Virtual Power Equipment Showcase ‘GIE+EXPO ToGo’ Now Open to the Public

Courtesy of GIE+ EXPO

UPDATE (Oct. 1, 2020) — GIE+EXPO ToGo, the virtual replacement for the postponed live version of the 2020 GIE+ EXPO, is now live. Starting today, visitors can browse exhibitor “booths” where top brands in the outdoor power equipment category are set up to showcase their latest products and upcoming attractions.

GIE+EXPO ToGo is set to run from now through December 2020. The event will spotlight over 40 featured brands, including the John Deere Company, STIHL, and Honda Power Equipment.

Visitors to the online expo can create a “MyShow Account” that will allow them to put together a virtual planner to keep track of the products and exhibitors they have seen as well as give them access to more new product information and other special offers.

“As the industry adapts to our new business reality, manufacturers and suppliers are responding and looking for ways to stay connected to the thousands of outdoor power equipment dealers, retailers, landscapers, and hardscape contractors they would have met at GIE+EXPO and HNA,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. “This year, GIE+EXPO ToGo will be that point of connection.”

UPDATE (Sept. 3, 2020) — The spirit of the 2020 GIE+EXPO lives on. Just not in its traditional form.

With the in-person event cancelled due to coronavirus concerns, the event holders are instead offering an online exhibitor portal where manufacturers can promote the products, materials and resources that they would have showcased had the EXPO been held as expected.

The portal is expected to launch in October and will remain active through the rest of 2020.

“Whether they’re hosting a live event showcase this fall, have assembled an immersive on-demand experience of their products, or just want to link to their company’s information online, GIE+EXPO is here to connect them with the hundreds of thousands of landscapers, outdoor power equipment dealers, hardscapers, and other contractors still working in the field,” said Kris Kriser, managing partner of the GIE+Expo.

GIE+EXPO Postponed Until 2021 Due to Coronavirus Concerns

(Aug. 13, 2020) — The 2020 GIE+EXPO is off, representatives of the event announced last week in a press release. The GIE+EXPO was originally scheduled for October 21-23. The next one will be held almost exactly one year later on October 22-23, 2021.

“The health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors is critical, and it is with profound regret that we announce the cancellation of our 2020 event,” said Kris Kiser, a managing partner of the GIE+EXPO. “We’re looking forward to 2021 and already gearing up to make our next show a dynamic and engaging experience for the entire industry.”

The GIE+EXPO is one of the largest trade shows in the United States, an opportunity for landscaping professionals, general contractors and power equipment dealers to experience some of the latest tools and gear that outdoor power equipment manufacturers from across the world have to offer.

Last year’s event drew more than 26,000 attendees to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. where the show has been held for its entire 40-year history. The delay will allow the organizers to make $8 million in outdoor improvements and enhancements to the facility.

In their announcement, event organizers praised the work of the landscaping profession in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“What we’ve learned during this period is the extraordinary importance of the living landscape to our mental and physical health, especially for homeowners who have a yard,” said Kiser. “Manufacturers, landscapers, and outdoor power equipment dealers have been deemed essential during this ongoing pandemic, and the industry continues to play a major role in keeping green spaces around the country safe and accessible.”