Find practical business boosters at HNA

By The Coffee Shops®. 

Hardscape North America’s business-focused education sessions give contractors ways to improve leadership, profitability, marketing and long-term growth. 

Success in the hardscape industry takes more than strong installation skills. Leadership, marketing, financial and planning skills are also needed to guide their businesses through changing markets and new opportunities. The need for these types of skills is why Hardscape North America (HNA) annually invites attendees to boost their business skills through focused education sessions!  

These sessions are taught by industry experts who cover everything from profitability, operations and design to sales, marketing and leadership. Bob Thomas, president and CEO of Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA), which produces HNA, explained that the throughline of all sessions is giving practical solutions to real-world problems. “These sessions are designed to give contractors practical ideas they can take home and put to work immediately,” he explained. “Whether the goal is increasing profitability, improving operations, strengthening leadership or finding new ways to market a business, attendees will gain real-world strategies from professionals who have built successful companies and helped others do the same.” 

Some sessions that contractors can look forward to at this year’s HNA, which will be held October 21-22, 2026, include:  

• Anthony Bango’s session on improving hardscape margins with prefabricated Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete products 
• Bryan Horr’s Contractor Roundtable, where attendees can discuss challenges and solutions with other contractors 
• George Urvari’s sessions on profitable design and estimating 
• Oliver Bridgeman’s session focused on data-driven marketing budgets and everyday AI for marketing. 
• Doug Buma’s strategic planning session will explore how to align daily work with long-term business goals 
• Joseph Raboine’s workshop will look at the outdoor living economy and how contractors can respond to fluctuating market conditions. 

Want to attend these sessions? Attendees can add education when registering for HNA or return to their registration dashboard to add sessions. The VIP Pass includes access to 17 education sessions, six hardscape demos, two hardscape workshops and one free industry session. 

Learn more about HNA education and the full lineup at HardscapeNA.com/education.