A landscaping convention is an event where professionals in the landscaping industry congregate to network, share expertise and insights, and promote their new products and technologies.
These conventions often host workshops, seminars, trade shows, and networking events. Landscapers attend these conventions to gain insights into industry advancements, connect with peers, and explore new business opportunities. Conventions remain one of the best places for networking and improving business relations.
There are various types of conventions, including trade shows, workshops, seminars, networking events, and award ceremonies. The largest and best landscaping business expos usually combine at least two types of conventions. What happens at a landscaping convention depends on the specific convention you attend. This article aims to highlight the best landscaping business expos to attend.
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) | Baltimore's premier horticulture trade show serving landscape professionals. |
| The Farwest Show | Portland landscaping conference hosting 350 exhibitors. |
| Green & Growin' | Southeast regional event merging landscaping education with trade exhibits. |
| NALP Annual Events Conference | National Association of Landscape Professionals hosts networking and educational programming. |
| Indiana Green Expo (IGE) | Indianapolis trade show targeting turf and landscape industry professionals. |
| Equip Exposition | Louisville's top landscaping expo features more than 1,000 exhibitors. |
| Nursery/Landscape EXPO | San Antonio event with 900+ booths providing seminars and continuing education credits. |
| ProGreen EXPO | Leading green industry conference for the Rocky Mountain area. |
| Service Edge Conference | Concentrates on service management technology for landscape operations. |
| Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference | Atlanta-based tech conference exploring green industry innovations. |
What Happens at Landscaping Conventions?
At landscaping conventions, attendees engage in workshops, seminars, trade show exhibits, and networking events. It's the ideal place to obtain new clients and suppliers and get the latest buzz of new tech that can improve your work efficiency. You learn best practices, such as managing your landscaping business or improving a particular landscaping method.
It's safe to say the benefits of attending a landscaping convention are profound, especially the networking aspect. You get to network with industry leaders, allowing you to build valuable relationships, share knowledge, and even collaborate on future projects. Networking leads to new business opportunities, partnerships, and a broader understanding of the landscaping industry, which is why it's important that you attend these conferences.
Who Should Attend Landscape Conferences?
Landscapers, hardscapers, landscape designers, and lawn care contractors should all attend a landscape conference. A landscaping firm recognizes the value of these conferences, which is why the owners attend and often invite employees to join them.
Just make sure you attend the right landscaping business expos. After all, time is money!
10 Top Landscaping Trade Shows & Events
Below is a list of the ten best landscaping trade shows and events you should attend in 2025.
- Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS): Major horticulture trade show in Baltimore for landscape professionals.
- The Farwest Show: Landscaping conference in Portland featuring 350 exhibitors.
- Green & Growin': Southeastern event combining landscaping education and trade show.
- NALP Annual Events Conference by the National Association of Landscape Professionals for networking and education.
- Indiana Green Expo (IGE): Indianapolis trade show for turf and landscaping professionals.
- Equip Exposition: Leading landscaping expo in Louisville with over 1,000 exhibits.
- Nursery/Landscape EXPO: San Antonio seminar and expo with 900+ booths offering education and CEUs.
- ProGreen EXPO: Premier green industry conference in the Rocky Mountain region.
- Service Edge Conference: Focused on service management technologies for landscaping businesses.
- Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference: Tech-focused conference in Atlanta on green industry innovations.
1. Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS)
If you've attended this landscaping trade show, you've surely gotten your time and money's worth. The MANTS occurred between January 10 and 12, 2025, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD.
It's a premier horticulture trade show that attracted over 11,200 attendees and 900 exhibitors this year. This landscaping convention boasted beautiful plants, nursery stock, garden items, equipment, tools, and outdoor essentials. It was an excellent opportunity to learn and build partnerships.
The next show is Jan 8 - 10, 2025, in Baltimore, so be sure to mark your calendars! Who should go? Anyone with an interest in nursery and landscaping, but especially landscape business owners, nursery managers, and garden center operators.
2. The Farwest Show
The Farwest Show is scheduled for August 21 – 23, 2025, in Portland, OR. This landscaping conference is smaller than MANTS but still features nearly 350 exhibitors and can provide a valuable entry point into the nursery and retail garden center industry.
The show is known for its comprehensiveness and will surely be a spectacle for growers, retail garden center operators, wholesale buyers, suppliers, and landscape professionals.
3. Green & Growin'
Sadly, another landscaping expo has passed. Green & Growin' occurred between January 15 – 19, 2025, in Greensboro, NC. Luckily, you can catch it next year between Jan 13-17.
It's one of the pinnacle landscaping events in the Southeast and offers a robust education conference and a Marketplace trade show. This landscaping seminar/ expo is designed to help landscape businesses thrive with opportunities for professional growth and networking.
Anyone with an interest in landscaping or who runs a landscaping business has to mark their calendars for next year's edition of Green & Growin'.
4. NALP Annual Events
NALP is scheduled for November 3 – 6, 2025, in Charlotte, NC. The National Association of Landscape Professionals organizes this landscaping convention. It's a noteworthy conference and expo for landscaping education and networking.
Landscape maintenance professionals, lawn care providers, design-build experts, and horticulture and irrigation specialists are among the professionals who will extract the most value from this landscaping trade show.
5. Indiana Green Expo (IGE)
The IGE is a landscaping trade show that was hosted between January 17-19, 2025, in Indianapolis, IN. With all these landscaping events in January, it's difficult to attend them all. Luckily, the IGE is scheduled for February (10-12) in 2025 instead of January, so you can attend all the top expos next year without having to choose between two of them.
So why is the IGE so significant? It's a two-day trade show designed for turf and landscaping professionals. The IGE is known for its abundance of networking opportunities, especially for connecting with top-tier vendors and exploring cutting-edge products and technology.
Next year's edition of IGE is set to follow the same standards as this year, so if you're a turf and landscape professional or a business owner be sure to circle Feb 10-12, 2025 in big red on your calendar. .
6. Equip Exposition
Equip Exposition will be held between October 15 and 18, 2025, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. You can catch it between Oct 22 and 24, 2025, if you are unable to attend this year.
The landscaping expo is designed to support the growth of businesses in landscaping, hardscaping, manufacturing, and dealerships. It's arguably one of the best landscaping expos in America, boasting 1,000 exhibits.
Anyone keen on discovering new tools to improve work efficiency should attend this expo. This includes landscape and hardscape business owners, manufacturers, and dealers.
7. Nursery/Landscape EXPO
The Nursery/Landscape expo will be held in San Antonio, TX between August 14 – 16, 2025.
The Nursery/Landscape EXPO is a combination of a landscaping seminar and an expo. The conference features over 900 booths and educational opportunities where attendees can earn CEUs.
At the Nursery/Landscape expo, expect to learn the latest industry trends in horticulture and find new innovations. That's why landscape professionals and horticulturists should attend this landscaping convention.
8. ProGreen EXPO
ProGreen EXPO is another landscaping conference that has already occurred. It was held between January 30 – February 1, 2025, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO. Next year, you can attend ProGreen Expo between 28 -30 Jan.
ProGreen Expo is the only one of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region. More than 5,000 professionals attend this landscaping expo to share insights into everything related to the green industry, from irrigation and business services to garden centers and large power equipment.
Anyone in the green industry can attend this landscaping convention, but those residing in the Rocky Mountain region will extract significant value from it.
9. Service Edge Conference
The Service Edge Conference was held in 2023, and the 2025 date and location are still to be announced. Anyone who attended the 2023 version got their money's worth.
The landscaping conference focuses on the latest service management technologies and practices. It provides valuable insights into improving service delivery and business operations through using landscaping business management software.
While the 2025 edition is still TBA, be sure to watch the socials and website closely. Service managers, business owners, and professionals looking to enhance their service management practices should attend this landscaping conference.
10. Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference
Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference is set for July 23 – 25, 2025 in Atlanta, GA. This conference is especially suited for all those techies out there. It's a landscaping conference dedicated to education and exhibits centered on technology in the green industry. If you like to use the latest tools and gadgets in your landscaping operations, chances are you'll find this landscaping event highly valuable.
11. Landscape Pro University Expo
The Landscape Pro University Expo takes place January 28, 2026, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta, Georgia. Landscape Pro University Expo is a full-day event that combines educational sessions with a supplier expo. Attendees can earn continuing education units through various classes. Some sessions are offered in Spanish to serve a broader audience. Registration costs $159 for general admission and $119 for Georgia Urban Ag Council members.
What Are Types of Landscape Conventions?
There are four types of landscape conventions, including trade shows, workshops and seminars, networking events, and award ceremonies.
Trade shows are large events where vendors and businesses showcase their products and services. They cover a wide range of topics, including technology advancements, new equipment, marketing strategies, and financial management. Attendees can see demonstrations of the latest products, compare different solutions, and network with industry peers.
In comparison, workshops and seminars are more geared toward educational growth. These landscape conventions provide educational sessions that focus on specific topics relevant to the landscaping industry. These can include employee management, landscape software usage, best practices for landscaping techniques, business growth strategies, and innovative marketing methods.
The third type of landscaping convention, networking events, are gatherings designed to help industry professionals connect with one another. These events facilitate relationship-building, sharing of best landscaping practices, and collaboration opportunities. Topics often discussed include market trends, business opportunities, and partnership potentials.
Lastly, award ceremonies celebrate the achievements and innovations within the landscaping industry. They recognize outstanding projects, businesses, and professionals. Topics covered often include new design trends, sustainable practices, and business excellence. These events serve as a platform for networking and learning from the industry's best.
| Type of Landscape Convention | Description | Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Trade Shows | Large events where vendors and businesses showcase their products and services. | Technology advancements, new equipment, marketing strategies, financial management; product demonstrations and networking. |
| Workshops and Seminars | Educational sessions focusing on specific topics relevant to the landscaping industry. | Employee management, software usage, best practices, business growth strategies, innovative marketing methods. |
| Networking Events | Gatherings designed to help industry professionals connect with one another. | Relationship-building, sharing best practices, collaboration opportunities, market trends, business opportunities. |
| Award Ceremonies | Events that celebrate achievements and innovations within the landscaping industry. | Recognizing outstanding projects and professionals, new design trends, sustainable practices, business excellence. |
Should Landscapers Market Their Business at Trade Shows?
Yes, landscapers should market their business at trade shows. Trade shows are so successful in onboarding new clients that it's often one of the core pillars of landscape marketing plans.
Trade shows attract a large number of industry professionals, providing significant exposure for your business. They offer opportunities to network with potential high-value clients, partners, and suppliers. Trade shows act as a platform for lead generation, as direct interactions at trade shows can lead to high-quality leads and potential business deals. Lastly, Presence at a trade show helps establish and reinforce your brand in the industry.
Okay, so the benefits are numerous, but which type of vendor will benefit the most? Software and equipment vendors, as well as suppliers, should market their products and supplies at shows.
Do Software Vendors Attend Landscaper Conventions?
Yes, software vendors do attend landscaper conventions. You get three main types of landscaping software, including design, CRM, and management software. All of these factors add significant value to a landscaping business.
Software vendors should market their landscaping business software at trade shows as it gives them the chance to demonstrate their products to a captive audience of potential users. They can interact directly with landscapers, get feedback, and generate leads. These events help vendors stay updated on industry needs and trends, ensuring their products remain relevant.
Do Equipment Vendors Attend Landscaper Conventions?
Yes, equipment vendors attend landscaper conventions. When attending a landscaper convention, you'll find booths with mowers, irrigation systems, power tools, and specialty tools.
When equipment vendors attend a landscaper convention, they have an excellent opportunity to showcase their latest landscaping equipment, demonstrate their effectiveness, and highlight their unique features at trade shows. They can engage directly with potential buyers, answer questions, and build relationships, which can significantly enhance brand visibility and credibility in the marketplace.
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