The Edge September/October 2025

WHAT’S NEW? This year NALP’s premier event is headed out west to Phoenix, Arizona, and will take place Nov. 2-5. “We’re excited to really provide a venue where you can see some of the unique characteristics of some of the Western members, but also just the opportunity to take people to a different environment,” says Britt Wood, CEO of NALP. “If you’ve never been to Phoenix in November, there may not be a more beautiful place at that time of year in the United States of America. That is a big aspect of what sets this year apart.” Kim McCrossen, director of education for NALP, adds that hosting on the West Coast opens up new opportunities for fresh perspectives, expanded network ing, and unforgettable experiences. “You’ll connect with industry peers you may not typically meet at East Coast events, helping to broaden your profes sional circle,” McCrossen says. The NALP program committee also challenged themselves to wow the at tendees with better networking, stronger education and more fun at ELEVATE. “We are really excited about our educational program, and we focused on making sure our topics would bring value and learning opportunities to every position in a landscape organiza tion,” McDuff says. “From tools and tips on implementing AI, understanding private equity and how mergers and acqui

training, technology, recruiting, sales and marketing, etc.” The new ‘Grow Your Business’ track is specifically designed to equip ambitious owners and leadership teams with the essential tools, strategic insights, and leadership frameworks to achieve real and lasting success. Another addition this year is the role-based roundtable discussions. These are focused on specific job roles and connect individuals with similar responsibilities. “Think of it like the always popular Breakfast with Champions, yet you’ll be working on specific challenges and opportunities with peers who share sim ilar roles in their respective companies,” McDuff says. “I’m really looking forward to the networking and idea sharing at this session.” CAN’T MISS MOMENTS ELEVATE is packed with a multitude of opportunities to network and have a blast with its signature social events, such as the Welcome Reception and the ELEVATE Bash. The Welcome Reception will be hosted at The Duce, a Prohibition-era warehouse that specializes in inventive dishes and vintage cocktails. To close out the event, the ELEVATE Bash will take place at Corona Ranch. Attendees will be treated to a Mexican rodeo.

sitions might affect the industry, and diving deeper into leadership and team development, we’re sure our members will leave the event inspired to grow.” This year, the ELEVATE program committee also brought back the call for proposals process. “We were thrilled to receive 185 session submissions, giving the ELEVATE committee the challenging task of se lecting topics that would truly resonate with our audience,” McCrossen says. “As a result, we’re excited to feature many new speakers who bring fresh perspectives and valuable expertise to the event.” Wood says one of the ways NALP ensures the education remains original is by bringing on new ELEVATE program committee members. “The key is, and always has been, for ELEVATE, this is an education program that is designed by members, for mem bers,”Wood says. “It’s not some expert staff, or one person who plans it all year, like many of our competitors. We mix it up, make it different, and I think produce a better product as a result.” McDuff says the education is devel oped around the specific challenges landscape and lawn care companies are facing in their organizations. “Some of the big themes this year are AI, mergers and acquisitions, workforce development, and mental health and wellness,” McDuff says. “However, we certainly focus on the basics such as

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