LOUISVILLE — For the third year in a row, Equip Exposition — which is set for Oct. 21–24 at the Kentucky Exposition Center — will include its Women’s Leadership Reception. The reception, which will take place on Oct. 23, 5:00–6:00 p.m., is designed to give women in the green industry the opportunity to connect with each other and share their experiences and advice.
The Women’s Leadership Reception began as a way to bridge the gap between the number of women that are in the landscaping industry — one of the show’s core audiences — and the female attendees that were coming to Equip Exposition.
“We looked at the data and there are so many women in the business, but they were not well represented at the show,” said Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which owns Equip Exposition. “They weren’t attending in meaningful numbers, so what we wanted to get at was how we could incentivize more women leaders in the business, and more women in these companies, to come to the show.”
After working with consultants, OPEI decided that one way to get more women to attend Equip Exposition was to create a space for them to engage with one another and take advantage of the peer-to-peer learning that takes place in a smaller, more focused setting.
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“The ability to get together with one another in a controlled, smaller, intimate environment where people can converse works with any group,” Kiser said. “Just find space, set it aside, give them drinks and food, and give them the opportunity to interact.”
Also, this year will feature a female-centered panel discussion before the reception. At 4:00 p.m., attendees can watch Sara Hey, President of Bob Clements International; Shelia Matthews, Chief People Officer at Wilson360; and Bre Schoultz, the content creator behind Chickanic share their experiences in the landscaping and outdoor power equipment sectors during the “Power Players: Women Shaping the Future of the Industry” panel.
Increasing Female Visibility
In addition to creating a space for women at the Leadership Reception, OPEI has also increased the visibility of women on the event floor.
“We’ve made sure that we showcase women wherever we can,” Kiser said. “We see a lot more women working at our exhibitor companies on the show floor demonstrating and explaining equipment. If you look at our videos — our TikToks, our Instagram feeds, our Facebook feeds — we feature women. There are women in the education classes and sessions. We want women to come to the show.”
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OPEI would also like families to come to the show together, and Kiser encourages professionals to bring their children to Equip Exposition to introduce the next generation of leaders — both male and female — to the event.
“We want you to bring the next generation; that’s one of the things that’s really unique to our show,” Kiser explained. “We used to see a lot of fathers with sons, and now we see fathers and mothers with sons and daughters. You’re all welcome.”
Check out Kiser’s 2025 TSE Power Lunch interview here.
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