Online registration is now open for the 2010 GIE+EXPO, which will be held in Louisville October 28-30. GIE+EXPO is sponsored by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS). It is now the 14th largest tradeshow in America, according to Trade Show Executive magazine. In addition to the website, information can be obtained by contacting Sellers Expositions at 800-558-8767, 812-949-9200 or info@gie-expo.com.

Power Equipment Trade has announced the finalists in the fourth-annual PET Dealers Choice Awards. Dealers began voting on October 1 for their favorite products on display at this year’s GIE+EXPO. There are five product categories: attachments/accessories, business services, hand-held, power sports, and wheeled. Dealers can vote on-line now and also at the show, at Power Equipment Trade Booth #9043. Winners will be announced at 11 a.m. on center stage at the New Products Arena at GIE+EXPO, following the Trucks of Industry Giveaway winner announcement. Dealers VOTE here.

The finalists are:

Attachments/Accessories

• Cozy Cab Cooling Fan Kit – Booth #9146
• Fuel Chief Portable Fuel Storage & Handling – Booth #10192
• OptiMate Pro-S Battery Charger from TecMate – Booth #3215
• Slope Indicator Module from Delta Systems, Inc. – Booth #2170
• Sno-Way Megablade Revolution – Booth #7194

Business Services

• ARI Network Services Footsteps Lead Management Software – Booth #1104
• c-Systems Software “Customer Connect” Software – Booth #5179
• Paulson Computer Systems InvenTrakk Business Management System – Booth #775
• QXpress Scheduling Software – Booth #4045

Hand-held

• Husqvarna 576XP AutoTune Chain Saw – Booth #9094
• Kawasaki “Prosumer” Trimmer – Booth #1064
• Stihl MS 230 C-BE Duro Chain Saw – Booth #5074
• Tanaka TCG25EUS 4-stroke Trimmer – Booth #1084
• WORX Electric Trimmer/Edger – Booth #10066

Power Sports

• George Mills and Son ATV Parts – Booth #4176
• Gravely Treker UV – Booth #7120
• Xtreme Pro Hauler – Booth #9031

Wheeled

• Cub Cadet Commercial Tank S D – Booth #5116
• Dixie Chopper Xcaliber Eco-Eagle CNG Mower – Booth #7214
• Ferris Evolution Mower – Booth #5054
• Hustler Commercial Z-Rider Mower – Booth #5068
• Husqvarna PZ Mower Series – Booth #9094

Read more for detailed product descriptions. . .

Ideal Computer Systems has been invited by Bob Clements Intl. to be the official software provider for the new High-Performance Service Department pavilion at this year’s GIE+EXPO.  The expo takes place October 29-31, in Louisville, Ky.

The High-Performance Service Department will serve as a how-to pavilion, simulating how a highly efficient service department operates.  Ideal representatives will be on-hand to help educate dealers on ways industry-specific software can streamline their entire service department, as well as all other areas of their business including inventory control, customer management, sales & invoicing, accounting, purchasing, and reporting.

Bob Clements Intl. is heading the event and will offer training sessions and tours of the pavilion.  In addition to Ideal, several top manufacturers will also be showcasing their best service practices including Ariens, Cub Cadet, Heftee, Husqvarna, Hustler Turf Equipment, Stens, and Stihl.

GIE+EXPO, set for October 29-31 in Louisville, is adding the new High-Performance Service Department, a collective effort of several exhibitors and Bob Clements International. The how-to pavilion will simulate a highly efficient service department including:

• Two large service bays plus service areas for riding equipment and walk-behind and handheld equipment
• A staging area and wash bay
• An example of an out-dated service department bay showing “what not to do”

GIE+EXPO has launched a new, enhanced website that includes an online directory of exhibitors. A standard listing is free to all exhibitors, and three other listing options are available to exhibitors and vary in price. Some new features of the various levels will include enhanced company profiles, company logos, trackable hyperlinks to websites, new product listings and more.

The industry is feeling the weight of this down economy on their businesses and purchasing plans for 2010, but missing GIE+EXPO 2009 could mean missing out on the latest industry news and deals. According to Business Media, tradeshows are of immense value to attendees, because tradeshows: help attendees become aware of new products and services; allow attendees to interact with sales representatives; enable attendees to interact with peers; and provide information that attendees can trust.

The fourth PET Dealers Choice Awards promise more excitement this year at GIE+EXPO 2009, where dealers will vote on the show’s top new products submitted to Power Equipment Trade. This year’s awards will also feature on-line voting that will open in mid September and giveaways for both on-line and on-site Dealers Choice Awards voters. The PET Dealers Choice Awards honor top new products at GIE+EXPO—as voted on by dealers—in five categories: wheeled equipment, hand-held products, power sports/recreational products, accessories/attachments and business management services.

The GIE+EXPO Dealer Experience, sponsored by Stihl Inc. and the Ariens Co. and hosted by the North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) and Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), returns to GIE+EXPO 2009 and offers many benefits to dealers of all sizes. GIE+EXPO is set for October 29-31 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The Dealer Experience will include:

Education (Oct. 29 and 30) that provides dealers step-by-step recommendations for profitability, early-morning entrance to trade show floor, and the popular Dealer Club for relaxing, checking e-mail, enjoying refreshments and networking.

The event also features dealer panelists from throughout the U.S. and a look inside the power equipment industry with an informal discussion between Fred Whyte, president of Stihl Inc. and Bill Harley, president and CEO of OPEI.

The Dealer Experience includes presentations by motivational speaker Chip Eichelberger and Ariens Co. VP of sales and marketing Jeff Hebbard. Eichelberger’s material will cover formulas for sales success and failure, focusing on your priorities, actions to take right now and strategies for generating team momentum. Hebbard will provide an introduction to lean principles that will drive out waste and improve efficiency in your business. He will share his experiences using lean tools such as standard work, value stream mapping and 5 S.

Pre-registration is required for The Dealer Experience.  The sessions are free.  Pre-registration for a three-day pass to the tradeshow is $10 per person.  The tradeshow admission for those who wait to register onsite will be $50.  To register online for the ‘Experience’ and the tradeshow, go to www.gie-expo.com.  Additional details about the show are available on the website (www.gie-expo.com) or by calling Sellers Expositions, 800-558-8767 or 812-949-9200.

A few years ago I remember speaking with a dealership manager near Spokane, Wash., with a showroom full of snowmobiles who said he was getting out of it: There’s just not that much opportunity any more for snow-related product sales, he said. I wonder what he’s thinking now, as folks in and around Spokane dig out from more than 6 ft. of the cold wet white stuff that’s been dumped on their community since mid-December.

Dealers, landscapers and others who attended the 2008 GIE+EXPO had the opportunity to brush up on key handheld power equipment topics at the “Handheld Power University” Jointly sponsored by Shindaiwa, Oregon Cutting Systems, and the Equipment and Engine and Training Council (EETC). The Handheld Power University presented easy-to-digest, 15 minute presentations that were applicable to all brands of equipment. Some of the topics covered were “Handheld Product Safety”, and “Saw Chain Anatomy and Basic Maintenance.”

As I mentioned in the first poweretblog post following GIE+EXPO, ethanol was a hot topic at the event. We’ve got more coverage of ethanol issues that came up during GIE+EXPO in the December issue of PET, with comments from OPEI officials and a quick take on an ethanol technical session given by Stihl technical training coordinator Eddie Anderson during the show. Dan Ariens and Fred Whyte also mentioned ethanol issues during their Q-n-A session at The Dealer Experience.