The Irrigation Association (IA) made a significant effort in bolstering their educational content at this year’s Irrigation Show and Education Week in Long Beach, Calif.
This year’s show lasted from Nov. 4-7, with the first two days being dedicated to IA University — classes that are offered every year to give irrigation professionals the fundamental, practical and business skills necessary to design, install or maintain an irrigation system.
The 3,000 show attendees were able to choose amongst 30 courses, including five new ones, and take certification exams at eight certification locations. On top of that, 14 industry insight sessions were available to attendees on the third and fourth days to those interested in learning more while the show floor opened.
“This year’s show sparked fresh enthusiasm for industry education,” says Tiffany Erickson, IA brand, engagement and growth vice president. “With the introduction of five new IA University courses and a robust lineup of Industry Insights sessions including new in-depth classroom-style sessions, attendees took advantage of opportunities to expand their knowledge, receive expert-led technical training and gather insights to grow and strengthen their businesses.”
Shawn Sandink, a coach on the training team at SiteOne and the instructor of the Irrigation Components for Residential/Small Commercial Systems course, says the Irrigation Show classes are a great start for landscapers who want to add irrigation to their business.
“Maybe they’re in landscaping, maybe they’re in lawn care, maybe they’re in some related industry — contracting of some sort — and they want to add irrigation. This is a great introductory class for them,” Sandink says. “If you have a new teammate at your company, you want them to come to this class, even just so that they get you the right part out of the truck.”
For those already with an established irrigation business, or for those that want to take their skills to the next level, the Irrigation Show also provides more advanced classes on technology, water management and growing a business.
Chris Pine, president of IrriTech Training and the instructor of the Business of Landscape Irrigation Management: Water Management and Technology course, says classes like his can help with giving attendees the right tools to better manage their companies.
“What we want people to take away really is an understanding that this is a real business that is going to require certain skills to manage,” Pine says. “There’s opportunity there, and there’s technology that is going to be appropriate that we can use to manage this business.
There’s a lot of takeaways, but really it’s to help these people develop this type of business so they’re successful,” he says.
Learning about the latest industry trends and technologies was a big draw for people at the 2024 show. James Adams, an irrigation operations manager and a five-time attendee, says staying updated with what’s new keeps him coming back. This year, Adams took Fundamentals of Landscape Irrigation Design, a two-day class that let students design two irrigation systems.
“Any type of education I think is always good, being around people in the industry and talking is always good,” Adams says. “Hopefully, the show will bring forth some new things I haven’t seen and things like that. That’s basically what I’m here for.”
Looking ahead, Sandink recommends more people to come to the show and take classes. If it’s anything like this year’s show, he says it’s important to learn about what’s new in the industry.
“Technology is continually changing. Not only is technology changing, but our cultural norms are changing. Our municipal ordinances are changing,” Sandink says. “It’s great to collaborate with each other and stay on top of our craft. You can quickly fall behind, so you don’t want that to happen.”
The next Irrigation Show and Education Week will be hosted in New Orleans, La., from Dec. 8-11, 2025.
