If you want to hit the ground running at ELEVATE, presented by NALP and powered by Cat, you’ll want to take advantage of one of the three pre-conference events being held on Sunday, Nov. 8.
These special experiences provide time for networking and learning from others before the conference kicks off in earnest. NALP has expanded the selection of pre-conference opportunities as well this year.
NALP Women’s Forum (Ticketed Event)
The NALP Women’s Forum is an event designed for women in the landscape industry to share their stories and enhance their leadership skills. This event will take place from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Women’s Forum provides practical tools to help women lead with confidence and manage burnout, and helps attendees recharge their passion for the work they do.
This year’s keynote speaker, Rachel Druckenmiller, will share with participants how they can explore what holds them back from speaking up and stepping forward. She will guide participants on how to gain the clarity, confidence and conviction to show up more fully in their roles.
The programming for this event includes times for casual networking, hot topic roundtable discussions, Druckenmiller’s keynote, as well as a workshop where she will lead attendees through how they can amplify their impact on a daily basis.
Attendees from past Women’s Forums note that this event is invigorating and helps provide a sense of community and connection.
“The NALP Women’s Forum was an incredible experience that every woman in the industry should attend!” says Dawn Rigby with Advanced Turf Solutions. “It brought together a diverse group of women (and a few men) eager to connect, share insights, and support one another. I am leaving with several new industry friends and a notebook full of practical ideas and resources to bring back to my team. What a great way to kick off ELEVATE!”
Advocacy Academy (Complimentary Event)
One of the new pre-conference events this year is the Advocacy Academy. This complimentary event is meant to help equip participants with knowledge, messaging, and confidence to speak clearly and effectively on behalf of the landscape and lawn care industry.
During the interactive session from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., attendees will learn about NALP’s current advocacy priorities, the federal and state policies impacting the industry, insights into successfully advocating, and talking points to advocate effectively.
This event is ideal for current Advocacy Ambassadors, NALP government affairs council members, NALP-PAC supporters and anyone who is interested in advocacy and government affairs.
For those who wish to attend this event, please RSVP.
AI Executive Stack Workshop (Ticketed Event)
The other new pre-conference event you have the opportunity to attend is the AI Executive Stack Workshop. This engaging workshop is for landscape industry leaders who want to turn AI into a competitive advantage.
This interactive experience is aimed at growth-oriented landscape leaders, operators looking to regain executive time and early AI adopters who want practical implementation. It is not a good fit for those who have no AI exposure, only want passive inspiration or enterprise organizations with strict governance limitations.
Top-tier individuals, such as CEOs, presidents and senior leaders of lawn and landscape companies, anywhere from $5 million to $50 million, will gain hands-on experience on how to create AI systems and processes that give them their time back.
Justin White and Sean Laux of K&D Landscaping will guide participants through how to build AI workflows in real time.
From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., this event will include an opening keynote, a foundations lab on Claude, two workflow build sessions, networking, and insights into what works and what doesn’t.
For those who wish to attend this event, make sure you have administrative access to your own email, calendar, file storage and social accounts. These tools will be connected live during the workshop.
Before arriving, please ensure you have:
- A paid Claude account (Pro tier minimum) with an active subscription
- Administrative access to your Gmail, calendar, social channels, and file storage
- A laptop and charger
No matter which pre-conference event you choose to attend, each of these experiences will help set the stage for the rest of ELEVATE as you strengthen your network and your skills.
Don’t miss ELEVATE in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 8-11, 2026. Register now!
