Try before you buy

Landscapers say they feel like a kid again when they hit the Outdoor Demonstration Area at GIE+EXPO and Hardscape North America. Twenty acres of mowers, skid-steers, UTVs and more are all within easy walking distance of the EXPO show floor.

“The product focus is ideal, and because there is so much in a condensed area, we get it all knocked out,” says Matt Bieber of DR Power in Vergennes, Vermont. “GIE+EXPO is an amazing place to be around the people we work with all year. The demo area allows us to get hands-on experience with the new equipment.”

New this year, the co-located Hardscape North America’s demo area is moving to a paved area adjacent to the turf, increasing the available space to more than 20 acres and making way for more GIE+EXPO demo exhibits.

“The three elements that make GIE+EXPO worthwhile for me are the networking, education and equipment. It’s helpful to meet pros from different areas to find out how they do things, and from an education standpoint, they break it down so you learn steps to improve your profits, work culture and efficiency,” says Cameron Mitchell, maintenance operator at Benchmark Landscape Construction in Plain City, Ohio. “But the biggest thing for me is the equipment. At GIE+EXPO I’m like a kid on a playground!"

The Outdoor Demonstration Area, just steps away from GIE+EXPO’s indoor exhibits, will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.

It features hands-on exhibits displaying new products and equipment, from hand-held and walk-behind equipment to ride-on mowers, light construction equipment and UTVs. Attendees say they love the opportunity to get behind the controls, test drive and comparison shop all in one place over two days.

“I’m like a kid in a candy store,” says Kyle Baggett with Kyle B’s Landscaping & Maintenance in Dover, Tennessee. “I enjoy looking at all the booths and the demo area is awesome to walk through.” Access to the demo area is included in the registration fee.