First-Timer Tips: Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Equip Expo

For landscapers, dealers and contractors attending award-winning Equip Exposition for the very first time, show organizers are offering tips to help first-timers make the most of this blockbuster show, to be held Oct. 15 to 18 at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC).

“I’ve ‘only’ been to 18 of the 41 shows, but I have some advice. First, for the first-timer, it’s not really a one day show. For an immersive experience, you’ll want to be there all three days,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which owns and manages Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition.

Last year, the show drew more than 27,000 people, and had more than one million square feet of exhibit space with a 30-acre Outdoor Demo Yard, which allows attendees to dig, drive, cut, mulch and other testing of new equipment they need for their businesses.

“Since OPEI has taken full ownership and management of the show, our goal has been to create a world class event for our attendees,” Kiser said. “This year, we’ve invested in more peer-to-peer social opportunities like renting Churchill Downs for our welcome reception, having Kevin O’Connor of This Old House as keynote speaker, a happy hour at Freedom Hall with the Crashers band and having Trace Atkins give an arena concert at the Yum! Center at no charge to attendees and more.”

But he noted planning is key to get the most out of Equip.

“Do some homework. Before you get here, download the app, go to the web site, look at the maps. Familiarize yourself with the logistics. It’s important to know how to get in and out of the KEC.

“It’s also the kind of event you want to share and bring your colleagues. It’s a team-building exercise where you can learn new things as well as from one another, have some fun and have a shared experience.”

A core mission of Equip is facilitating networking so attendees can meet people who are likely going through similar business challenges. It’s the industry’s family reunion.

“It’s crazy how willing people are to help other people [at Equip],” said Blake Albertson of B&B Lawn Care.

Identifying your business needs also is an important step when planning time at Equip.

“Last few times we’ve been here, we found new equipment to help us be more efficient in our business,” said Kendal Caldwell of Senske/Emerald Lawns.

Kiser offers these tips to help first-timers to Equip plan for the best experience possible:

Before the Show

• Register now. If you’re registered, you will receive Equip’s regular emails about everything going on at the show. Sign up at EquipExposition.com for $30 before prices double on Sept. 6. On Oct. 14, the price doubles again. Don’t get stuck paying full price ($120) at the show.
• Add education, certification classes, and training to your registration before sessions sell out. Sessions are targeted to help you explore ways to grow their businesses, address common problems and develop employees. Other sessions will cover irrigation, pesticide management, tree and shrub pruning, pool and spa, outdoor lighting and more. Select classes, including the popular From Worker to Leader course, are available in Spanish.
• Book travel arrangements and hotel reservations. Louisville’s hotel rooms often sell out with thousands of Equip Expo attendees in town. You don’t want to stay miles away. Some hotels are along the trade show’s complimentary shuttle route.
• Invite others. Bring your teammates from your company (if you are a landscaper) or your contractor customers (if you are a dealer). Equip is a fantastic team building opportunity, through shared educational experiences and testing new equipment to having fun at concerts with one another. This makes acting on new knowledge and ideas when home easier.
• Download the Equip Expo app. The app is your event guide. It works with any Android or iPhone. On the app, find the Event Schedule with start times for all sessions and a tradeshow map for the entire facility. Every week leading up to the show it’s updated with even more information, like where the biggest Giveaways are and where you can find breakfast, lunch and coffee at the KEC. You can favorite any event or location to build a custom schedule as well.
• Determine the top three business problems you are trying to solve. Look at the speakers, exhibits and education offerings and identify the ones that will help you the most with those problems.
• Familiarize yourself with the navigation tools. Many attendees drive in to the show so it’s important to map the route from your hotel to the KEC and other venues, and look at available shuttle or rideshare options.
• Learn the five main areas of the show. The North Wing has registration, exhibits, badge pickup and a coffee shop. The South Wing has exhibits and easy access to the Outdoor Demo Yard (which also has food trucks and tented areas to relax) and the UTV Driving Experience. The West Wing is loaded with exhibits, Mulligan’s Mutt Madness dog adoption event, the new Garden Center and food options (as well as the rideshare pickup/drop off zone). Freedom Hall will host the Happy Hour with the Crashers on Wednesday.
• Pack strategically. Check the weather and dress for both indoor and outdoor. Bring comfortable shoes, a printout of your registration confirmation (you can scan the QR code to print your badge), and dress in layers for any sudden weather changes. The Outdoor Demo Yard is a real-world experience and can get cold so bring weather-appropriate clothes.
• Plan to meet others. Many events are planned to help facilitate networking so you can meet others to share relatable business challenges and solutions, learn what they know, and get real-world advice and ideas.

At the Show

• Don’t get stuck in traffic. Remember parking is free. Hot tip: For ease of entry, don’t use the main gate at the show’s rush hour. If you are coming later than 10 a.m., use Crittenden Drive gate or the Preston Highway gate and park on the North side, which is the best way to enter the KEC. Leave via a similar route to avoid any bottlenecks at the main gate.
• Start your day in the West Wing. Ride shares and shuttles will drop off at the West Wing and there will be food options available.
• Avoid lines for badge pickup. Print your badge at the Welcome Reception at Churchill Down’s First Turn Club or in the North Wing at the Kentucky Exposition Center. More locations are scattered throughout Louisville Hotels, the Airport and the KEC.
• Don’t hesitate to talk with others. Equip is a city-wide event. That means people in your hotel elevator and restaurant are likely to be Equip attendees. Take time to meet people as you navigate the halls, stand in line or grab a bite to eat.
• Have fun at the pre-planned events. Go to the Welcome Reception at Churchill Downs sponsored by Cat, the Happy Hour on Wednesday with the Crashers in Freedom Hall, the Morning Show at Expo sponsored by Kohler on Thursday morning, Energize on Thursday afternoon, and the Trace Adkins concert sponsored by SENIX, Toro, Bobcat and Gravely. Join Equip attendees at the third-annual Mulligan’s 5K Fun Run and Walk, sponsored by Active Dynamics, on Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. where you’ll go across the Ohio River on Louisville’s Big Four Pedestrian Bridge.

After the Show

• Follow up with the people you met at Equip. You can swap ideas, encourage each other in growing your respective businesses, or remind each other to do “that thing you said you would do” when you returned home.
• Put new ideas you picked up at the show into action. Take that leap, do the “new thing,” roll out better pricing, marketing, services and more that you find applicable to your unique business.
• Register for next year’s show that is planned for Oct. 22 to 24, 2025.

“Though 40 years old, Equip Exposition remains the unique opportunity for the industry,” said Kiser. “It’s our industry’s largest event, and it continues to grow. We’re doing something right because every year we hear what an incredible return on investment it gives to the industry.”

For more information, visit https://help.equipexposition.com/knowledge