By the time this edition gets into your hands, I’m hopeful that you’re preparing for the upcoming Irrigation Show and Education Week in San Antonio, Texas, from Nov. 27-Dec. 1. I know that the common line about the Lone Star State is that everything is bigger there. It might sound silly, but this year’s event is following that trend.
There are more opportunities available this year for an irrigation professional, whether you’re there to network with colleagues, pick up the newest products or absorb some education. I wanted to use this space to call out a few ways to make the most of this year’s show.
Make certain you make time for you and your team to pick up the skills needed for your everyday work.
The exhibit floor will be packed with more vendors than last year with a bunch of new options. My first suggestion is to take advantage of the official Irrigation Show mobile app. This gives you the capability to plan your route through the exhibit floor, set up meetings with exhibitors and browse the many exhibiting product categories. There’s a lot to see, but remember to give yourself a little time to chat with colleagues you meet from one place to another. Don’t schedule your meetings back to back!
It’s a great idea to check out the IA Pavilion early in the show, not just because it has everything you need to learn about what the Irrigation Association is up to (and plenty of copies of this magazine to share with your colleagues), but because it’s helpful to orient yourself to the rest of what’s available at the show. Not far from the Pavilion, you’ll find Innovation Row with some brand-new startups, and plenty of industry-related presentations will be available in both the Green and Blue Innovation Hubs on one end of the space. Between those, you’ll find the entrants in the 2023 New Product Contest.
The app will also give you the schedule of events, including education opportunities through IA University. Make certain you make time for you and your team to pick up the skills needed for your everyday work. But don’t forget to find time to connect with your crowd through the various networking events going on, from the First-Timers Roundtable to the River Walk Fiesta.
Before you get connected to the mobile app, you can find more information on the exhibit floor and all of the events surrounding it at irrigationshow.org. If you see either Content Editor Luke Reynolds or me there, please make sure to stop and say hello! We always benefit from hearing from readers on how we can continue to bring you the most useful information for your day-to-day work.
