MELA invites you to attend our sixth annual G-3 conference, the high point of the MELA year. As in the past, we have invited some remarkable speakers to share their insight and experience with our members. This year, the focus is on how we can enhance the health of people, profits, and the planet earth.
MELA members are in the forefront of the movement towards a greener landscaping industry. They are also determined to achieve sustainability in a way that benefits rather than diminishes the prosperity of their businesses. It is MELA's purpose to help our members reach those goals, and this conference should contribute in new and better ways to our mission.
One innovative feature of the conference is an entire afternoon devoted to networking opportunities, centered on specific issues of importance to attendees. A "Breakout Session" will be guided by facilitators with experience in a variety of fields and allow individual landscaping professionals to share ideas and make contacts.
Please join us. Earlybird registration has closed. Member registration for the conference is $120. Nonmember registration is $140. Student registration is $60 and you will need identification showing that you are a full-time student.
Program
click names for bios
8:00 am - Registration . . . with morning coffee!
9:00 am - Welcome and Introduction
Julie Siegel, J. Siegel Designs and MELA president
9:10 am - Keynote Address
The Power of One
Carol Moseley BraunAmbassador Braun, now president of Ambassador Organics, will communicate her philosophy of the triple bottom line--financial profitability, environmental sustainability and social ethics-and her belief that individuals can make a difference in the movement toward a greener world.
10:00 am
Landscape Pesticide Use: Hidden Risks
Claire GervaisPresident of Madison, Wisconsin's Healthy Lawn Team, Dr. Claire Gervais brings the concerns of a family physician to the questions of lawn management and the dangers of toxic substances in our environment.
10:50 am Break
11:10 am
Building a Sustainable Business Model
Scott JamiesonThe Care of Trees, with more than 500 employees, is the second largest tree care company in the world that deals solely with commercial and residential tree preservation. Its CEO, Scott Jamieson, will share the skills and methods that helped make this environmentally responsible company such a huge business success.
12:00 pm Polaris Award
12:15 pm Lunch
1:15 pm Announcements1:30 – 2:50 pm
Resource Tables
An announcement will be made every 20 minutes so participants can move to another station if they wish. Each table will be staffed with an expert, but the goal of the session is for participants to network and share resources on the topics of each table.
Green Landscape Design Garth Conrad, Garth Conrad Associates
Promoting Your Green Business Christine Esposito, Terracom Public Relations
Soil Food Web Lynn Bement, Organic Garden Coach
Integrated Pest Management Rachel Rosenberg, Safer Pest Control
Running a Green Maintenance Business Joe Fattori, Eco Care Landscaping and Lawn Service
Sourcing Materials Mark Moxley, Lake Street Landscape Supply
Communicating with the Public Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune
Native Plants Roy Diblik, Northwind Perennials
Recycling Ken Dunn
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, Illinois
The Chicago Botanic Garden hosts and sponsors the MELA conference.
Also sponsored by
