5 Reasons to Attend Industry Trade Shows

Chris Go iPave Booth NPE

Chris at the Go iPave booth at the National Pavement Expo 2012.

Industry trade shows are where it’s at. If you don’t typically attend or haven’t in a few years, circle back and review the big regional shows that are available to your industry as well as the smaller local shows that are easier for you to sneak away to.

We attend about 6 trade shows each year for the landscape, paving and snow removal industries and we love every bit of them. It’s great to meet our clients in person, introduce ourselves to new people that have never heard of our brands Go iLawn and Go iPave, and take the pulse of the industry. Plus, we get to see cool new equipment and products.

5 Reasons to Attend Landscape, Pavement Maintenance and Snow Removal Trade Shows

If the reasons we like going to shows aren’t enough to encourage you to Google your industry shows, take a look at five reasons you should attend a trade show if you are a landscape, pavement maintenance or snow removal contractor:

  1. Network with Peers. Your peers know what you are up against because they’re up against it too. Our CEO Mike Rorie learned a lot about the green industry and how to make a business successful by attending ALCA (now PLANET) events and applying what he learned from the other guys that were there. He made lifelong friends there too.
  2. Share your knowledge. Someone can learn from you too. If you share what you are doing that works for you, your tips may just help someone take their business to the next level. This helps you because you know someone else is out there elevating the industry and giving service companies a good name.
  3. Learn something new. This is an obvious/easy one, but most trade shows offer educational sessions, some of which even offer continuing education credits for certifications. Plus there is usually at least one keynote session with a great industry speaker or well-known person worth seeing.
  4. Try out equipment you’ve been thinking of purchasing. Let’s face it, buying equipment is a big decision no matter who you are. Every October at the Green Industry Expo (GIE)  in Louisville, they set up an outdoor exhibit area where you can literally jump on a mower and try it out. Don’t spend too much time out there though because those of us in the indoor exhibit area want to see you too!
  5. The Swag- If you are still not convinced that an industry show is something you should devote your time and resources too, let me lure you in with the free stuff you’ll walk out of there with. Of course there are the standard takeaways, pens, coffee cups, maybe a t-shirt, but nowadays companies are giving away iPads and Android tablets, vacations and pieces of expensive equipment. If you can think of it, someone is probably giving it away at the show.

We hope these tips have encouraged you to check out some shows this summer and fall. We are at SIMA this week, we’ll be at Sno Motion in July, GIE in October, and NPE in January 2014. Maybe we will see you there?

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