It’s been a positive and productive 2019, and now is a great time to celebrate with the team and highlight their excellent work over the last 12 months. Better yet, how about combining education and celebration into one event? To get you started on creating your own combo, here are some ideas to pair both goals together in 2020.
Irrigation Show. The granddaddy of all irrigation trade shows, the Irrigation Association’s Irrigation Show & Education Week has a full week of top-notch classes and seminars. On top of all that education goodness, the host cities Las Vegas, Orlando and Long Beach offer amazing opportunities to celebrate in style with your team. There’s a big party on opening night and lots of fun private events hosted by manufacturers when the show is not in session.
Manufacturer factory tours. Hunter, Rain Bird, Toro and many other companies offer great fly-ins and tours of their factories to help you understand irrigation from the inside out. While you’re there, you can enjoy Jeep expeditions in the desert, hit the local hot spots or enjoy a round of golf. The manufacturer sales reps ensure the team members get great product knowledge and have a great time, too.
College certificate programs. Many colleges and universities offer short, intensive certificates in business management and other related topics. While you’re not hitting the books, the team can catch a ballgame or visit other attractions these world-class institutions offer.
Peer group events. If you haven’t experienced a peer group, it can be a great way to learn from other irrigation business owners. Peer groups provide coaching, mentoring and accountability check-ins. These meetings are typically held in beautiful locations with downtime for recreation and celebration. There are many peer groups to choose from, and they can help grow your business while having some fun.
Distributor education events. We all have local distributors that hold educational events, but the big nationwide distributors hold events, like SiteOne University, all over the U.S. Pick a fun location that offers some side trips, then you and your team can see the irrigation industry through the eyes of a different region and dovetail the education into any adventure or celebration the area has to offer.
Irrigation company visits. It is amazing how generous and helpful people in our industry can be. Many times, irrigation companies in other parts of the country where we don’t directly compete have offered to open their doors and share how their operations run. From opportunities like this, you can gather helpful insights to bring back to your shop.
