Grounds professionals looking for a diverse line-up of educational topics, all available in one location, should make sure they are in Louisville Oct. 22-25 for the Professional Grounds Management Society’s (PGMS) highly anticipated 2014 School of Grounds Management & GIE+EXPO. This year’s event is offering twelve education programs, a pre-conference field trip, live concerts, networking and much more!
PGMS will kick off this four day event on Wednesday, Oct. 22 with a pre-conference field trip to Cave Hill Cemetery. The tour will be followed by a welcoming reception where professionals from all across the country meet, mingle and exchange ideas. Ten education programs will be offered during the GIE+EXPO Thursday and Friday at the Kentucky Exposition Center. PGMS courses will be focused on the latest techniques and practices with topics such as
“Elements of a Snow Management Plan,” “Best Learned Practices of Bio-Swale Installation as Related to the Maintenance Budget,” “Woodland Wonders From the Wild” and “Lowering Liability Exposure in your Snow Management Operations,” among others. Back by popular demand, PGMS will host a Speaker Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 25. From 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. attendees will learn about “Back Health” and from 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Tom Hayes, Ph.D., chair and professor of marketing at Xavier University, will present “Groundskeepers: The Guardians of the Gate.”
Grounds professionals interested in taking the first steps to earn a certificate in the School of Grounds Management (SGM) may earn Continuing Education Units at the School of Grounds Management. Strategically integrated into the schedule of events offered at the GIE+EXPO, the PGMS School focuses on four core competencies of grounds management. Those who complete the entire program (usually taking two years) are awarded an SGM certificate by PGMS. More information on the SGM program can be found at http://pgms.org/certifications/school-of-groundsmanagement.
For those interested in learning more about the recently announced PGMS Landscape Management and Operations Accreditation program, staff members will be available to provide detailed information.
Details and registration information for the PGMS School of Grounds Management is available online at