Landscape Ontario (LO) members have access to a powerful lineup of winter events designed to help upgrade skills, connect with and source suppliers, and get a first look at the latest products, trends, technology and services available. These off-season events are planned by LO members, for LO members to give you or your business a competitive advantage over those outside the LO community.

Many events and training opportunities also have discounted rates for LO members, providing you with some much needed ROI on your membership investment.

Professional Development Seminar Series

LO’s annual Professional Development Seminars run throughout the year, but are concentrated from mid-January through April, offering over 60 in-person classes and over 30 one-hour online learning sessions to keep you on top of your game.

In-person seminars range from learning hands-on skills, such as skid steer or mini-excavator operation, to tree pruning or working with natural stone. Classroom-style seminars offer topics like hiring and managing outside contractors, cultivating leadership or how to build and keep your crew. Landscape Ontario members save an average of $125 on attending each session, so the savings can quickly add up.

The short online learning sessions are designed to introduce you to something new in the comfort of your home or office. Also led by qualified industry experts, these $65 sessions ($85 for a non-member) touch on everything from tree selection and stormwater management, to soil, pests and landscape lighting.

All seminars offer valuable education, but also provide a conduit for members to connect with others in the LO community, fostering a deep network of support and camaraderie. Members often say they gain invaluable insights from hearing the experiences, questions and comments of others who are also attending these sessions.

Visit horttrades.com/seminars for full details on the available topics and sessions.

Landscape Lighting and Irrigation Conferences

Volunteers on two association sector groups have your business success in mind when working to plan the lineup of topics, experts and partners you’ll benefit most from at the annual Irrigation and Landscape Lighting conferences.

Held at LO’s home office in Milton, Ont., the Irrigation Conference (Feb. 24) and Landscape Lighting Conference (Feb. 25) welcome attendees looking forward to the opportunity to learn about new products, services, technology and topics relevant to their business services. 

Until Feb. 6, an LO member can register to attend either conference for $90 ($125 for a non-member) or bundle and attend both to save an additional $30.

IPM Symposium 

On Jan. 15, LO’s Turfgrass Management Sector Group proudly presents the 2026 IPM Symposium — a virtual event that brings together turf managers, researchers and industry experts to learn the latest best practices for Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

The symposium covers a broad range of topics, including pest identification, soil health, irrigation and plant nutrition, equipping turf managers with the tools for turf health and sustainability. 

Attendees can also obtain 6 IPM Council Continuing Education Credits (CEC) through successful completion of an exam after the event. These credits are mandatory for professionals to maintain their certification status and to legally use certain pesticides. 

A discounted price of $125 is available to all LO members, students are $75 and non-members are $175.

Plant Symposium

LO's annual Plant Symposium continues to provide a platform for industry leaders from around the globe to share their insights and innovations with the broader horticultural community.

The symposium will be held Feb. 3 at Fanshawe Innovation Village in London, Ont., with an option to attend via a virtual watch party. 

This year, Dr. Nadina Galle will talk about how technology can actually help us reconnect with the natural world, while Rebecca McMackin will discuss the importance of encouraging biodiversity. 

The cost to attend is $120 for an LO member or $25 for a student or educator. Virtual admission is free for students and educators, with industry members priced at $80. 

Member-driven events take you further

So if you’re looking to learn something new this winter, or are seeking a competitive edge or just want to compare notes with others in your field, the member-driven events and seminars offered by your association have your best interests at heart — and attending can save you some money along the way!

Full details and registration for these and many more events can be found on the LO events calendar at horttrades.com/event. Attendance may be limited and prices noted may not include HST.

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