Building on 50 years of success, Landscape Ontario’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Symposium will run on “Warm-Up Monday” on Jan. 5 at the Toronto Congress Centre in conjunction with Congress, Canada’s leading green industry trade show.
The committee which puts the program together is comprised of lawn care operators and government officials who help regulate policy as well as suppliers to the lawn care/tree care industries. They strive to ensure that the information delivered will help those working in lawn care and tree service sectors in the upcoming year.
What has been learned in recent years is that proper and successful IPM requires up-to-date knowledge, training and awareness. Also required for operators are IPM Council of Canada CECs. The 50th Anniversary edition of the IPM Symposium will earn attendees 6 CECs.
This full-day event, presented by Lawn Life, kicks off at 8 a.m., and highlights include the following sessions:
• “Using pesticides: what you need to know,” presented by Crystal Lafrance, Ministry of Environment
• “What’s new in turf insect management?”, presented by Patricia Vittum, University of Massachusetts
• “Turf love: challenges and opportunities in the residential arena,” presented by Michael Brownbridge, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
• “How weather affects turf health,” presented by Evelyn Browning Garriss, The Browning Newsletter
• “In search of the magic bullet: an overview of insect bio-control for turf to date,” presented by Pam Charbonneau, OMAF
• “Turfgrass nutrition,” presented by A. Marty Petrovic
• “Top turf myths – facts from fiction,” panel moderated by Kyle Tobin
Delegates are provided the opportunity to learn more about the latest tools and technologies available in lawn care during the breaks, and at lunch time with sponsors which also include G.C. Duke, Koppert Canada, Turf Revolutions and Allturf.
The day will wrap up at 3:15 p.m. with the JB&D-sponsored keynote session on teamwork and leadership by Michael “Pinball” Clemons, an icon of sporting excellence, community leadership, personal character and integrity.
Clemons is also an author, philanthropist, Order of Canada recipient and currently the vice-chair of the Toronto Argonauts. Drawing on his own life and storied career in the Canadian Football League, he will show delegates how people can overcome obstacles and achieve success. Discussing leadership and demonstrating what it means to beat the odds, his moving and inspirational talk will demonstrate personal perseverance and the importance of teamwork, which is relevant to any industry.
Door prizes will be drawn at the conclusion of the technical sessions, and the IPM Leadership Award recipient for 2015 will be announced. This award recognizes leadership in providing hope, looking to the future and contributing to the healthy growth of the industries represented in the IPM symposium.
Clemons will be on hand at the BASF- sponsored reception following his keynote, across the street at the Plaza Hotel for the VIP dinner reception. This special 50th anniversary dinner event is a separately ticketed event and seats are limited.
Registration fees are $99 for both members and non-members until Dec., 5, 2014 and then go up to $119 per person. Online registration is available at http://www.LOcongress.com .
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