Five Landscaping Trade Shows You Cannot Miss

Five Landscaping Trade Shows to Cultivate Your Exhibiting Success (and How to Flourish on the Show Floor)

Throughout each year, the landscaping, nursery, and garden industries present a variety of expos across the United States. These landscaping trade shows are prime opportunities for convention newcomers to sow their seedlings and for veteran exhibitors to nurture their flourishing success. In other words, exhibiting at the industry’s top trade shows can really help your marketing efforts bloom.

Alright, enough gardening puns. Here are some of the best annual landscaping trade shows in the U.S. that draw eager exhibitors and ardent attendees year after year.

Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS®)

Dubbed “The Masterpiece of Trade Shows™”, the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS®) takes place every January at Maryland’s Baltimore Convention Center. This event is more than a great way to shake away the post-holiday winter blues with gorgeous greenery—it’s one of the premier events for the horticulture industry.

Boasting over 900 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees, the MANTS® show floor features exhibitors showcasing growing supplies, hardscape supplies and equipment, professional services, technology and information systems, and gardening tools from North America and Europe. Green industry professionals consider this one of the top landscaping trade shows each year due to its size, innovations, and networking opportunities.

Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference

Exhibitors hoping for a chance to showcase their offerings and deepen their industry knowledge should consider investing in a booth space at the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference. This event focuses on horticultural technology, and in addition to its nearly 51,000-square-foot show floor, packs its daily schedule with educational opportunities that exhibitors and attendees are welcome to enjoy.

Like many landscaping trade shows, the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference aims at building and strengthening the community. Although the show floor is always busy, the overarching goal of this event is to create new connections, share knowledge, and help industry professionals learn about new and innovative industry technologies.

Nursery/Landscape EXPO

The month of August generally means the dog days of summer are upon us, and with the heat comes the Nursery/Landscape EXPO. Over 5,000 attending industry professionals can stop by more than 900 exhibits that are divided into categories such as:

• Retail, including merchandisers, buyers, and lawn and garden centers
• Re-wholesalers and hard good suppliers
• Irrigation solutions
• Landscapers, which include designers, builders, architects, arborists, contractors, and maintenance providers
• Professional growers who specialize in greenhouses, trees, shrubs, grasses, and tropical plants

In addition to the vast show floor, the Nursery/Landscape EXPO has become one of the premier landscaping trade shows thanks to its impressive list of social and networking events that invite exhibitors and attendees to meet, imbibe, and discuss industry trends.

Equip Exposition

First-time exhibitors and established industry mainstays look forward to Equip Exposition every October. If your company chooses to invest in this trade show, you’ll be among more than 1,100 exhibitors and have access to over 28,500 attendees. This event is absolutely massive: it spans 12 million square feet and includes both an indoor show floor and a 30-acre outdoor demonstration area at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

Because of the size and variety, this show can be a great springboard for new exhibitors to make a name for themselves, and they can do so alongside some of the largest names in the field.

ELEVATE National Conference & Expo

In early November, before dreams of Thanksgiving dinner dance through your head, consider exhibiting at the ELEVATE National Conference & Expo. Here are a few quick facts that show why it’s become one of the premier landscaping trade shows in the U.S.:

• It’s hosted by a different city each year, which fosters new exhibitors, attendees, and ideas
• Approximately 200 exhibitors showcase their products, services, and innovations
• Around 2,500 attendees in landscaping, lawn care, design, construction, irrigation, and horticulture walk the show floor
• The daily schedule is packed with social, networking, and educational events

The 2025 conference will take place in Arizona’s Phoenix Convention Center, and the 2026 and 2027 expos are scheduled for Tampa, FL and Anaheim, CA, respectively.

How to Thrive at Landscaping Trade Shows

Every business gathering takes careful planning, but since landscaping trade shows usually involve living plants and heavy-duty equipment, there’s an additional layer to these conventions’ services and logistics. Your first step will be to partner with the experts in landscaping, nursery, and garden events so your exhibiting efforts will flourish.

There’s a big difference between exhibiting indoors or outdoors at landscaping expos, but the right conference exhibit partner can design and fabricate a custom booth that will drive traffic and increase your event ROI.

Indoor Show Floors

The green industry values eco-friendliness, so a sustainable event booth can really maximize your impact at professional landscaping events. Lightweight and recyclable (or recycled!) materials like aluminum framing and fabric graphics help to lower your carbon footprint and serve as a beautiful backdrop for the products and services you’re showcasing at your trade fair.

If you’re bringing live plants to the trade show—whether to show off, sell, or just add some beauty and greenery to your booth space—you’ll likely need to take care of some additional logistics. For example:

• Some landscaping trade shows require specialized permits for exhibitors who plan to sell or distribute live plants.
• Most conventions have a preferred florist they prefer you order from. In many cases, you can fill out additional show service forms requesting permission to bring your own flora.
• Be sure to bring watering cans and any plant food products you’ll need to keep the plants happy and healthy during the show. And remember: there’s very little sunlight inside a convention center, so some extra care might be necessary.

With the right design and fabrication, your indoor custom trade show exhibit can show off your company’s commitment to sustainability and showcase your products at even the biggest landscaping trade shows.

Outdoor Exhibits and Pavilions

Some of the biggest landscaping trade shows spill outside of the convention center and into the surrounding parking lots. The outdoor booth spaces are often reserved for exhibitors with large equipment or massive amounts of plants, trees, and shrubs. Here are a few ideas to set you up for success:

• Build a shaded area. Installing a tent or canopy over part or all of your outdoor exhibit will shield your team and booth visitors from sun and rain.
• Offer refreshments. Particularly on warm, sunny days, the booth staff and attendees will get very thirsty very quickly. Consider keeping a small refrigerator or cooler stocked with cold drinks so everyone stays comfortable and hydrated.
• Outline a plan for inclement weather. If the wind picks up or a storm moves in, you’ll need to quickly protect your onsite team, your products, and your booth materials. Talk to the show organizers and your trade show exhibit house for advice on what to do if the weather gets rough during the show.

However you’re going to design and lay out your outdoor pavilion or exhibit, just be mindful of the show regulations. Each event and venue will have specific rules you’ll need to follow, and the best custom trade show booth designers can craft an impactful display that abides by those regulations.

Why Choose Our Services for Your Landscaping Trade Shows?

Landscaping trade shows are unlike any other conventions in the world. The live plants, large horticultural equipment, and sprawling indoor and outdoor exhibit areas set them apart from the rest of the exposition industry. Our innovative creativity, expert fabrication, and tenured experience in these events mean that you’ll get an outstanding trade show booth design that’s built and installed by talented veterans.

Are you ready to plant the seed and cultivate a successful exhibiting campaign? Speak to an expert today to get started!