Tech talk 2022

I’m still digging out from the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference, which we hosted from Aug. 10-12 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The conference educational sessions focused on technology in the green industry, and the trade show floor featured the latest technology in this industry. I’m biased, but there’s always a lot of interesting conversation going on. Here are some of my takeaways from the sessions and networking with attendees.

Monitor mowers

Yes, autonomous mowers are still a work in progress, especially on the commercial side, but you still need to keep an eye on it. Just because you are a skeptic now, or maybe just don’t see a fit, doesn’t mean you can ignore them completely. If you aren’t staying up-to-date on the latest developments, your competition may be, and that could leave you behind.

VR/AR

Our keynote speaker, technology expert Jack Shaw, talked about the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality and how they will fit in the industry. Augmented reality is taking something real and altering a real-life situation with technology, while virtual reality completely takes over your vision. One hypothetical where this could be used in the green industry — a future where training employees can be done with either option.

Don’t be left behind

Shaw also dispelled a common myth: That technology will replace people, especially in this industry. Shaw says that’s not the case. However, people and companies who don’t embrace technology will be replaced by those who do.

TikTok Success

Yes, the social media platform can be used for more than just entertaining teenagers. Wade Gerten, one of our presenters, said he was able to recruit more than 20 employees at a pretty low cost per hire.

They made a creative video showcasing the company as a fun but hard-working place where you would want to work, which led to the boost in employees and more than 100 leads. Check out our October issue for coverage of the event.

We are still tying up some loose ends on the 2023 event, but we should have more details soon.