Upfront: Last call for Louisville
By Steve Noe
If you have yet to register for the 2012 Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO) — set to take place Wednesday, Oct. 24, through Friday, Oct. 26, at Louisville’s Kentucky Exposition Center — consider this your final reminder notice from me. If you have no good excuse for having not registered for GIE+EXPO, I offer you the following reasons to end your holdout.
Dealer Day: On the first day of the show, GIE+EXPO will be open only to outdoor power equipment dealers, retailers and distributors, giving you a golden opportunity to meet one on one, face to face, with nearly 750 exhibitors and get the first glimpse at the products that will be on display. On this designated “Dealer Day,” the Dealer Resource Pavilion will be a hub for many educational opportunities from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the indoor exhibit area will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. From 5 to 7 p.m., a welcome reception will be held on the show floor, while ARI, Husqvarna and Ideal Computer Systems will be sponsoring a 25-cent beer and hot dog reception in the Dealer Resource Pavilion. Stihl Inc. will be also holding a drawing for a $5,000 giveaway at its Oktoberfest-themed indoor booth (#5080) at 6:30 p.m.
Educational opportunities: GIE+EXPO will offer educational opportunities for everyone from dealership owners and managers (courtesy of Bob Clements International) to service technicians (with three Power Pro certification classes sponsored by the Equipment & Engine Training Council and the North American Equipment Dealers Association). The show will even offer classes geared specifically for rental dealers. Begin day two by networking with your fellow dealers over breakfast at the Dealer Resource Roundtable Breakfast (sponsored by Stihl Inc. and Gravely) in the Kentucky Exposition Center’s North Wing lobby from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The three certification classes cost $30 per session and the roundtable breakfast $25 per person, and you must register for each in advance at www.gie-expo.com.
Free concerts: Traditionally, free concerts take place on the first two nights of the show in downtown Louisville at 4th Street Live. This year, however, GIE+EXPO will feature free concerts on all three nights. Legendary rock band Kansas will kick off the concert series Wednesday at 9 p.m. On Thursday, Nissan Commercial Vehicles will sponsor concerts by The Trishas at 7:30 p.m. and the Eli Young Band at 9 p.m. And, on Friday, you won’t want to miss Louisville native and rising country star Olivia Henken opening at 8 p.m. for Candy Coburn at 9 p.m. For more information on Henken and the concerts, read the story on page 10.
Giveaways: In addition to the aforementioned $5,000 giveaway, you will want to stick around until the end of the show for several more giveaways. On “Fabulous Friday,” $10,000 will be given away in the afternoon with individual drawings of $1,000 at 1 p.m., $2,000 at 2 p.m., $3,000 at 3 p.m., and $4,000 at 4 p.m. Drawing winners will be announced over the public address system, so listen for your name as you must be present to win. Stop by the Nissan Commercial Vehicles booth (#7084) to enter a chance to win a 2013 Nissan NV cargo van. Also, don’t forget to participate in our “Touching Base” promotion for a shot at winning a free Kindle Fire. To participate, simply bring the game card found in September 2012 OPE on page 5 or drop by our Green Media booth (#470) to pick up a copy of the issue.
New products: Plenty of new products will be on display at the exhibitors’ indoor and outdoor booths, as well as in the New Product Showcase.
To register for GIE+EXPO and learn more information about the show, visit www.gie-expo.com or contact Sellers Expositions at (800) 558-8767, (812) 949-9200 or info@gie-expo.com. Also, please be sure to frequent our website at www.outdoorpowerquipment.com for the latest news about the show.
Hope to see you in Louisville!
OPE Editor Steve Noe
snoe@m2media360.com
