Bonus Track | Industry Insights

Tuesday, Dec. 3

Business Tracks

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.  |  10 Lessons From the 2019 Green Industry Benchmark Report  |  Chad Reinholz, HindSite Software  |  0.25 CEU  |  Landscape
Being a green industry business owner is isolating, and it can be hard to compare your business to others. The Green Industry Benchmark Report, created by HindSite Software, surveyed nearly 300 green industry businesses about best practices and typical issues they currently face. This session takes the received data and turns it into actionable insight that the green industry can use to improve their business.

9:05 a.m.-10:05 a.m.  |  Social Media: Stop Pushing & Start Engaging!  |  Warren Weeks, Weeks Media  |  0.25 CEU  |  Agriculture & Landscape
Social media has become the fastest growing free tool for business owners and manufacturers, yet so many do not take advantage of these platforms. Learn tips on using social media to engage with your audience and stakeholders, while promoting your business.

10:10 a.m.-10:40 a.m.  |  Why a Certified Professional Beats Its Competitors  |  Jay Gray, CIC, CID, CIT, CLIA, CLWM; Jake Mathre, CIT, CLIA; and Russ Jundt; Conserva Irrigation   |  0.125 CEU  |  Landscape
While many business owners are focused on solely growing within their industry through expansion, it is just as important to focus on personal growth. Learn the importance of certification in your respective field.

10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m.  |  Leveraging Water Agency Incentives by Smart Site Selections  |  Andrew Pirrone, Town of Gilbert  |  0.125 CEU  |  Landscape
We know irrigation rebates and incentives exist in almost every major service area, but why deal with the hassle? Learn how incentives and upgrades can help with customer retention, water savings and your own management by reducing irrigation and plant health issues.

Weather Management

2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.  |  Severe Weather Safety: Protecting Your Crew & Clients  |  Brad Jakubowski, Penn State University  |  1.5 CEUs  |  Agriculture & Landscape
Each year people are killed or seriously injured by thunderstorms despite advanced warning. Become more aware of the potential hazards, learn to spot signs of impending severe weather and create guidelines for making storm-related safety decisions by attending this session.

3:35 p.m.-5:05 p.m.  |  Understanding Meteorology & Making Weather-Based Decisions  |  Brad Jakubowski, Penn State University  |  1.5 CEUs  |  Agriculture & Landscape
Weather is a critical component of our daily responsibilities. We can make better decisions and provide consistent growing conditions by better understanding weather patterns and concepts. This interactive session introduces fundamental weather concepts and provides the tools to interpret weather reports, maps and forecasts.

Wednesday, Dec. 4

Business Tracks (continued)

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.  |  Panel Discussion: Sustainable Manufacturing  |  Gregg Roesink, CIT, CLIA, Hunter Industries; Bryce Carnehl, Hunter Industries; and Warren Gorowitz, CLIA, Ewing Irrigation  |  0.25 CEU  |  Agriculture & Landscape
This panel session will cover topics including recycling and reuse programs in a manufacturing facility, recycling programs with industry partners, the sustainability of the way we power factories, and the things our industry professionals can do to empower the sustainability push in our industry.

11:05 a.m.-12:05 p.m.  |  Incorporating Wi-Fi Technology Into Your Business Plan  |  John Newlin, CIC, CIT, CLIA, Quality Sprinkling Systems  |  0.25 CEU  |  Landscape
Incorporating new technology and products into your company can provide a new revenue source. Take a look at new trends that point to continuing consumer demand for off-site monitoring, as well as the importance of software integration in the office without the need to add staff.

Pumps & Pump Stations

2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.  |  Protect the Heart of the Irrigation System – The Pump  |  Jim Phene, Epiphene  |  0.5 CEU  |  Agriculture & Landscape
Often in irrigation design, the system’s water source and water quality issues are overlooked and detrimental to the crop or appearance of the landscape. This session will examine existing and new solutions addressing pump issues along with different types of water sources and key issues with each.

2:35 p.m.-3:05 p.m.  |  Pumps: Long-Term Thinking vs. Short-Term Cost  |  Guy Collins and Gail Mueller, Munro  |  0.5 CEU  |  Agriculture & Landscape
The irrigation system is a great enhancement to any property and a critical part of creating a beautiful landscape. The pump is an integral part of an irrigation system; however, it is often considered last. This session will provide some thoughtful advice on the equipment that pressurizes the water in an irrigation system.

3:10 p.m.-3:40 p.m.  |  Pump Station Retrofits – When Might It Make Sense?  |  Guy Collins and Justin McDaniel, Munro  |  0.5 CEU  |  Agriculture & Landscape
The pump station is often one of the more expensive items in the irrigation system. Technology improvements, site change and equipment fails are all reasons to consider a new pump. Get a better understanding of when it makes the most sense to retrofit your pump station.

3:45 p.m.-4:45 p.m.  |  Energy Efficiency vs. Water Efficiency: What’s the Difference?  |  Robert L. Welke, Tallemenco Pty Ltd.  |  1.0 CEU  |  Agriculture & Landscape
Energy efficiency should not be confused with water efficiency. Explore the parameters for both and see how they relate and differ.

Thursday, Dec. 5

Special Topics

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.  |  WaterSense Update  |  Stephanie Tanner, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  |  1.0 CEU  |  Landscape
WaterSense is a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA will provide an update on WaterSense activities related to irrigation products, specifically EPA’s review of the WaterSense specification for weather-based irrigation controllers and soil moisture-based control technologies.

11:05 a.m.-12:35 p.m.  |  Irrigation Innovation Consortium: First-Year Data Unveiled  |  Stephen Smith, PhD, FASIC, Irrigation Innovation Consortium  |  1.5 CEU  |  Agriculture & Landscape
This session will be an overview of the research results to date from the first inaugural research year. Several projects were funded, and preliminary results will be shared on topics including satellite- and unmanned aircraft system imagery-driven irrigation, developing an artificial intelligence model for estimating crop water demand and next generation soil moisture technology.

(Exhibit hall closes at 3:00 p.m.)