By Emma Peterson. 

Diving into how the Irrigation Association supports and advances the outdoor industry.  

If you work in the outdoor industry, you’ve probably heard of The Irrigation Show and Education Week. With an expo floor full of cutting-edge technology, best-in-class education offerings and more, this is the ultimate place for irrigation professionals to meet and level up their skills. But what do you know about the organization behind this iconic show?  

The Irrigation Association (IA) is a leading trade organization dedicated to “promoting efficient irrigation technologies, products and services.” The annual Irrigation Show and Education Week is one of the ways they pursue this goal. Other ways they serve their members and the industry include:  

• Advocacy: The IA has a dedicated government affairs team that advocates for the needs of the irrigation association. They work on all levels of government (federal, state, regional and local) to share information about water stewardship, respond to public policies related to water resource planning and work with other associations/partners to define best water practices.  
• Workforce development: IA also has a workforce development team (previously working under the name Irrigation Foundation) that works to promote careers in irrigation. They do this through the E3 program, the Faculty Academy, scholarships and more.  
• Certifications: And IA is not only focused on bringing new people into the industry. They also provide a variety of certification and education opportunities to give their members a competitive edge. These certification opportunities include everything from becoming an irrigation designer to becoming a golf irrigation auditor.  
• Publications: Through Irrigation Today and Irrigation & Lighting magazines, IA keeps their members and other professionals up to date on “the latest trends, technologies and issues in both the agriculture and landscape irrigation industries.” 
• Landscape Irrigation Pros Week: Like the education week, this is an annual event. However, the Landscape Irrigation Pros Week is specifically designed to be a virtual event so that professionals can learn from where they are. Courses are hosted on Zoom over the course of five days and are divided into two categories – Industry Basics and Industry Pros – making this perfect for professionals of all skill levels. 

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the programming and support IA offers outdoor professionals. Learn more about IA at www.irrigation.org. 

By Jenny Yu.  

The program helps contractors understand irrigation technology through science-based education and independent product evaluation. 

At the Irrigation Association’s 2025 Irrigation Show & Education Week, Karol Weyman of The Coffee Shops™ spoke with Charles Swanson, extension specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, to discuss how the university’s irrigation technology program is supporting contractors, manufacturers and industry professionals. 

Charles works within the Texas A&M University agricultural engineering department, where the program focuses on advancing irrigation knowledge through training, research and independent product evaluation. “What we do is we offer irrigation training courses as part of the landscape irrigation industry,” Charles shared.   

The program provides a wide range of educational resources designed to help contractors and agricultural professionals improve efficiency and adopt new technologies. These resources include technical publications, training programs and online learning options that are accessible to professionals across the country. 

“We have a series of fact sheets and publications for contractors and agricultural users to access. We have online courses, in-person courses,” Charles explained. “And then we also have what we call our smart irrigation laboratory, where we do independent testing and evaluation services for manufacturers and then basic product testing that we use in our short courses to help contractors.” 

At the Irrigation Show, the Texas A&M team focused on raising awareness of the many resources available to industry professionals. Swanson noted that the program offers both live and self-paced online training opportunities, along with free downloadable publications.  

“We're here just to let people know the availability of our different resources,” Charles stated. “Then, we're here meeting with manufacturers, seeing how we can offer our services to help them improve their products or do independent, third-party testing.” 

By collaborating with manufacturers, the program helps to bridge the gap between research, product development and contractor education. “We collaborate with lots of manufacturers, especially on the technology side, looking at new technologies, new products in the marketplace that we've evaluated,” Charles said. “Then, we can take the science side, the product performance, and send that back to students in our short courses.” 

As the industry continues to adopt smarter irrigation systems and water-saving technologies, programs like Texas A&M’s help ensure professionals have access to critical data and training.  

Watch the full interview to learn more about the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program.

By Emma Peterson. 

Irrigation Association’s work with the Plant for Life program is helping give back to vital communities 

This year, the OutdoorCoffeeShop™ crew had the chance to attend the Irrigation Show for the first time! Our team had a great time exploring the expo floor, attending informative sessions and chatting with other professionals in the outdoor industry. The show is hosted by the Irrigation Association (IA), a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization dedicated to promoting efficient irrigation that fuels healthy stewardship of water and the planet’s other resources for the benefits of all.   

One standout event that caught our attention during the show was the Plant for Life initiative. This is a community support program organized by IA that gives Irrigation Show attendees the chance to make a lasting difference for the community hosting the show each year.  

To learn more about Plant for Life, Karol Weyman spoke with Anne Blankenbiller, the senior communications manager for IA. She shared, “Our main reason for doing this is to give back to the community that's supporting us by hosting our show. So, every year we try to find some partner organization that we can contribute to and provide some sort of way to give back to that community.” 

For the show, IA partnered with organizations to help local communities in the city of New Orleans, choosing to work with  Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA) and FirstLine Schools. Anne shared, “After talking with these great groups, we decided that one of the best things we could do is provide some take-home garden kits for them to give to their kids. So, while the show is running, we’re having attendees help fill 300 garden kits with some watering cans, towels, seeds, pots – everything these kids need to go home, plant some flowers/seeds and watch them grow.” 

This is not the first year that IA has implemented the Plant for Life program. When the show was in San Antonio, Texas, they created backpacks of school supplies for kids. Looking ahead, Anne is excited to see how this program grows. She shared, “We're really hoping to continue to do it, and we love the idea of connecting it with our industry by doing something garden related.” 

Learn more about Plant for Life by watching the full interview with Anne.

By Emma Peterson. 

A look at the Irrigation Association’s dedication to serving the industry.  

Every year, the Irrigation Association (IA) hosts a trade show and education week with the goal of “support[ing] IA initiatives to benefit its members and the irrigation industry through advocacy and professional development.” Whether you are a contractor looking for valuable insights from industry experts, a student hoping to make meaningful connections  with peers or a researcher interested in cutting-edge irrigation solutions, there is a place for you at the show.  

At the 2025 Irrigation Show, Karol Weyman interviewed Noreen Rich, IA’s member engagement and industry relations director, to learn a little more about the show. Noreen opened by sharing some general information about IA, explaining, “We are a trade association. So, we generally focus on company memberships, but we also represent about 13,000 people from those companies. And these people are from all over the industry, golf, turf, landscape and more.”  

The annual Irrigation Show is where IA members come together in one place to learn and network. Noreen explained, “This is our biggest event where everything comes together. It’s our biggest opportunity to educate and certify individuals in person.” In addition to this flagship event, IA provides their members with a variety of events and programs throughout the year. Noreen shared:  

We do education certification, training, advocacy representation and more all year long. So, in the first quarter of 2026 we’ll host the Landscape Irrigation Professionals Week, which is an online opportunity for people to prepare for the certified irrigation technician exam, and we’ll also have our advocacy summit, which is where we train some of our volunteers to go to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and connect with decision makers there. 

These are just two examples of the year-round programming that IA hosts for their members. They also host workforce development webinars, irrigation seminars, interest group meetings and more!  

To learn more about this incredible trade association and their work, watch our full interview with Noreen.

By Jenny Yu.  

Dive into two products by The Toro Company that make irrigation intuitive and easy. 

At the 2025 Irrigation Show & Education Week put on by the Irrigation Association (IA), Karol Weyman spoke with Matt Hall, product marketing manager for The Toro Company’s residential-commercial controllers and sensors, about two of the division’s newest products.  

The first product Matt introduced is Toro’s new RXC controller, designed for residential use. “The controller has basic programming. It’s very intuitive with six programs — a few more programs than some of the competition,” Matt shared. “It’s good, day-in and day-out. If you need it to turn on irrigation and turn off irrigation, it's going to do a fantastic job of doing so.” 

What really sets this product apart, though, is when it is paired with Toro’s new Oasis software platform, available through the app and a contractor website. “A contractor will be able to create their organization, create client profiles that they manage and have access from anywhere to any one of those clients at any time,” Matt explained. “We spent a lot of time working on the setup and the handoff. Those are the two biggest places where contractors and users get stuck; this way, they're able to pick how they want their dashboard to look, quickly see a list of their clients and filter through that.”   

One of the unique tools the controller and software duo features is smart irrigation. “It has internet-based weather for smart irrigation. You'll get daily weather data downloaded from the cloud that'll make a daily runtime adjustment to the irrigation based on the weather in your area,” Matt said. “So, you're going to save water when you don't need it and get the water you need to keep the landscape healthy.”  

Tools like smart irrigation and a fully customizable dashboard took much research, development and testing, creating products that Toro is proud to provide. “We really have worked hard to catch the pain points for contractors and homeowners,” Matt expressed. 

Watch the interview to see Toro’s new product innovations!

Join us December 8 – 11 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana!

The Irrigation Show and Education Week is the irrigation industry’s ultimate resource for cutting-edge technology, best-in-class education and invaluable networking opportunities. If you’re ready to elevate your skills and supercharge your business, this is the event for you!

The Irrigation Show attracts professionals from all corners of the industry. Our attendees include irrigation contractors, manufacturers, dealers, distributors, consultants, growers, researchers, educators and students.

Register today!

By Jenny Yu.  

The Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals provides its members with opportunities for education, networking and collaboration. 

Established in 2001, the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP) is a trade association dedicated to advancing the art and business of outdoor lighting. Made up of contractors, designers, landscape architects and distributors spanning the United States and Canada, the AOLP strives to share ideas, inspire innovation and raise the standards of the lighting industry. As the only association to serve the outdoor lighting industry, its mission is to promote and advance the industry by providing opportunities for connection, education and collaboration.  

Who can join AOLP? 

Membership is available to: 

• Companies involved in the outdoor lighting industry, including contractors, design firms, architect firms and electrical companies.  
• Distributers of lighting and industry-related products 
• Manufacturers focused on a business-to-business model that offers a full line of industry-related products  
• Affiliate manufacturers that provide products and services related to the industry 
• Industry service providers, companies that provide services or products beneficial to businesses engaged in the lighting industry 
• Educators who are actively teaching lighting and/or related subjects 
• Students currently enrolled in an institution of high education 
• Retirees, current members who are planning to retire to stay involved in committees and receive member benefits 

Why should I join?  

Members receive a variety of benefits, including:  

• Certifications for design and installation through the Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician (CLVLT) and Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer (COLD) programs. These certifications add to your credibility as a valuable resource to customers 
• Networking and professional development at Illuminate, AOLP’s Annual Conference & Expo 
• Access to AOLP’s private Facebook and LinkedIn groups for online networking 
• Opportunities for recognition and promotion through the annual awards program 
• AOLP’s e-newsletter, LightLines, which includes quarterly industry updates and business tips 
• Elevated web presence  
• Marketing, advertising, sponsorship and expo opportunities 
• Exclusive discounts from other manufacturer and distributor members 
• Mentorship opportunities to gain insight on business practices, lighting design, employee relations and more 

Where can I learn more? 

One exciting event coming up for AOLP is the 2025 Irrigation Show and Education Week organized by the Irrigation Association from December 8-11, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. AOLP will be at Booth 121 on the trade show floor, ready to answer your questions.  

Learn more about AOLP and register for the Irrigation Show to stop by their booth and say hello! 

By Emma Peterson. 

The 2025 Irrigation Show is right around the corner and you don’t want to miss the #1 private concert event there!  

The 2025 Irrigation Show and Education week will be hosted in New Orleans, Louisiana from December 8-11, 2025, by the Irrigation Association. Every year, this event brings together the “brightest minds and the latest innovations in irrigation to one place.” For exhibitors, it is the perfect place to showcase your products and services. For attendees, it is an investment in your business and career through education and exploration.  

In addition to the powerful business opportunities at the Irrigation Show, there’s also plenty of opportunities for fun with your peers and colleagues! For example, Heritage will be hosting their annual concert on December 10, 2025. The show will feature Pat Green with support from Shovels & Rope.  

About Pat Green 

Pat Green is a San Antonio-born country musician. His debut album, Dancehall Dreamer, was released in 1995 and captured the hearts of listeners with authentic sound and storytelling. Over the years, Pat has become a staple in the Texas country music scene with three Grammy nominations and over two million albums sold.  

Off the stage, Pat has worked to use his platform and success for good. He runs the Pat Green Foundation which supports music education programs and charities. 

About Shovels & Rope 

Shovels & Rope, comprised of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearstis, explores classic country, folk, bluegrass and Americana through a lens of nervy punk and indie rock. Michael and Cary, partners in both life and music, released their debut album, O’ Be Joyful, in 2012, broke into the Billboard 200 and got them named Best Emerging Artist at the 2013 Americana Music Honors & Awards. 

Hosted at the Fillmore New Orleans, this is a must-attend event! Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and your wristbands can be picked up ahead of time at the Heritage booth (#512). Learn more!