One of the ways TLC remains a perennially award-winning landscape company is by being involved and staying on the cutting edge of the industry. We participate in professional trade associations and are committed to attending their conferences and trade shows to ensure we always know what trends and technology are coming down the pike.
Our friends in the U.S. host two major landscaping industry trade shows and conferences every fall: Equip Exposition & Elevate.
While we look forward to Canada’s major green industry conference — Landscape Ontario Congress coming up in January — let’s review a few of the takeaways from Equip and Elevate, where landscaping technology like autonomous mowers, battery-powered equipment, drones, and AI-driven tools took center stage.
Equip, owned by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, is held annually in Louisville, Ky. It is one of the largest trade shows in North America with more than 1.2 million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space. This year’s event took place Oct. 15-18 and broke records with 28,500 attendees.
“What I’m going to take away most from this year’s event is the amount of technology, whether that is coming into the business, whether that’s autonomous (equipment), whether that’s battery-powered, whether those are software packages that will let landscape contractors and lawn care professionals do their jobs better, faster, more efficiently,” says Scott Hollister, editor-in-chief of Landscape Management magazine.
Specifically, many industry members’ eyes were on drone technology, battery-powered equipment and autonomous mowers.
Drones: Equip featured a Drone Zone in its 30-acre outdoor demo area to educate landscape contractors about how they can use them to more efficiently manage water, map and analyze properties and more. At TLC, we’re excited about the promise of this technology and the opportunities it presents us to use resources more wisely while we design, build and maintain award-winning landscapes for our clients.
Battery-powered equipment: We’re no strangers to electric equipment and vehicles. Converting gas-powered equipment and trucks to battery-electric versions is a mission we’ve been on for several years at TLC, and we welcome the rush of new manufacturers, investment and attention to this space. It will only improve our opportunity to become a more sustainable landscape company that creates and cares for beautiful outdoor spaces that improve the environment.
Autonomous mowers: Our grounds care division has its eye on autonomous and robotic mower technology. It’s exciting to see so many manufacturers from inside and outside the traditional outdoor power equipment space investing in autonomous landscaping equipment large and small, which have the potential to alleviate labor challenges and improve efficiency, ultimately creating better outcomes for property owners.
Elevate, a conference hosted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals, was held in Charlotte, N.C., Nov. 3-6.
Like Equip, the trade show floor at Elevate was buzzing with discussions about the technological advancements in landscape equipment and software, including hot topics like artificial intelligence.
But Elevate is perhaps best known for its networking opportunities and educational sessions. Attending events like this always inspires us with new ideas and energizes us to keep doing what we’ve been doing for 35 years: designing, building, and maintaining landscapes that transform our clients’ properties.
To learn what TLC can do for your property, check out our design gallery or request a consultation today.