Five Great Reasons to Attend the 2016 GIE Expo

It’s nearly time for one of the biggest annual events in the turf industry—the Green Industry & Equipment Expo, better known as the GIE Expo.  If you haven’t yet registered to attend the 2016 GIE Expo, it’s not too late, but you’d better hurry (some events are already sold out).  Here’s five reasons that you should make attending the expo a priority:

#1: The New Products Showcase

The New Products Showcase is one of the most popular features of the expo.  For the 2016 GIE Expo, over 100 products from 76 companies will be on display in a massive exhibit hall (with 80,000 square feet of exhibition space added for this year’s event).  You can see the complete list of products on the event website, but we know that what you really want to know is what new products Toro will be displaying at the expo.  Here’s the list:

• TITAN® HD 2500 Series Zero Turn Mower
• TimeCutter® HD Zero Turn Mower
• Recycler® Personal Pace® SMARTSTOW® Mower
• TurfMaster Commercial Walk Behind Mower
• GrandStand MULTI FORCE with BOSS plow

Once you’ve checked out Toro’s new products, you’re welcome to visit the booths of the other 75 companies at the New Products Showcase, but what’s the point? After all, you’ll have already seen the best of the best!

#2: Educational Opportunities

A key to rising to the top in any industry is to never stop learning, and there will be plenty of opportunities for learning at the 2016 GIE Expo.  With over five dealer-specific education events and nearly a dozen workshops for landscape professionals, you will have no excuse for not walking away from this event being completely up to speed on the latest developments in our industry.  Whether you’re interested in learning how to market your business better or increasing your technical skills, there is an educational event for you at the expo.

Personally, we’d recommend checking out the 2016 School of Grounds Management at the expo, but we might be a little biased—after all, Toro is a sponsor.  Did we mention that it includes an exclusive tour of Churchill Downs?

#3: The Outdoor Demonstration Area

This might as well be called the “playground” of the GIE Expo, because that’s exactly what you’ll get to do in the 19-acre outdoor demonstration area—play with all the new “toys” that exhibitors will be bringing for you to test.  In fact, many exhibitors actually hold competitions and games to encourage you to try their equipment.  Now, doesn’t that sound like fun?

#4: The Hardscape North America Expo

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that there is an entire additional expo going on at the same time and in the same location as the 2016 GIE Expo.  That’s right, you get TWO industry-leading events in one trip with a simple upgrade of your registration!

The second expo is the Hardscape North America Trade Show, where landscapers can learn valuable skills such as constructing raised patios, installing concrete pavers, and much more.  Visit the HNA website for details.

#5: Kenney Machinery Will Be There

We saved the #1 reason to visit the 2016 GIE Expo for last—you’ll have the chance to come say hello to the friendly faces of Kenney Machinery’s staff at our exhibition booth!  To find our booth simply look for the Toro signs, or just look for where the largest cluster of people is gathered (we’re assuming that we’ll be one of the top attractions at the expo).

We’re joking, of course, but in all seriousness if you are coming to the expo we’d love to have you stop by our booth and say hello, and of course check out some of the new Toro equipment we’ll be showcasing.

See you at the expo!