Flying high

Drones are cool to fly, but they are much more than an expensive toy. At the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference, Eric Blevins, owner of Evolve Landscaping and Evolve Flight, will show you how he used this tool to better his company. His session, Eyes in the Sky, will take place at 2 p.m. Sept 1. The event takes place Aug. 31 – Sept. 2 at the Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate.

Visit http://www.lltechconference.com/ to learn more about the conference.

Here’s Blevins’ take on his session and technology in the industry.

What will attendees learn from your session?

In my session, Eyes in the Sky, attendees will learn the basic ways to use drone technology in their business.  We will discuss the different types of drones and their capabilities, P107 licensing requirements and general landscape applications. In addition, I will share some examples of how to use the drone to put together an estimate and proposal, as well as ideas on incorporating this technology into the company's marketing strategy.

How will industry professionals benefit from attending a conference like this?

Conferences like this are great places for green industry leaders to come together and hear ideas on how to collectively move the landscape industry forward. Technology is advancing at a higher rate than ever before and the more quickly that we are able to adapt and incorporate these concepts, the better off we will be as individual companies and as a collective industry.

How has embracing technology helped your company and the industry?

We have been purposeful about incorporating technology into our company as we grow.  From the beginning, we have found that trying to be as 'paperless' as possible has saved a lot of time and space, but really came to the forefront last year when COVID-19 hit. We were able to continue the workflow with minimal disruptions because everyone still had access to the files and documents that they needed. 

Using drones to measure and prepare estimates, as well as to take video of site conditions and property inspections has allowed not only us, but even our customers, to free up some resources while still continuing to communicate effectively and be on the same page. In addition, there is a certain 'cool' factor when customers hear about the technology that we are using and they often like to hear more about it, which allows us to have more touch points and opportunities for upselling.