a demanding, seasonal business chock full of entrepreneurial workaholics scrambling to succeed. Participants will learn how to identify the right business structure for their company and to avoid the traditional pitfalls growth creates. This class will offer tips on how to dramatically increase your bottom line without detracting from your lifestyle and business goals.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Wonder, blunder, thunder, plunder ... determine where their business falls.
- Develop the right business structure for them and their businesses.
- Tabulate useful and simple financial information.
- Avoid growth and lifestyle pitfalls.
Sustainable Landscape Management
Dr. Ann Marie VanDerZanden, Iowa State University
Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in the landscape industry. Yet, many contractors are asking "What is landscape sustainability?" and "How can I implement it?" This session will provide a practical framework for the development of sustainable landscape management strategies, from design to execution and, eventually, to maintenance.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply best practices for sustainable plant and hardscape choices.
- Reduce inputs and runoff.
- Use sustainable approaches to soil protection and improvement.
- Understand the potential impact of the Sustainable Sites Initiative on the landscape industry.
Why Life Sucks: Ten Pathways to Greatness in a Troubled World
Param Srikantia, Ph.D., Baldwin-Wallace College
A fundamental paradox afflicting societies like the United States is that the rules for being externally successful in society often jeopardize the quest for inner happiness. While our parents, schools, and colleges raise us to be successful, they tell us very little about the art of developing an inner world of contentment, creative self-expression, and happiness. Based on the speaker's book, The Architecture of Human Greatness, this workshop presents 10 pathways to unlock your inner greatness and be yourself.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Empower themselves to articulate their personal vision for being a great human being in their own eyes regardless of the external pressures that often force them to be a certain way.
- Achieve lifestyle balance by harmonizing the seemingly conflicting demands for results with the quest for inner fulfillment
- Understand their core values and needs, and explore powerful ways to express their strengths more confidently and fully
Why Become a Great Employer?
Mike Rorie, GIS Dynamics
Gain the competitive advantage by becoming an employer that people want to work for. Passionate employees that love their job and the company they work for are likely to make contributions that far exceed the standard. Customers know the difference when employees are genuinely committed to their company.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Create high levels of accountability for your team.
- Understand what it means for your company when your staff stays year after year.
- Pay attention to your people and resourcing them produces a better bottom line.
Sustainable Landscape Management
Dr. Ann Marie VanDerZanden, Iowa State University
Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in the landscape industry. Yet, many contractors are asking "What is landscape sustainability?" and "How can I implement it?" This session will provide a practical framework for the development of sustainable landscape management strategies, from design to execution and, eventually, to maintenance.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply best practices for sustainable plant and hardscape choices.
- Reduce inputs and runoff.
- Use sustainable approaches to soil protection and improvement.
- Understand the potential impact of the Sustainable Sites Initiative on the landscape industry.
Foundations in Budgeting
Fundamentos de Presupuesto
This session will be conducted in Spanish
In this course, attendees will receive an orientation to financial reporting and will learn the fundamentals of budgeting and its importance to organizational planning and control. The presentation then builds on this foundation by covering the basic steps of constructing a budget and making budget presentations in an easy to understand format.
Featured speakers: Manuel Castañeda, Pro Landscape, Inc. ; Ralph Egües, Cruz Fox, LLC
Sponsored by:
Clinic
Build a Bid
Phil Harwood, CSP, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, Pro-Motion Consulting, LLC; Rich Arlington, CSP, Richard Arlington and Associates
Sponsored by: 
Join Rich Arlington and Phil Harwood as they walk attendees through a fun, interactive, hands-on session that will illustrate a comprehensive way to build a solid snow and ice bid.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Qualify potential customers before they bid.
- Create a process to determine their true costs.
- Apply the keys to building different pricing models Core concepts related to presenting and closing a deal, with input from the instructors and their peers.
Do What, When? The Ultimate Business Management Calendar for Landscape Contractors
Presenter: Mark Bradley, TBG Landscape, Landscape Management Network
Running a landscape company is about being a businessperson first, and a landscaper second… but where do you start? The tasks that need our time the most rarely scream the loudest – and we end up stuck, somewhere in between. If you want to enjoy growing your landscape business then catch Mark Bradley, owner of TBG Landscape and the Landscape Management Network, as he guides you through a month-by-month calendar to managing a more profitable landscape company. Mark’s grown his landscape company from backyard startup to over $17 million in annual sales in 13 years and in this workshop will teach attendees how to:
- Focus on the right tasks at the right times; a monthly breakdown of how to manage a better business
- Work from a plan for greater profit
- Price work with a system that turns your plans into reality
- Hire and reward employees for better development, productivity and retention
- Identify and fix the most important problems
- Avoid the 7 biggest mistakes I made in my business
Be sure to catch this rare chance to get the inside track from one of the industry’s brightest stars.
Sponsored by: 
Virtual Facility Tour
Join us as we virtually tour Jacobsen Landscape Design & Construction, Inc., and Chapel Valley Landscape Co., via video and on-site presenters. These virtual tours will showcase what makes these companies stand out as examples of excellence in the green industry. Learn the secrets behind their operations, personnel, and business strategy at this year's GIC.
