Schedule of Events

Greg Cole, founder and president of Cole Landscaping, will walk through the technological investments he’s made over the past five years and how those decisions shifted the direction of the company and enabled meaningful growth. He will share lessons learned from software rollouts, including where we executed well, where we undertrained, and what we would do differently.

One core principle that has shaped the company’s approach: just because you can implement a piece of technology doesn’t mean you should. Avoiding hype and making disciplined decisions has been critical. He’ll also address an important question many companies overlook: What percentage of the software are we actually using, and does it directly benefit the client?

Attendees will hear practical examples of both successful and unsuccessful implementations, along with cultural adoption challenges, and why operational discipline around technology matters more than the tool itself and intentionally simplifying a tech stack rather than continually adding to it.

As Chief Operating Officer of Groff Landscapes, Brenda Flores has led the implementation of operational technology and AI-driven systems to bring structure, consistency, and transparency to a fast-growing landscape company. Rather than adopting technology for technology’s sake, we focused on building a repeatable operating cadence — integrating project management platforms, AI-supported documentation, and structured meeting rhythms to improve communication, accountability, and team alignment.

This presentation walks through Groffs’ real-world technology journey: how they identified operational gaps, selected and implemented systems, and trained our team to actually use them. I’ll share how we leveraged AI and digital tools to standardize processes, create accessible SOPs, improve cross-department communication, and reinforce company culture — especially between leadership, field teams, and support staff.

Attendees will learn:

• How to evaluate and implement operational technology without overwhelming your team
• How AI can support SOP creation, training, and knowledge retention
• How a consistent technology-backed meeting cadence improves accountability and culture
• Common implementation mistakes—and how to avoid them
• Practical steps leaders can take to align people, process, and technology for sustainable growth

This session is designed for owners and operators looking to scale thoughtfully, improve team engagement, and use technology as a tool to simplify operations—not complicate them.

This presentation challenges lawn and landscape leaders to rethink where growth and loyalty are actually won. While most companies invest heavily in lead generation and technology, Gustin reveals why the real differentiator is what happens after the customer signs up. Attendees will learn how post-sale experience—driven by systems, communication, and follow-through—directly impacts retention, referrals, and lifetime value. The talk equips operators and technology-forward leaders with a practical framework to use tech intentionally, reduce friction, and build long-term customer trust.

Most landscape and service business owners don’t have a CTO — but someone still ends up making technology decisions. Sometimes it’s the owner. Sometimes it’s a manager who “gets assigned the software.” Sometimes it’s someone who already survived one painful rollout and doesn’t want to repeat it.

This session is designed for leaders who aren’t technical specialists but need to make smart, future-conscious technology decisions. Drawing from experience in both the software development industry and a multi-division field-based business, Leigh breaks down how software is built, how to speak its language, and how to evaluate platforms in a way that supports both current operations and future growth. Rather than focusing on specific products, this session teaches a decision-making framework — helping owners and managers put on their “CTO hat” with confidence, clarity, and strategic thinking.

Attendees will learn:

• The basic terminology and architecture concepts every non-technical leader should understand
• How software companies think (and how that affects what they build)
• How to prepare your team and workflows before introducing new tools
• How to evaluate platforms based on your company’s stage — without overbuilding or underinvesting
• How to avoid common rollout mistakes that damage trust and adoption
• How to reset after a failed implementation and start clean
  

This session is ideal for owners, operators, and managers who are not early tech adopters but want to make thoughtful, strategic technology decisions without hiring a CTO.

This session would share a real-time technology journey at a landscape company that, as of April 2025, had virtually no formal systems in place and is now implementing technology day by day. Presented from the perspective of a career landscaper—not an IT professional—the talk focuses on what it’s actually like to adopt new systems while still running a business, leading people, and serving clients. The emphasis is on mindset, adaptability, and smart tech stacking, showing how technology and AI can reduce chaos, improve clarity, and amplify human potential without replacing the relationships that define our industry.

This panel will examine technology adoption through real-world examples from landscape operations. Speakers will discuss what happens when workflows become overly complex, how that impacts efficiency and team usage, and what strategies have successfully improved outcomes. The conversation centers on simplifying system interaction, strengthening integrations, and getting more value from existing technology investments. Attendees will gain practical insight into aligning their tech stack with day-to-day operational realities.

Kevin Scott will dive into how landscape business owners can recover hidden cash by tackling the waste they often overlook. Many entrepreneurs in our industry don’t realize how quickly that “invisible” waste can add up, and by homing in on it, they can easily boost net profit margins by 4-5%. Alongside that, Scott will give a snapshot of how private equity is reshaping our field, and how the rise of AI is bringing a whole new level of efficiency and insight to our operations. It’s going to be a practical, eye-opening conversation that I think will really resonate with fellow landscape professionals.