Mid-Am expands its conference program for 2008
8 Nov, 2007 LM Direct!CHICAGO – The Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show (Mid-Am) has expanded its conference program for 2008 by providing a wealth of information, training and education for the Green Industry during the trade show January 15-18 at Chicago's Lakeside Center in McCormick Place.
Top business and industry speakers will present timely and relevant topics related to horticultural developments, human resource issues, management techniques, marketing, landscaping techniques, and much more. More than 130 hours of educational session will be provided. The line up features the Pre-show Management Workshop on Tuesday, January 15; the free Keynote Address on Wednesday, January 16; the Midwinter Conference on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, January 16, 17, and 18; as well as classes and exams from Mid-Am's Education Partners, including the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), the Irrigation Association (IA), and Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
The Management Workshop on Tuesday January 15 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel returns for a fourth successful year and features communication and business management topics. In the morning session, Bob Coulter of JP Horizons presents “Communicating with Your Team.” He will discuss why and how to conduct a meeting successfully where everyone feels energized and focused. In the afternoon session, popular Mid-Am speaker Marty Grunder of Grunder Landscaping returns to address two relevant topics. In “How to Reinvent Your Business,” Grunder will reveal several marketing and motivational ideas that can be put into action right away to improve operations. Then, in his “Thyme Management” session, he will share time management tips that will help busy professionals organize their careers and their lives.
Rob "Waldo" Waldman—a combat decorated Air Force F-16 pilot will be the featured keynote speaker at Mid-Am '08. Waldo, who overcame a lifelong battle with claustrophobia and a fear of heights, will use jet fighter video clips and moving personal stories to convey his message of winning and achieving success in highly competitive environments through disciplined training, dedicated teamwork, and passionate leadership. The exciting and inspirational Keynote Address, scheduled for Wednesday, January 16, is free to all registered Mid-Am attendees.
The Midwinter Conference, scheduled for Wednesday through Friday, January 16 through 18, is presented in tracks, including Landscape, Ornamental Growers, Retail/Garden Center, Management, Golf Course Turf, Landscape Design, Snow & Ice, and Arbor. For the first time, a selection of Mid-Am's sessions will be eligible for continuing education units, or CEUs, from a number of industry associations, including Mid-Am Education Partners. On Friday, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) CEUs will be available for sessions in the Arbor Track, as well as for Designing Trees in Urban Spaces—a session in the Landscape Design Track.
"Mid‑Am recognizes that education is essential to the growth of both the industry and the individual horticulture professional," said Mid-Am President Randy Jasperson of Jasperson Sod in Franksville, WI. "And, Mid-Am, with its central Chicago location, provides a perfect opportunity for green industry professionals to advance their careers and improve skills in their specialty fields by attending these classes."
Program and registration details on all educational sessions and exams offered at the 2008 Mid-Am Trade Show can be found at www.midam.org. Discounts are available for early registration and by combining the Management Workshop and Midwinter Conference. The early registration discount deadline is Dec. 28, 2007.
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