Perks for lawn and landscape pros at GIE+EXPO 2016

What started in a broom closet in an Indiana tavern, is now the third largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the world. The man who started that business, Papa John’s Pizza founder and CEO John Schnatter, will deliver the opening keynote the morning of Oct. 20 at the GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Papa John’s pizza business was founded in 1983 when Schnatter knocked out a broom closet in the back of his father’s tavern in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He then sold his 1971 Z28 Camaro to purchase $1,600 worth of used pizza equipment and began selling pizzas to the tavern’s customers out of the converted closet. Today, the company, with headquarters in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, is near Louisville. The $15 session fee will benefit the Louisville Zoo.

GIE+EXPO's 2016 dates are Wednesday, Oct. 19 for Dealer Day and Oct. 20-21 for all industry participants. You can register at www.gie-expo.com. Other highlights of the GIE+EXPO include:

GIE+EXPO is again co-located with Hardscape North America (HNA), and all attendees receive free access to the indoor displays at HNA. Access to HNA allows attendees to browse the latest in pavers, landscape lighting products, segmental retaining walls and more. A new format for HNA will feature a continuous build during show hours with 1-hour featured demonstrations starting at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Attendees can upgrade their tradeshow admission for just $25 to include the six demonstrations, or sign up to attend the hardscape session included in the GIE+EXPO Workshops for an automatic upgrade.

UTVs will have more of a focus this year during dealer day. The UTV education sessions will take place the first day of the show, October 19, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. The education program will have a trade focus and will feature classroom-based sessions conducted by recognized powersports industry experts from Powersports Business.

LANDSCAPES 2016, organized by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), and the Professional Grounds Management Society’s (PGMS) School of Grounds Management offer educational sessions and extensive peer networking. New this year, instead of one keynote session to open the conference, there will be three “power sessions” each morning that will include talks by Lawn & Landscape columnist Marty Grunder, Judy Guido, president, Guido and Associates, Dan Ariens, chairman and CEO, The Ariens Group, among others.

Nine GIE+EXPO Workshops will cover a variety of valuable management topics specifically for landscape contractors’ businesses. The workshops include: "50 Shades of Gray" – Identifying, clarifying and choosing marketing strategies that work by Kent Kohn of Pro-Motion Consulting; “How not to sell your business" by Ron Edmonds of the Principium Group; and "Optimize your cash flow and get paid faster” by David Tulkin of Fundbox, a business management company.

The GO EXPO mobile app will be available in August to help attendees stay up to date and build connections. App users will have access to the real-time exhibitor list, interactive floor plan, and session schedule along with planning and networking tools.

The 19-acre Outdoor Demonstration Area is open all day Thursday and Friday and it’s where attendees can test drive the equipment they’ve seen on the indoor show floor. An Exhibits Guide will be distributed prior to the show and on-site to help attendees navigate the demo park.

There will be three free concerts on Fourth Street Live! The Crashers perform on Oct. 19, Joe Nichols with Brooke Eden perform on Oct. 20 and Wax Factory with Kirby’s Dreamland perform on Oct. 21.

The New Products Showcase allows visitors to get a glimpse of the latest innovations, make their must-see lists, and then stop at the exhibits to meet the manufacturers and test the products.

The Fabulous Friday $10,000 Giveaway is back. One lucky winner will be drawn at 4 p.m., and the winner must be present to win the $10,000 prize. To be eligible, register for the show and an entry form will be mailed along with badges and will include instructions for returning it on-site.