ELEVATE 2024 Conference
Thursday, November 21, 2024 | The Greenery, Inc.
ELEVATE, presented by the National Association of Landscape Professionals included nearly 2,500 attendees from across the landscape industry who gathered on Nov. 3-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina. For The Greenery, Inc. team members in attendance, it was a valuable time of education, inspiration, and networking to gain beneficial perspective from professionals and experts from all over the country.
Inaugural NALP Women’s Forum
This year’s ELEVATE featured the first-ever NALP Women’s Forum, a pre-conference event featuring keynote speaker Sherhara Burrell, roundtable discussions and networking at the Museum of Illusions. Burrell explained valuable principles to the more than 125 attendees like how to advocate for themselves with the simple phrase “I’m proud to say that…”
It was an energetic and engaging workshop that helped to inspire women in the industry with tangible action items and tools to implement in their day-to-day jobs and in life in general.
“It was so wonderful networking with fellow industry leaders during the NALP Women’s Forum,” shared Stacy Montoya, Business Developer at The Greenery, Inc. “I’m proud to say I attended this inaugural event!”
Educational Opportunities
Another new feature this year at ELEVATE was the “Let’s Talk Shop” round table discussions. These round tables were divided by industry specialties that grouped irrigation, lawn care, design/build, commercial landscape maintenance and residential commercial maintenance at separate tables to help streamline discussion.
ELEVATE also featured over 30 concurrent educational sessions for attendees to experience with a variety of tracks for every facet of the industry including:
- People & Culture
- Customer Service & Sales
- Business & Operations
- Technology & Innovation
Networking
The ELEVATE Expo floor featured over 200 of the industry’s leading companies that each exhibited new innovations and networked with both current and future customers.
“The [Expo] show gives us a chance to meet with new contacts and to fellowship with existing industry partners of The Greenery Inc. like Utkarsh Sharma. It was so great to see the SiteRecon team!” said Melissa Brock, Director of Business Development at The Greenery, Inc.
During the Expo, there were also 18 Campfire Conversations, where attendees could discuss topics like how to educate students and parents about the green industry; the value of KPIs; and making wellness a priority.
Inspiration
A big focus of this year’s ELEVATE was providing Main Stage sessions to inspire attendees on all levels of the industry.
The opening Main Stage speaker, Shawn Achor, covered how positive brains are linked to improved performance. Achor shared with attendees how choosing to look for the good and being grateful makes it easier for the brain to spot fresh opportunities.
Another Main Stage speaker was AI innovator Noelle Russell who highlighted the importance of scaling responsibly with AI. She stressed to those in attendance that as companies delve into the world of AI, they should be asking: ‘What’s the worst possible thing that can happen?’ and ‘Where does this come from/How does this work?’
Closing things out on the Main Stage was ESPN reporter, Lauren Sisler. She shared about the tragedies in her life and how owning your story can allow you to connect with others. Encouraging attendees to shift their perspective, Sisler said this shift makes it easier to successfully face challenges head-on.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have attended Elevate 2024 with such an inspiring group of colleagues and friends,” shared Mizraim Mata, Regional Plant & Turf Healthcare Manager at The Greenery, Inc. “This experience was more than just a conference—it was a testament to our shared resilience, growth, and the amazing things we can achieve together.”
Mata went on to say “The picture we captured during Elevate is more than just a moment frozen in time. It symbolizes our collective strength and determination to overcome challenges and embrace opportunities. It stands as a beacon of our commitment to personal and professional growth, and the bright future we’re building together.”
The Greenery, Inc. team feels quite honored to be moving into the future surrounded by such dedicated and knowledgeable professionals like those in attendance at the NALP Elevate Conference. Learning from and growing with fellow green industry people is what makes opportunities like this invaluable to our employee owners at The Greenery, Inc. Thank you to everyone who made ELEVATE 2024 truly special.