For landscapers, dealers and contractors attending Equip Exposition for the very first time, here are tips to make the most of this show.
Before the show
1. 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 September 6. On October 14, the price doubles again. Don’t get stuck paying full price ($120) at the show.
2. 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 are available in Spanish.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Don’t hesitate to talk with others.
Equip is a citywide 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.
5. Have fun at the preplanned events.
Go to the Welcome Reception at Churchill Downs , 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. Join Equip attendees at the third-annual Mulligan’s 5K Fun Run and Walk 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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Register for next year’s show that is planned for October 22-24, 2025.
