Blockbuster trade show’s exhibits will cover more than a square mile and offer a wealth of opportunities for landscapers, contractors, dealers and manufacturers.

For a fifth year in a row, Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition, has sold out its available exhibit space at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC). OPEI owns and manages the blockbuster show, which will be held October 20-23, 2026.

“We have 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space, including the Outdoor Demo Yard. Every inch of the Kentucky Exposition Center that can be used for exhibit space is now sold,” says Kris Kiser, president & CEO of OPEI. “That translates to more than a square mile of exhibits, or the equivalent of 20 football fields. There are thousands of products and services that can help landscapers, contractors and dealers expand and better their business.”

Kiser noted that demand for space means that exhibitors must plan ahead and reserve space well in advance. The award-winning trade show sold its last exhibit space in May 2026. Last year the last booth sale was in June. In 2024, the trade show sold its final booth in August and in 2023, the last slot was sold in early October, a few weeks before the show opened. 

Kiser noted that due to high demand to participate in the show, the Equip staff continually work with KEC officials to re-imagine space and are creative about ways to add value for attendees. Last year they opened up Freedom Hall to exhibit sales for the first time. In 2025, Equip also moved and expanded the UTV Test Track to deliver an even better experience for attendees.

“Equip is epic, and people are excited to be at the show and part of this dynamic industry. This is the place where innovators roll out new products and talk about where this industry is headed. It’s where landscape contractors try out new equipment and meet the people who design and make it,” says Kiser. 

There’s still plenty of tickets left for attendees, who can register for the early bird price of only $30 through September 10, 2026. Ticket prices go to $60 on September 11, 2026, and to $120 on October 20, 2026. 

Last year Equip broke attendance records, attracting nearly 30,000 registrants to the KEC. The show will begin a two-city rotation in 2029, with Equip being held in Orlando that year and thereafter biannually. Equip Expo will return to Louisville in 2030.

To zero in on what attendees want to see at a mega show where the exhibit area spans square footage that is greater than 20 football fields, organizers recommend using the Equip Expo app, sponsored by CASE Construction Equipment, which helps attendees prioritize and navigate to their “must-see” exhibitors.

Equip Exposition also provides landscapers, dealers, contractors, hardscape experts and outdoor power equipment manufacturers a unique platform to learn from each other through peer to-peer networking events and classroom, training and education sessions. 

caseThis year the show is debuting Equip Academy, a new in-person and online training package designed to help contractors and landscapers confront today’s current business challenges head on.

Networking and peer learning is an important part of the show. There’s a Welcome Reception at Churchill Downs sponsored by Caterpillar, Inc., a keynote address by HGTV’s Mike Holmes sponsored by Kress, a 4th Street Live concert sponsored by the Propane Education and Research Council, and a Paristown Pointe Block Party & Concert sponsored by Gravely. Susan Packard, a media entrepreneur who helped create popular TV channels like HGTV, CNBC and Food Network, will keynote the Women’s Leadership Reception, which is sponsored by Belgard, SiteOne and Hunter/FX Luminaire.

Visit www.equipexposition.com to register and book hotel rooms. 

About Equip Exposition 

Equip Exposition, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition, is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, and is one of the top three largest trade shows in the United States. The show is a Trade Show Executive Gold 100 Grand Award Winner, including “Greatest Trade Show of 2024,” and is co-located with Hardscape North America. Equip publishes “equip" magazine and is owned and managed by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, an international trade association representing manufacturers of outdoor power equipment, parts, small engines, battery power systems, portable generators, utility and personal transport vehicles, golf cars and their suppliers. For more information visit www.equipexposition.com.  

OCS Influencers from Heritage say smart irrigation and agronomics can help contractors prevent waste and win repeat customers.

Has this happened to you? You're driving past a job you finished last season, and the sprinklers are running at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday, water streaming down the driveway, pooling at the curb, going nowhere useful. Nobody called it in. Nobody noticed. But guess what? Your name is all over that system. 

That's the kind of thing that keeps contractors up at night, and it's exactly the kind of thing that smart irrigation is designed to prevent. 

Start with the controller 

The biggest single upgrade you can make to any irrigation system is the controller. Systems like the Hunter Hydrawise and Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with WiFi don't just run on a timer. They adjust automatically based on real-time weather data. If it rained last night, they know. If temperatures drop, they adjust. Your customer's lawn gets watered when it needs it, not just because it's Wednesday. 

For you, that means fewer callbacks, fewer overwatering complaints and a system that looks like it was designed by someone who thought it through. That's the kind of trust that turns one job into ten referrals. 

Put the right nozzles on the job 

Traditional spray nozzles throw water out fast... we're talking faster than most soils can absorb it. The result is runoff, misting and uneven coverage. Hunter MP Rotator Nozzles and Rain Bird R-VAN Nozzles work differently. They apply water slowly and evenly, giving it time to soak in where it belongs. 

Pair them with pressure-regulated spray bodies like the Hunter Pro-Spray PRS40, and you eliminate the misting that happens when the pressure gets too high. What that means is less waste, better coverage and a system that performs consistently across the whole zone. 

Don't forget the beds 

Turf gets most of the attention, but planting beds, trees and shrubs are where a lot of water gets wasted. Overhead spray in a bed is inefficient; most of it never reaches the root zone. Drip irrigation changes that entirely. Rain Bird XF Dripline and Hunter HDL Dripline deliver water right where the plant needs it, at the root level, with minimal evaporation. Plants establish faster, perform better and your customer notices the difference come midsummer when everything still looks healthy. 

Zone smart, schedule smart 

Products can only do so much if the system design isn't right. Grouping plants with similar water needs into the same zone is one of the simplest things you can do to improve efficiency. A drip zone running on the same schedule as a turf zone is a problem waiting to happen. Take the time to zone it right from the start, and the rest of the system has a chance to do its job. 

So now what? 

Water-wise landscaping isn't about doing less. It's all about doing it better. The contractors who are investing in smart controllers, efficient nozzles and drip solutions are the ones whose customers call them back season after season. Not because they sold them something fancy, but because the system works, the water bill went down and nobody's watching their money run down the street. 

Conserve water with Heritage A-LIST Turf Blends 

Heritage selects turf cultivars that thrive with fewer inputs using our patented Turf Tech Tool, which analyzes NTEP results to create high-performance blends. Our **A-LIST certified blends — Artimuss, Calyspow and Posidunn — **deliver superior turf quality while conserving water. These blends are proven drought-tolerant, require less fertilizer and reduce pesticide, herbicide and mowing needs, making them sustainable, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. 

Water-saving impact: Maximize performance while minimizing water use with A-LIST certified turf. 

Conserve water with wetting agents 

Wetting agents improve soil moisture penetration, helping water spread evenly and reach the root zone. They enhance water absorption, prevent dry spots and support healthier, more resilient turf with fewer irrigation cycles. By maintaining consistent soil hydration, wetting agents allow turf to use water more efficiently while reducing runoff and waste. 

Water-saving impact: Every drop counts — wetting agents make irrigation more effective and consistent.

Conserve water with CIVITAS TURF DEFENSE™ 

CIVITAS TURF DEFENSE™ is a multifunctional fungicide, insecticide and plant protection product. Its active ingredient, a white mineral oil similar to natural leaf paraffins, forms a protective barrier that prevents pathogens from taking hold and enhances turf’s tolerance to stress. Applied proactively, CIVITAS improves overall turf health, supports IPM programs and boosts resilience even under tough conditions, helping turf thrive with less water. 

Water-saving impact: Reduce water use by up to 25% while maintaining healthy, resilient  

By Emma Peterson. 

Whether it's lighting or irrigation, Hunter Industries has an innovative tech solution for your next project. 

Across the world (over 120 countries to be exact), Hunter Industries has become known for their energy-efficient irrigation and lighting solutions. What has driven their global success? Passion and dedication to innovation. And to learn more about their newest innovations, our editor Lauren White caught up with them in their booth at the 2025 Equip Expo for a short interview.   

Specifically, they spoke to Austin Krempin, one of their product managers. He opened the interview by talking about that dedication to innovation, saying, “We are here to support the contractors, the boots on the ground, the folks that are installing every day. So that’s where our drive to make our products better comes from.” Austin highlighted two of Hunter’s products during the interview that are great examples of this innovation and dedication to serving outdoor professionals – their Hydrawise software and their ROAM Long Range remote. 

Hydrawise 

Hydrawise software enables multi-site management of irrigation systems. Austin shared, “This software is one of the things that sets us apart from the rest of the industry. It allows homeowners, users and/or contractors to manage multiple controllers, multiple sites, set their schedules, monitor water usage and more from their phone or computer.”  

The other thing to note about Hunter’s systems that sets them apart is that “their control boxes can do conventionally wired, two wire system and wireless system all in one.” 

ROAM LR 

The other product Austin highlighted was their ROAM LR, a long-range remote that enables remote management of projects of any size. Austin explained, “You can control the controller with a remote from up to two miles away. It's great for when you’re doing any kind of maintenance, like winter blowouts. No more running  back and forth between the controller and the sprinklers.” 

Watch the full interview to learn more about Hunter Industries’ innovative products and solutions!

Al hacer balance del pasado año, tomamos conciencia de la naturaleza dinámica y siempre cambiante del entorno normativo de la sostenibilidad. Los avances recientes, como la Directiva sobre Informes de Sostenibilidad Corporativa (CSRD) de la Unión Europea, han acentuado el énfasis en la elaboración de informes de sostenibilidad transparentes y exhaustivos. En Estados Unidos, se han acelerado las acciones a nivel estatal para fomentar la preservación del medioambiente, lo que refleja un compromiso más amplio con la sostenibilidad.

En consonancia con estas tendencias globales, alcanzamos un hito importante al completar nuestra primera Evaluación del Ciclo de Vida (LCA) exhaustiva y publicar una Declaración Medioambiental de Producto (EPD) para nuestra línea de productos de turbinas de Hunter Industries. Este logro pone de relieve nuestra dedicación en aras de la transparencia medioambiental y la fabricación responsable.

El proceso implicó una meticulosa recopilación y análisis de datos, lo que demuestra la seriedad con la que nos tomamos nuestro papel en la sostenibilidad. A medida que el camino hacia la sostenibilidad sigue evolucionando, nuestro enfoque en la innovación y la responsabilidad medioambiental continuará guiándonos para ofrecer productos que no solo satisfagan las necesidades de nuestros clientes, sino que también tengan un impacto positivo en el planeta.

Lea el informe de impacto 2024.