Education Education Sessions HNA Awards Ceremony

Sessions

HNA Awards Ceremony

The HNA Awards recognize outstanding hardscape projects by teams installing residential and commercial projects. Award winners and honorable mention recipients will be recognized during the 2026 HNA Awards Recognition Presentation and featured on the HNA website and several other industry publications.

Eligible entries span multiple project categories, offering professionals the chance to showcase standout work that reflects quality, creativity, and craftsmanship. Hardscape categories include:

  • Adhered Thin Veneers
  • Clay Brick Pavement
  • Combination of Hardscape Products
  • Natural Stone Pavement
  • Outdoor Living Features
  • Porcelain Paver Pavement
  • Retaining Walls
  • Segmental Concrete Pavement
  • Vintage Installation

Keynote Address

Great businesses are built by people who refuse to cut corners. HGTV star and veteran contractor Mike Holmes brings his no-nonsense “make it right” philosophy to the Equip stage with real-world insight on raising standards, demanding quality that pushes the entire industry forward. This is the epic keynote you don’t want to miss.

Sponsored By: Kress

Women’s Leadership Reception

Connect with women leaders from across the industry at our complimentary Power Players Panel and Women’s Leadership Reception. This event offers a valuable opportunity to expand your network while engaging with influential women who are shaping and transforming the industry.

Sponsored By: Belgard, Hunter/FX Luminaire and SiteOne

Equip Paristown Block Party & Concert

Live music. Local food. Great bourbon. Even better company. Equip’s Paristown Block Party takes over Old Forester’s Paristown Hall and the surrounding block for a night of live performance, local eats, outdoor hangouts, and an exclusive tasting of the official show bourbon. Bring your team, your coworkers, and the connections you just made on the show floor.

Sponsored By: Gravely

4th Street Live! Concert

Back by popular demand, Downtown Louisville’s 4th Street Live! will host a Wednesday night afterparty.

Sponsored By: Propane Education & Research Council

Mulligan’s 5k Fun Run & Walk

Lace up for the fifth-annual Mulligan’s 5K Fun Run and Walk, stepping off Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. and taking participants across the Ohio River on Louisville’s Big Four Pedestrian Bridge.

Sponsored By: Active Dynamics

Equip Welcome Reception

Churchill Downs will welcome thousands of HNA & Equip attendees and exhibitors for networking at the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby, the night before the HNA & Equip Exposition shows officially open.

Sponsored by: CAT®

Hardscape Workshop 2: The  AI-Ready Contractor: A Step-by-Step Framework to Assess, Implement & Scale AI in Your Business

AI is quickly becoming a competitive advantage in the landscape industry, but most contractors don’t know where to start.

In this practical session, Frank Bourque shares a clear framework to help you assess your readiness, identify high-impact AI opportunities, and integrate automation into your sales, operations, and admin systems, without creating chaos.

Walk away with a structured roadmap to move from experimenting with tools to building a scalable, AI-powered business.

Learning Objectives:

  • Assess business readiness for AI adoption and identify high-impact opportunities across sales, operations, and administrative functions.
  • Apply a structured framework to integrate AI and automation into existing workflows without disrupting operations.
  • Develop a practical roadmap to transition from experimenting with AI tools to building a scalable, AI-powered business.

$69 Members /

$99 Non-Members

add workshop

Hardscape Workshop 1: The New Outdoor Living Economy: How to Prosper in Fluctuating Market Conditions

In this session, Joe Raboine, VP of Sales for Oldcastle, will share insights on design-led selling, incorporating wellness and biodiversity into outdoor spaces, and leveraging technology and AI to enhance business operations. He will also explore ways contractors can differentiate themselves and scale through modular design, pattern innovation, and packaged services that enable faster installations. Additionally, the session will cover retrofit and phased project opportunities, and how contractors can position themselves as trusted “outdoor living guides” for homeowners.

Learning Objectives:

  • Leverage technology, AI, and phased/retrofit opportunities to improve efficiency, accelerate installations, and position themselves as a trusted outdoor living advisor
  • Apply design-led selling strategies that incorporate wellness, biodiversity, and client-centered outdoor living concepts
  • Identify ways to differentiate and scale their business through modular design, packaged services, and innovative project approaches

$69 Members /

$99 Non-Members

add workshop

Advanced Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) Installer Course & Exam

This course is the next step forward in your career. Designed  higher-ranking personnel employed by companies installing segmental concrete pavements and/or segmental retaining walls, this course provides more in-depth knowledge for field leadership. The Concrete Paver Installer Course is recommended, though not required, for this course. The course material assumes that you are somewhat familiar with the installation methods and materials involved in hardscape installations. Completing this course will earn you a Record of Completion after passing an exam.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Acquire advanced, industry-specific knowledge from leading hardscape experts.
  • Develop specialized strategies, job plans, and recommendations tailored to the learner’s target markets.
  • Gain comprehensive understanding of diverse hardscape applications.
  • Master advanced principles and techniques for Paver and Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) systems.

$400 Members /

$500 Non-Members

Add an installer course

Attend Hardscape North America 2026
Register Today