NALP unveils schedule for LANDSCAPES 2018

Fairfax, Va., - The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) unveiled its schedule of events for LANDSCAPES 2018, an educational event for landscape and lawn care professionals that takes place Oct. 16-19. This year, there is education for every member of the team and the schedule has been overhauled.

For crew members, LANDSCAPES will offer a new technical education track that includes classroom and outdoor training as well as a separate intensive crew leadership workshop.

For sales and marketing staff, LANDSCAPES will provide a day-long account manager workshop to focus on preparing attendees to improve their customer relations, target their marketing and boost their account management skills.

CEOs, owners and managers can also attend targeted education, including specialty summits in landscape management, lawn care, design/build, irrigation, and snow and ice management. In addition, owners can attend 20 regular sessions on finance, operations and HR. The CEO Forum and networking opportunities round out the offerings.

Also, the conference starts one day earlier this year and GIE+EXPO opens a day earlier, right after the show’s keynote featuring Dr. Robert Ballard, a famous explorer who discovered the Titanic.

“We are truly excited to debut a re-imagined conference in our brand-new headquarters hotel – the spectacular Omni Louisville Hotel,” said NALP CEO Sabeena Hickman “I really mean it when I say – this is the year not to miss. We encourage people to bring more of their team members and let everyone share in the professional development opportunities.”

Click here to register for the conference. Individuals who register for LANDSCAPES will receive additional details to reserve a room in the LANDSCAPES room block.

LANDSCAPES 2018 is approved for Landscape Industry Certified CEUs at 1 per hour of instruction attended. Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) and Hardscape North America (HNA) educational programs also qualify toward recertification.

The event is sponsored by John Deere at the platinum level with additional support by Caterpillar as the gold sponsor and Bayer as the silver sponsor.

New hire.

NALP hired Andrew Bray as its vice president of government relations. Bray starts the position July 9. He will replace Paul Mendelsohn, who left the association in June.

Bray is a seasoned association advocate, having worked in a government relations role for the North American Meat Institute, the Grocer Manufacturers Association and most recently as vice president of public policy at the National Pest Management Association.

Early in his career, Bray honed his policy, advocacy and political skills working on Capitol Hill in a congressional office and while working on multiple federal, state and local campaigns. He earned his law degree in 2013 and maintains an active license to practice law in the state of Virginia.

“Andrew will be a huge asset to our members and to the industry,” Hickman said. “He is not only a seasoned government relations pro, but he also has extensive experience working on key issues our industry faces, including pesticide regulation, proposed product restrictions and labor laws.”

Partnership with AmericanHort.

NALP and AmericanHort partnered to raise consumer awareness of the landscape and nursery industries through content delivered on the consumer websites LoveYourLandscape.org and LoveYourPlants.org.

AmericanHort will share its expert knowledge of flowers and shrubs on the website and on social media channels through its LoveYourPlants branded content. The website will have new content each month, which will promote the consumer and environmental benefits of plants, trees, shrubs and managed landscapes.

LoveYourLandscape.org encourages readers to seek professional help by consulting with a landscape or lawn care professional, or by consulting with a nursery or garden center expert for horticulture advice.

The AmericanHort featured content in the LoveYourPlants.org area of the website will provide a variety of helpful tips and inspiration for flowers, trees and shrubs. The site will also include a link to find local plant retailers in a designated area.

Both associations will drive traffic to the site through digital ad campaigns, social media outreach and media relations tactics. Click here to visit LoveYourLandscape.org and read content.