Sessions

Unlock the power of strategic planning by beginning with the end in mind. This session explores how defining a clear three-year vision—from sales goals to team structure and key metrics—can transform your organization. Learn how to link your annual, quarterly, and weekly plans to that vision, ensuring every action drives long-term success and meaningful growth.

Learning Objectives:

• Define a clear three‑year organizational vision that aligns sales goals, team structure, and key performance metrics.
• Connect annual, quarterly, and weekly plans to long‑term objectives so daily actions consistently support the broader vision.
• Implement a strategic planning framework that drives sustained growth, organizational clarity, and purposeful decision‑making.

AI doesn’t have to be abstract or intimidating to be useful. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn 10 practical ways to use AI in your day-to-day marketing: from analyzing your website and improving messaging to creating visuals and videos that you can use in client proposals. Designed for a non-technical audience, this session focuses on real applications you can use immediately to save time, work more efficiently, and present a more professional image. You’ll apply the techniques live so you can put them to work next season.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply practical AI tools to common marketing tasks, including analyzing websites, improving messaging, and creating visuals and videos.
• Use AI to increase efficiency and reduce time spent on day-to-day marketing activities.
• Implement at least three ready-to-use AI techniques to enhance client proposals and overall professional presentation.

You don’t need to be a techy to use AI — you just need to know how to use it, what’s worth your time, and what isn’t. In this session, Weston Zimmerman shows how contractors are using AI right now from the jobsite. But he also covers the other side: where AI falls flat, where it makes you look bad, and when you’re better off doing it yourself. Practical, no jargon, no fluff — just what works.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify what AI usage actually looks like for even non-techy contractors.
• Learn how to start using AI right now in your day-to-day operations naming.
• Recognize the pitfalls to avoid so AI doesn’t cost you time, money, or credibility

Turn your estimates into powerful sales tools. Learn how to create clear, complete, and compelling proposals that not only cover every detail, but also showcase the value of your company. Discover techniques for breaking jobs into manageable pieces, including what you’re not doing, and using proper naming conventions to eliminate confusion and inspire confidence. When your estimates tell the right story, customers don’t just see cost, they see value.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop clear, complete, and value‑focused proposals that transform estimates into persuasive sales tools.
• Organize project scopes into logical, manageable components using effective naming conventions that reduce the risk of underpricing work and creating client confusion.
• Communicate the full value of your services so customers understand not just the cost, but the quality, clarity, and professionalism behind it.

Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavements (PICP) are designed to manage stormwater, but long-term performance depends on proper maintenance. This session breaks down what effective PICP maintenance looks like in the field and, more importantly, how contractors can turn it into a profitable and repeatable service offering to homeowners.  Attendees will learn practical maintenance techniques, equipment considerations, and common mistakes to avoid, along with real-world strategies for educating clients, pricing services, and building recurring revenue streams. Whether you’re new to PICP or looking to expand your service offerings, this session will provide actionable insights to help you protect pavement performance while growing your business.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify effective PICP maintenance practices, including inspection, cleaning methods, and joint material management required to maintain infiltration performance.
• Diagnose and prevent performance issues by recognizing causes of clogging and failure and applying strategies to extend pavement life.
• Select the right equipment and techniques by comparing maintenance equipment (e.g., regenerative air vs. true vacuum vs: sweeper) and determining appropriate use for different site conditions.
• Learn how to build a profitable maintenance program by developing pricing strategies, service packages, and recurring revenue models while effectively communicating value to clients.

Most contractors either under-spend on marketing or invest without knowing what’s actually working. This numbers-driven workshop brings clarity to marketing budgets using real benchmarks and performance data. You’ll learn how to determine the right budget for your business, how to prioritize traditional vs digital channels, what “good” performance looks like across key platforms based on data from Bridge Media’s campaigns, and how to identify what’s truly driving results. Attendees will leave with a clear, realistic marketing budget they can confidently justify and adjust as they grow.

Learning Objectives:

• Determine an appropriate marketing budget using industry benchmarks and performance data.
• Evaluate and prioritize traditional and digital marketing channels based on expected results.
• Analyze marketing performance to identify what’s driving results and adjust their budget accordingly.

Most failures happen underground. This session focuses on the technical nuances of sub-grade compaction and base stabilization specifically for boutique residential designs where tight spaces and varied elevations make standard machinery difficult to use. Our learning objectives would be: Identify soil characteristics, master tight access base preparation techniques with small scale equipment, calculate aggregate depth to insure zero settlement for your high-end paver design.

Learning Objectives:

• Focus on Structural Integrity: The course emphasizes that a high-end finish is only as good as the groundwork, teaching you how to prepare a stable sub-grade capable of supporting heavy loads without deformation.
• Precision Aggregate Selection and Placement: You will learn the technical specifications for high-quality aggregates and the importance of layering and compacting them to specific densities to prevent future settlement or failure.
• Specialized Prep for High-End Projects: Tailored for professionals aiming for excellence, this curriculum covers meticulous site evaluation and advanced techniques like sub-grade stabilization and moisture barriers to achieve premium results.

How should specifiers and installers select the proper mortar for their MSV installation? Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on best practices, application techniques, and the importance of mortar selection to meet code.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the key factors that influence proper mortar selection for the installation of AMSV and thin-brick veneer, including performance requirements and code compliance.
• Explain the changes within the relevant industry standards driving the use of ANSI-rated polymer-modified mortars.
• Apply best practice mixing and application techniques to ensure durable, high quality adhered masonry veneer systems (following manufacturer’s written instructions).
• Evaluate project conditions to choose mortars that meet structural, aesthetic and code mandated standards for successful installations.

A design might be beautiful, but it might not be profitable for the company. Poor designs lead to more difficulty in construction, missing crew information, and poor aesthetics. In this presentation, learn how to optimize your designs, according to the trinity of design (price, build-ability, creativity). This presentation will help you sell your projects more effectively and create stability in your business. It will also help you build landscapes that appreciate with time, and elevate your brand.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize how the trinity of design—price, buildability, and creativity—guides the development of profitable, constructible, and visually compelling projects.
• Apply strategies to optimize design plans so crews receive clear, complete information that reduces construction challenges and enhances final aesthetics
• Demonstrate how improved design practices can strengthen sales effectiveness, elevate your brand, and create landscapes that gain value over time.