Thousands of landscape contractors and equipment dealers will converge on Louisville, KY, October 23-25, for yet another GIE+EXPO. We’ll be among the 500-plus exhibitors there, so stop by our booth #4038 to say hi if you’re around.
Many of you won’t be, unfortunately. If my rudimentary math skills serve me correctly, at least 80% of you won’t be, as a matter of fact. There are several reasons why.
First, it’s a big time commitment. Most dealers and contractors have to work both on and in their businesses. Second, it requires a monetary commitment. Even though Louisville is a very cost-effective locale, the travel, lodging and meal costs associated with a trip like this still add up. With so much focus on reducing overhead these days, many contractors and dealers have a hard time justifying the cost of attending a national show like GIE+EXPO.
What can you do at GIE+EXPO that you can’t do anywhere else? When it comes down to it, this is the question you must ask yourself.
I could argue that GIE+EXPO offers a venue for you to discover and test new products and equipment. But you can also discover new products through magazines and websites like ours, online forums, and manufacturer websites. If you’re a contractor, you can always visit an area dealer to try a machine out in your own backyard.
I could argue that GIE+EXPO offers a venue for you to take in an academic career’s worth of seminars and workshops. But again, you could replicate that by reading magazines, books and websites, and engaging with local associations and other professional groups.
What GIE+EXPO does, though, is allow you to do both of these things over the course of a couple days in one location. Thus, GIE+EXPO, from a cost and time standpoint, is incredibly efficient. The volume of new ideas, products and business solutions you could be exposed to would likely require weeks of your time if researching on your own from your office or living room.
So GIE+EXPO is really about taking care of business—your business—in an efficient, cost-effective way. On that note, both contractors and dealers can learn more about becoming certified and even take certification tests while at GIE+EXPO. Also, both contractors and dealers have numerous opportunities to connect with peers from around the country to talk about business. This is one unique benefit of attending a “national” event like GIE+EXPO. When hunkering down in your own market area, it can be a challenge to network with peers because many of those peers are also your competitors.
If you have yet to register for GIE+EXPO 2013, head over to gie-expo.com and take a look. You still have a week or two. Hope to see you there.
