Seminar Descriptions for 2026
Registration is for a single participant not multiples from one company
West Garden Center Room Seminars
East Garden Center Room Seminars
What Are You Wearing? PPE in the Workplace
What you wear when handling pesticides matters. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential way to protect yourself when handling pesticides. In this seminar we will look at the various kinds of personal protective equipment (PPE), their differences, appropriate uses, and requirements based on the pesticide label and California law.
Speaker: Karey Windbiel Rojas
8:30 A.M. to 9:30 A.M.
Garden Center West
AI Unleashed: Practical Tips for Green Industry Professionals
Areas of focus –
- Workforce development
- Professional and career development
- Business growth and practices
- Irrigation trends
- Technology and innovation
Summary –
In this groundbreaking session, we’ll introduce green industry and irrigation contractors to the world of artificial intelligence. Designed specifically for professionals looking to optimize time and streamline efficiencies, this presentation will provide simple, actionable tips on implementing AI into your daily business operations. From automating routine tasks to improving decision-making, you’ll discover how AI can revolutionize your workflow and give your business a competitive edge. Join us to explore the future of the green industry and learn how to harness the power of AI for maximum impact!
Speaker: Kevin Battstoni
9:45 A.M. to 10:45 A.M.
Garden Center West
Fire-Smart Landscaping Essentials & Zone 0 Regulations
This session covers the essentials of fire-smart landscaping—design principles, safer plant and mulch choices, and the maintenance practices that most reduce risk. We’ll also touch on the science behind California’s upcoming Zone 0 regulations, highlighting how thoughtful landscaping can help protect both property and lives.
Speaker: Jessamyn Hise
11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Garden Center West
Engaging the NOW Customer: Mastering Digital Experience and Real-Time Connection
Areas of focus –
- Professional and career development
- Business growth and practices
- Irrigation trends
- Technology and innovation
Summary –
In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses must understand and adapt to the needs of the “NOW” customer to thrive in a competitive marketplace. The “NOW” customer demands instant communication, real-time updates, and seamless social connectivity. This presentation will provide the strategies and tools to effectively engage this modern consumer by meeting them where they are and exceeding their expectations.
You will learn how to harness the power of social media platforms, craft compelling digital experiences, and use actionable insights to build stronger customer relationships. With real-world examples and practical tips, you’ll be equipped to navigate the evolving digital landscape and drive success in your business.
Speaker: Kevin Battstoni
12:15 P.M. to 1:15 P.M.
Garden Center West
High Density Planting and Pruning of Fruit Trees for the Backyard, A Backyard Orchard Culture Update
Since developing and promoting high density planting and pruning using my concept of Back Yard Orchard Culture in the early 1990’s, the challenges in the home garden have continued to grow, Today, there’s even less yard space in the average home garden. Pest and disease problems continue to impact the desire to grow fruit trees. Ed will review the concepts of Back Yard Orchard Culture and bring to light a more aggressive approach to size control and the urgent reasons for more aggressive pruning recommendations in today’s home garden landscapes.
Speaker: Ed Laivo
1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.
Garden Center West
Landscaping for cooling and water conservation
Water conservation is increasingly affecting urban landscaping in California. Recent statewide urban water use regulations will require many cities to reduce their outdoor water use, and additional legislation bans the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turfgrass on commercial, industrial, and institutional properties. The associated transition away from turf lawns and high-water-use ornamentals has the potential to conserve a substantial amount of water, but could also compromise the crucial cooling benefits that urban trees and landscaping provide. This talk will present research on the cooling effects of different landscaping and tree species choices, and provide strategies to reduce overall landscape water use without losing cooling benefits.
Speaker: Joanna Solins
8:30 A.M. to 9:30 A. M.
Garden Center East
Beyond Buzzwords: Native Plants, Cultivars, and True Sustainability
We know that selecting the right plant for a landscape is important, but how do we judge plants? Should we focus on native plants or the newest cultivars? In this session, we acknowledge the stakeholders in plant selection, then talk about cultivars and plant species. The conversation involves genetic outliers and mutations, grafted plants, plant adaptations to stresses, and how they might affect landscape performance. Plants are diverse and they have a lot to offer; we just need to know how to pick the right fit.
Speaker: Dr. Ben Hoover
9:45 A.M. – 10:45 A.M.
Garden Center East
Your Digital Plan 2026: What to Do and How to Budget
Ron McCabe from Everbearing Services will lead an interactive workshop that tackles a major problem costing landscaping businesses money: half their leads walk away without converting. McCabe has 16+ years working specifically with landscaping companies and a track record that includes helping six clients sell their businesses while keeping his own client retention under 7%.
This workshop gives attendees a complete framework for digital marketing in 2026. Using a companion app-based workbook, participants will learn McCabe’s Accelerated Growth Model covering organic SEO, paid advertising, database marketing, reputation management, and marketing automation. The session covers key 2026 trends like AI Search (AEO), voice search, online scheduling, and automated text messaging for lead follow-up. Attendees will also learn why most pay-per-click campaigns fail, how to make websites convert better, and how to track ROI across different marketing channels. People leave with practical strategies they can use right away to get more leads and convert them into paying customers.
Speaker: Ron McCabe
11 A.M. – 12 P.M.
Garden Center East
Progenerative Solutions & Enthusiastic Compliance
The landscape Industry is either beset with landscape regulations or blessed with them. The difference in point of view is likely an understanding of the intent of the regulations coupled with a mindset choice of either an adverse reaction to freedoms being trodden on or an appreciative one based on congruity of purpose, synergy of application, collaboration in their evolution, and recognition of the opportunities they offer.
Dave will take us on a short history lesson digging into the origins and intents of landscape regulations that have resulted from our challenges with water conservation, fire safety, stormwater management, and the biodiversity crisis. He will show how progenerative landscape practices are not only built into the regulations, but are synergistic across them.
Participants in the discussion will gain insight into a paradigm of purpose for the landscape industry, take home best management procedures for successful regulation compliance, verbiage to use in both educating our customers and selling projects, and an appreciation of the regulatory tools we have in our toolbox to raise the bar of the Industry. Get your crews enthused! This pep talk will give them the “why” behind what they do.
Speaker: Dave Phelps
12:15 P.M – 2:30 P.M.
Garden Center East
(2 hour session including Q&A)