Hardscape heaven

HNA will be located in its larger space for the second year in a row, the North Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center. In addition to new products, attendees will find educational opportunities and live hardscape demonstrations.

Continuous build.

Six live continuous-build demonstrations will take place in the HNA outdoor arena. The demos will be led by Bill Gardocki, several guest presenters and his team from the University of New Hampshire.

This year's live demonstrations include sessions on installation of base material and pavers for interlocking pavements, Go Pro time-lapse for construction jobs, hardscape lighting and outdoor kitchens. ICPI certified installers can earn one CE credit at each demo. A $50 registration upgrade will gain attendees access to all six demos.

Contractor briefings.

An expanded contractor briefing segment will give attendees the chance to take a break from walking and gain insight from industry professionals. Topics will include OSHA and Silica, as well as a wide range of profit-boosting tips from recognized industry experts. The 20-minute drop-in sessions are free with show admission and will take place in the trade show floor classroom.

Briefings begin Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and continue through Friday afternoon.

HNA Installer Championship.

After six regional championships took place throughout the country, regional winners will face-off at the HNA Installer Championship.

Regional competitions have taken place in Provo, Utah; Providence, Rhode Island; Indianapolis; Keller, Texas; San Jose, California; and Lacey, Washington.

At the HNA 2017 final competition, 24 teams will have their understanding of industry best practices and guidelines tested in a race against the clock and other top installers in the industry. The event will take place over a two-day period.

Preliminary rounds.

The preliminary rounds will have 24 teams competing in six rounds. During each preliminary round, all teams will have 60 minutes to construct an 8’x10’ patio area as detailed in the supplied drawing, which will require the installation of a seat wall, herringbone field, soldier course, bedding sand, edge restraint, and complete the initial paver compaction.

During the preliminary rounds, each team’s score will be calculated based on completeness, compliance to industry guidelines, safety, quality and craftsmanship.

The four teams with the highest total scores out of all preliminary rounds will advance to the Championship round.

Final round.

During the final round, which starts at 2 p.m. Friday, each team will have 90 minutes to complete their construction, according to their own creative design in the assigned construction area. The score during the final round will be calculated based on compliance to industry guidelines, safety, quality, craftsmanship and creativity. At the end of the final round, the scores from only the final round will be used to rank the teams. In the case of a tie, the judges will determine the final ranking. The team ranked highest will be declared the 2017 Hardscape North America Installer Champion.

The HNA 2017 Champions will receive a prize package valued at approximately $10,000. The package includes $1,000, an iQ360 14” masonry saw with fully-integrated dust collection plus accessories, a Weber MT CF3 Pro forward plate compactor, their name engraved on the HNA Installer Championship Cup, a plaque and recognition in various media including Interlock Design Magazine, Hardscape Magazine and HNA website.

The second place team will receive $400, an iQ360 14-inch masonry saw with fully-integrated dust collection plus accessories, a plaque and recognition in various media including Interlock Design Magazine and HNA website.

Third place winners will receive $100, a plaque and recognition in various media including the Interlock Design Magazine and HNA website, and the fourth-place team will receive a plaque and recognition in various media including Interlock Design Magazine and HNA website.

Hardscape Demos

Thursday, Oct. 19; 11 a.m.-Noon

SRW Construction with a Focus on Double Tiered Walls and Proper Geo Grid Specification, Placement and Use

1-2 p.m.

Installation of Base Material and Pavers for Interlocking Pavements and Go Pro Time-Lapse for Construction Jobs

3-4 p.m.

Permeable Base and Paver Installation

Friday, Oct. 20; 11 a.m.-Noon

Tools of the Trade

1-2 p.m.

Hardscape Lighting

3-4 p.m.

Outdoor Kitchens

Contractor Briefings

Thursday, Oct. 19; 9:30-9:50 a.m.

ICPI Installer Certification, Advanced Designations and Their Value.

The ICPI Executive Director will open the Contractor Briefings by giving you all the information you need on what ICPI can do for you and your business. Charles McGrath

11:30-11:50 a.m.

How to Make Your Personal and Organizational Success Go Off the Charts

Learn simple, insightful ways to interact more positively with others, and watch your personal and organizational success go off the charts. This session is a preview of Gary Ross’ talk for Session 203 on Becoming a Person of Influence. Gary Ross

1-1:20 p.m.

The BIZ-BUILDER BLUEPRINT for Contractors

You can build a top-performing company and enjoy the benefits of a successful business without constantly micro-managing, controlling, stressing and making every decision by implementing proven steps, systems, structure, meetings, people and priorities. George Hedley will show you the start of how to draft your winning business plan blueprint to build a profitable growing construction company from one of his presentations. George Hedley

2:30-2:50 p.m.

Five Ways Mobile Phones Are Changing Online Marketing

Mobile devices are rapidly changing the game for hardscape businesses everywhere. In fact, more than 50% of all online searches are now occurring on a mobile phone. Join Todd Bairstow as he presents a summary-style version of his earlier session. Todd Bairstow

Friday, Oct. 20; 9:30-9:50 a.m.

Opportunities for Permeable Pavers in Residential and Commercial Markets

The ICPI Technical Director is a renowned expert on permeable interlocking concrete pavers. Learn about how much opportunity there is in the residential and commercial market for these types of pavers. David Smith

11:30-11:50 a.m.

OSHA’s New Crystalline Silica Regulation

Learn from an industry expert on how silica affects your business based on the OSHA safety regulations. This session is a preview of Dave Murray’s talk for Session 204 on OSHA’s New Crystalline Silica Regulation. David Murray

1-1:20 p.m.

Five Ways to Future Proof Your Hardscape Business

Proper risk management can help prevent many common challenging pitfalls of running a hardscape business. You can prevent loss by implementing simple systems and processes in your business to welcome, track, manage and adapt to change. Frank Bourque of Greenmark Landscaping & Development, Inc. is an award-winning speaker who will give you useful pointers to use in your hardscape business. Frank Bourque