CONGRESS CONFERENCE
The Landscape Ontario Congress Conference brings together industry leaders, experts and professionals for three days of education, inspiration and practical insights. Featuring 18 speakers across three days, the conference covers the latest trends, ideas and strategies to help landscape professionals grow their businesses, strengthen their skills and stay ahead in a changing industry.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2027
10:45 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.
BERTON ROOM
Drone Scanning - Adapting to New Tools in the Landscape Industry
Claudia Parrott
Claudia Parrott is a Nova Scotia–based landscape designer working primarily in residential design. After graduating in the architecture field in 2020 and spending several seasons as an in-house landscape designer, she launched her own practice in 2024. Claudia integrates drone-based site scanning, scaled base mapping, and digital design tools to improve site understanding and client communication.
Cedrus Landscape Design
From hand tools to heavy equipment to drones and digital workflows, the landscape industry has always evolved alongside its tools. This session explores how and why new technologies emerge, when they truly improve our work, and how landscape professionals can adopt them thoughtfully without losing judgment, craft, or the human element of design. Drawing from historical context and real-world experience as a solo designer, this talk focuses on decision-making and how to grow with technology rather than chase it.
WAXMAN ROOM
Soil Oxygen: The Real Limiting Factor for Urban Trees
Dr. Wei
Wei Zhang is the VP of R&D at Zynnovation LLC, aka TreeDiaper and the Education Coordinator of The Institute of Soil Genomics for Healthy Community Forests. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Engineering from Virginia Tech. He has been doing research & development for the green industry for 18 years. His research areas include mitigation of stresses (drought, overwatering, salt, heat island, soil compaction etc) to landscape plants, relationship of soil/water/air, & soil genomics of urban environments. His work also provides novel solutions to green stormwater infrastructures.
He has more than 40+ peer-reviewed scientific journal articles, one monograph and 250+ conference presentations. He has been a frequent speaker on Arboriculture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Forestry, Stormwater Green Infrastructure, and related conferences and symposiums. He is known as a scientist, educator and public speaker. Dr. Zhang is an ASLA approved LA CES provider and an ISA approved continuing education provider.
Zynnovation LLC
Many common tree care challenges—from poor root growth and compacted soils to overwatering, salinity, mulching, and planting practices—can be traced back to one often-overlooked factor: soil oxygen.
This session explores how soil oxygen influences root development, soil health, and overall tree performance, while introducing a practical, low-cost method for measuring it in the field. Attendees will gain valuable insights and a new diagnostic tool to help identify root causes, improve tree health, and make more informed arboricultural decisions.
PINSENT ROOM
Dream Team, Not Nightmare: Building Teams That Perform, Thrive, and Stay Human
Ed Hansen
Ed Hansen is a seasoned leader, past President of LO, founder of Hansen Ottawa and EXT, and Chair at TEC Canada. A serial entrepreneur, he advises and coaches companies across North America on building teams that thrive—focusing on purpose, role clarity, and psychological safety. In his keynote “Dream Team, Not Nightmare,” Ed shares practical tools to attendees so they can use immediately to reduce emergencies and improve collaboration.
EXT
In this session you’ll learn the non‑negotiables of high‑performing teams—purpose, clear roles, and psychological safety—how to spot early warning signals, and exactly what to do next. Walk away with copy‑ready templates and a one‑page handout to run a 6‑week ramp up that reduces emergencies and improves collaboration.
12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.
BERTON ROOM
Health, Safety, and Well-Being on the Jobsite
Emily Maw
Emily Maw, CHRP, is the HR Manager at Rockscape, where she combines her passion for people with her roots in the landscaping industry, having grown up in her family’s business in Muskoka. With a background in campus and emerging talent recruitment at Rogers Communications and BDO Canada, she has developed a strong expertise in attracting talent in competitive markets. Emily is passionate about building strong teams and creating workplaces where employees feel supported, engaged, and excited to return year after year.
Rockscape
Blending workplace health, safety, and employee wellbeing in the landscaping industry. Covering mental health and psychological safety, physical wellness for outdoor workers, human factors, leadership, and safety culture—with practical strategies to help build healthier, safer, and more engaged crews.
WAXMAN ROOM
Healthy Business, Healthy Life: What My Heart Attack Taught Me About 40 Years in Business
George Urvari
George started Oriole Landscaping in 1986 with his business partner Peter. Over the past 4 decades, the company has grown into one of the top residential design/build firms in Toronto, servicing some of the highest-end clients in the region.
George’s love for trees and beautiful gardens, inspired by his travels around the world, has sparked a lifelong passion for building beautiful spaces. He is inspired to help other business owners with a similar passion, sharing the knowledge he’s gained over his career to help them reach their goals.
Knowledge Tree Consulting / Oriole Landscaping
PINSENT ROOM
Sodding 02938
Jeff McMann
Jeff has been in the green industry for over 45 years. He is a graduate of the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture as well as an ISA and TRAQ certified Arborist.
Previous experiences include maintaining the historic lawns of the Manulife Head Office Complex in Toronto. As an arborist he has worked as the Supervisor of Forestry for the City of Markham and Forestry Project Manager for the City of Hamilton. He was the Coordinator of Arbor Services for the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries.
Jeff contributed to the review and editing of the Landscaping Standards for Landscape Ontario. Currently semi-retired work has included creating Contract Specifications and Tender documents for property management companies. Developing course curriculum and instructing for Landscape Ontario’s Grow program and the Professional Development Programs.
& Mike Schiedel
Mike Schiedel is an owner and fourth-generation farmer at Greenhorizons Sod Farms, and the current President of the Nursery Sod Growers Association (NSGA).
For Mike, sod farming has never simply been a career, it has been part of his life from the beginning. He grew up in the business, with the farm’s sod fields serving as both his playground and his classroom.
Today, Mike now leads as a highly hands-on owner, bringing practical experience and a genuine passion for natural turf to his work. While deeply connected to his family’s farming traditions, he is always looking ahead through exploring new technologies, practices and ideas that can help advance modern sod production and strengthen the industry for future generations.
Through both Greenhorizons and his leadership with the NSGA, Mike is committed to supporting the continued growth and success of the natural turf industry. He is proud to help carry his family business forward while preserving its longstanding values of hard work, environmental stewardship, strong relationships and community involvement.
Now a father of two, Mike is watching the next generation grow up in the same fields that shaped his own life, a meaningful continuation of the Greenhorizons story.
Nursery Sod Growers Association of Ontario
Overview of sod production, sales, installation and maintenance requirements. Review of the tender document 02938 which sets the stage for installation, maintenance and acceptance of sod for Municipalities and Landscape Contractors.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2027
9:30 A.M. - 10:30 A.M.
BERTON ROOM
The three "R"'s of Lighting Maintenance - Revenue, referrals, repeat business.
John Higo
John Higo has more than 27 years of experience in the landscape lighting industry, in both distribution and manufacturing, whilst providing specification and design consultation to nighttime illumination
projects of all scopes and sizes. With a background in both theatrical lighting and landscapeconstruction, John brings a rare combination of creative vision and technical expertise to every project.
Passionate about quality lighting and education, John has been deeply involved with the Landscape Ontario Lighting Sector Group for many years, previously serving as Chairperson and Provincial Board Representative. He is also a long-time instructor in Landscape Ontario’s Professional Development lighting courses. In addition, John is a contributing author and an active member of the Landscape Lighting Committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).
Outside of his professional work, John is an avid amateur photographer who enjoys capturing landscape lighting projects for friends and clients. His enthusiasm for lighting has even extended to his family—his wife and three children have become enthusiastic critics of lighting scenes wherever they go.
& Carl Hastings
Carl Hastings is the Owner of Moonstruck Lighting Ltd. and a respected leader in Canada’s horticultural and outdoor design industries. With a career spanning over four decades, Carl built his expertise from the ground up—starting in grounds maintenance, advancing through landscape construction, and specializing in landscape lighting design and installation for the past 30+ years. His work spans premier properties across the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario’s cottage country, Vancouver, and recently Halifax.
A firm believer in professional growth, Carl maintains a deep, long-term commitment to Landscape Ontario and its Lighting Sector Group. He strongly advocates for continuous education, keeping trade professionals updated on advancing technology, design standards, and the critical role of long-term system maintenance.
As a speaker, Carl delivers practical, real-world knowledge that empowers contractors and designers to elevate their craft, adopt new industry standards, and protect their clients’ outdoor investments.
D3Lighting & Moonstruck Landscape Lighting
A well-structured landscape lighting maintenance program can do more than protect installations—it can drive recurring revenue, generate referrals, and create long-term client relationships. This session shares practical strategies for building profitable maintenance plans, identifying upgrade opportunities during service visits, and delivering exceptional customer experiences that keep clients coming back year after year.
WAXMAN ROOM
How Yes Happens
Lexi Dearborn
Chaos with colour—designed, not accidental. Chaos with intention.
Lexi is an award-winning Certified Landscape Designer and the driving force behind Dearborn Designs in Barrie, Ontario. She specializes in creating outdoor spaces shaped by how people actually live in them, combining design creativity with a strong understanding of what it takes to win and deliver real projects.
Known for her ability to connect design thinking with client decision-making, Lexi consistently moves projects from concept to commitment—translating ideas into spaces clients confidently move forward with and ultimately build.
Lexi Dearborn, CLD, Dipl.B., ODHLD
Dearborn Designs
Clients don’t buy stone, plants, or water features—they buy the lifestyle those spaces create. In today’s competitive market, success isn’t about selling harder; it’s about building trust through meaningful connections and exceptional service. This session explores how understanding client needs, creating emotional connections, and guiding customers with confidence can turn uncertainty into enthusiasm—and ultimately, more successful projects.
PINSENT ROOM
Edible Gardens in Urban Landscapes
Marc Green
After three successful decades working in the motion picture industry, husband and wife team Arlene Hazzan Green and Marc Green co-founded The Backyard Urban Farm Company (BUFCO), an award winning, organic vegetable landscaping company in Toronto. We are on a mission to inspire urbanites to grow their own food and reconnect with nature. Established in 2009, BUFCO designs, builds, installs and maintains organic edible and native pollinator gardens for homes, schools, and businesses, and offer educational programs for all ages.
The Backyard Urban Farm Company Inc.
More people are discovering the benefits of growing fresh, healthy food at home, at school, and in the workplace. As edible gardens continue to gain popularity, landscape professionals have a unique opportunity to lead this growing movement. Learn how two former film professionals transformed into urban farmers and built a successful landscaping business focused on edible gardening, helping city dwellers cultivate beautiful, productive spaces.
11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
BERTON ROOM
Before You Shake Hands. Partnerships!
Jon Agg
Jon Agg is the owner of Pristine Property Maintenance (PPM), a full-service property maintenance company with headquarters in Ajax, Ontario. As well as satellite locations in Brighton, Kingston, Ottawa, Waterdown, Lindsay, and Huntsville. PPM also sub-contracts with over 150 service providers throughout the province, which gives Jon a unique insight into the challenges facing the Snow and Ice Industry.
PPM has over 160 employees, and over 100 vehicles on the road. Jon is the President of the Durham Chapter of Landscape Ontario, the Treasurer of Landscape Ontario, and the Chair of the Workforce Development Committee, as well as a member of many committees of Landscape Ontario. PPM is Smart about Salt Trained and is also a member of the Canadian National Landscape Association and the Snow and Ice Management Association. Jon is also on the Smart about Salt Counsel and an owner of the Academy of Snow and Ice Control (ASIC).
Jon holds an HBA from U of T, and lives in Scarborough, Ontario with his wife Suzanne.
Pristine Property Maintenance
What 20 Years have taught me about Partnerships – the good and bad. How to protect yourself, the proper agreement, the proper insurance, and dividing duties and tasks to play to the best qualities of each person.
WAXMAN ROOM
It's Not the Work. It's the Seams: Why Landscape Companies Hit a Ceiling — and the New Architecture That Breaks Through It
Mark Bradley
Mark Bradley is the Founder and Chairman of LeanScaper, where he’s building the world’s first AI-powered operating system for the landscape industry – helping contractors turn chaos in the field into scalable, disciplined, and profitable growth.
Mark’s career began as a steamfitter apprentice at a nuclear plant before he started landscaping on the side. That side hustle became a multi-million dollar, Top-100 North American design-build and snow management company. The systems he built to run it became LMN (Landscape Management Network), now one of the industry’s most widely used platforms.
With LeanScaper, Mark is going further – embedding AI agents into landscape companies to reduce waste, develop people, and unlock real career paths for tradespeople across North America.
Leanscaper
Many landscape companies struggle with the same hidden challenge: poor handoffs between teams. From marketing and sales to estimating, production, and warranty, these gaps can lead to lost profit, inefficiencies, and frustrated clients. In this session, Mark Bradley shares proven strategies for improving team transitions, identifying operational weak points, and implementing a practical framework to help landscape businesses scale more effectively.
PINSENT ROOM
Rooted to Rise: Women Cultivating the Future of Horticulture
Host: Neera Goel
Neera Goel is the Chief Operating Officer at Stonearch and Porcea where she plays a pivotal role in driving operational excellence, strategic growth, and innovation across the organization. With extensive experience in business leadership and the landscape and construction industries, Neera is recognized for her collaborative approach, operational expertise, and commitment to delivering exceptional client outcomes.
A longstanding partner of Landscape Ontario, Neera has been an active supporter of initiatives that advance industry standards, foster professional development, and strengthen the landscaping community across Ontario since 2001. Her dedication to building meaningful partnerships and promoting sustainable growth has earned her respect among industry peers and stakeholders alike for over 25yrs.
Passionate about leadership, operational efficiency, and industry advancement, Neera continues to champion excellence while helping shape the future of Canada’s landscape sector through innovation, collaboration, and community engagement.
STONEarch / Porcea Stone
In all industries, leadership often requires more than expertise – it demands confidence, resilience, and the courage to speak with authenticity. This engaging panel brings together accomplished women leaders to share their personal journeys of finding their voices, shaping a bold vision, and leading with impact in traditionally male-dominated fields. Through candid conversations, the speakers will discuss the challenges they’ve faced, the strategies they’ve used to build credibility and influence, and the lessons they’ve learned about navigating bias, driving innovation, and creating opportunities for others. Attendees will gain practical insights on developing executive presence, advocating for themselves and their teams, and leading with purpose while remaining true to their values. Whether you’re an emerging professional, an experienced leader, or an ally committed to advancing inclusive leadership, this session will inspire meaningful conversations and provide actionable takeaways for building stronger, more diverse leadership across every industry.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2027
9:30 A.M. - 10:30 A.M.
BERTON ROOM
Beyond the Horizon: A Leadership Blueprint for the Future of Landscape Businesses
Mark Sedgley
Mark Sedgley is CEO of Granum. He has more than 20 years of experience building and scaling software companies, has led through founder transitions, and has successfully executed nine acquisitions. Today, he is focused on driving sustainable growth in the green industry through intuitive, connected software. Beyond work, he values his 30-year marriage to Dorota and raising their three children: Jake, Ash, and Kaia.
& Kevin Scott
Kevin Scott has spent over 30 years in the landscape industry, building and selling multiple companies along the way. He’s the founder of The Wealthy Landscaper, a coaching and advisory firm that helps landscape business owners fix the systems, numbers, and leadership gaps that quietly eat their profit. He also owns and runs Muskoka Landscapers, a high-end residential design-build company in Ontario’s Muskoka region, so he’s not just coaching from the sidelines, he’s running crews, managing margins, and making payroll every week. Kevin speaks at industry events across North America, sharing practical, no-fluff strategies that owners can put to work the next morning.
Granum & Muskoka Landscapers
Discover how strong leadership, strategic thinking, and emerging technologies are shaping the future of the landscape industry. CEO Mark Sedgley and contractor Kevin Scott share practical insights on building a values-driven business, embracing change, developing high-performing teams, and leveraging AI-powered tools to help landscape companies grow and thrive.
In this 50-minute session, you’ll learn:
How to apply core values as leadership tools to build resilient, high-performing teams.
Where the industry is heading over the next two years, including technology and AI trends reshaping operations.
Real-world insights from Muskoka Landscapers on building culture, systematizing workflows, and sustaining profitable growth.
Leave empowered with a leadership roadmap that combines vision with practice — helping you grow your business with confidence and clarity.
WAXMAN ROOM
Winning Work, Winning Awards: What the Top 1% Do Differently
Sean Christie
Sean Christie is the owner of Rugged Earth Landscaping and Wild Lighting, based in Huntsville, Ontario, specializing in high-end residential landscape construction, design, and outdoor lighting. Known for a detail-driven approach and refined design philosophy, Sean’s work in the Muskoka cottage market has earned multiple Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence, along with national recognition through a CNLA National Award for landscape design. His projects focus on creating timeless outdoor environments that blend natural integration, craftsmanship, atmosphere, and intentional client experience.
Rugged Earth Landscaping
What sets award-winning landscapes apart? In this session, Sean Christie of Rugged Earth Landscaping shares the design principles and craftsmanship behind exceptional outdoor spaces. Using real-world projects from the Muskoka cottage market, attendees will explore how intentional design, thoughtful material selection, lighting, and meticulous attention to detail create landscapes that deliver lasting beauty and memorable client experiences.
PINSENT ROOM
The Modern Proposal: Visual Techniques That Help Clients Say Yes
Alyssa Twist Light
Alyssa “Twist” Light is a professional speaker, presentation strategist, and founder of The Profitable Innovator, a company that creates presentation assets for businesses of all kinds. Over the past 15 years, she has delivered hundreds of presentations and helped transform expertise into outstanding customer experiences through strategic visual communication.
Known for her practical approach, humour, and ability to make complex ideas easier to understand, Twist has built nearly 400 presentation decks for clients ranging from business owners and sales teams to professional speakers and organizations, including the NFL.
A former goldsmith who once designed anniversary gifts for Blue Rodeo, Twist brings an uncommon combination of creativity, business acumen, and audience psychology to every stage she steps onto. She has spoken for Landscape Ontario’s Congress on multiple occasions, as well as conferences and associations across North America.
Whether she’s teaching communication, visual storytelling, leadership, or client experience, Twist’s goal remains the same: helping people communicate their value in a way that inspires action.
The Profitable Innovator
Most landscape professionals arrive prepared to discuss measurements, materials, timelines, and pricing. The challenge? Clients aren’t buying any of those things.
They’re buying possibilities.
Before a client says yes to a project, they need to see themselves enjoying the finished space. They need confidence in your expertise, clarity about the process, and a compelling vision of what’s possible.
In this practical and engaging session, professional speaker and presentation strategist Alyssa “Twist” Light shares how landscape professionals can use simple visual presentations to transform consultations, communicate value more effectively, and help clients make decisions faster. Participants will learn how to showcase transformations, explain options, build trust, and create a memorable client experience long before a formal proposal is delivered.
Whether you’re presenting a patio, a complete landscape redesign, or an ongoing maintenance program, you’ll leave with practical tools to help clients stop imagining and start saying yes.
Attendees will see real-world before-and-after examples of how visual sales decks can be used during client consultations to increase confidence, reduce decision fatigue, and create a more compelling buying experience.
11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
BERTON ROOM
A Tree Species Selector tool for improving establishment success
Rhoda deJonge
Rhoda B. deJonge is the Director of Plant Responses and the Environment Team at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre where she leads a team undertaking innovative research related to applied urban forestry solutions, soil health, and sustainable horticultural production practices. Previous to her position at Vineland, Rhoda worked in the urban forestry sector in industry, academia, and non-profit positions in both USA and Canada. Rhoda completed her PhD at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Forestry, where she remains an adjunct professor. She is currently the President Elect of ISA Ontario.
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
Selecting the right tree starts with understanding the site. This session introduces Vineland’s free Tree Selector Tool, developed with support from Landscape Ontario, to help users create more diverse, resilient planting plans based on site-specific conditions. Learn how the tool can improve tree selection today while incorporating climate modeling to choose species that will thrive well into the future.Selecting the right tree starts with understanding the site. This session introduces Vineland’s free Tree Selector Tool, developed with support from Landscape Ontario, to help users create more diverse, resilient planting plans based on site-specific conditions. Learn how the tool can improve tree selection today while incorporating climate modeling to choose species that will thrive well into the future.
WAXMAN ROOM
Understanding Career Pathways in Landscape Horticulture
Michael Lanau
Experienced Landscape Architect and Operations Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Operations Management, Customer Service and Landscape Architecture. Strong support professional who graduated from the University of Guelph.
ft. CNLA Panel
Chair, CNLA Professional Development Comittee
The landscape horticulture industry offers multiple education, training, and professional development pathways, yet many students, employers, and industry professionals remain uncertain about where to begin and how the different options connect. Questions surrounding apprenticeships, college diploma programs, professional certification, and Red Seal designation often create confusion for those entering or advancing within the industry. To help address this gap, the CNLA Professional Development Committee (PDC) brings an educational panel discussion focused on clarifying the various career and credentialing pathways available within Canadian landscape horticulture.
PINSENT ROOM
Inside the Homeowner’s Mind: 8 Factors That Decide Who Gets the Job
Olivier Bridgeman
Olivier started programming at the age of 9 years old! He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a MBA. He was the technical co-founder of a web start-up that was eventually purchased by a VC firm. He started Bridge Media over 20 years ago and today, runs it with his wife and business partner, Andréanne Lafleur. Their team of web and marketing professionals are focused on the home service space, including hardscaping, roofing, and foundation work. They work with clients across Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Bridge Media
Homeowners don’t choose contractors based on price alone, and guessing why costs you money. This session reveals what actually influences buying decisions, based on market research conducted by Bridge Media across eight key customer experience factors. From reputation and reviews to websites, communication, warranties, and transparency, you’ll learn where to focus your marketing efforts for maximum ROI, and what you can safely ignore. Designed to help contractors avoid spreading themselves too thin, this presentation shows how to align your marketing with what homeowners truly care about.
CONFERENCE PASS
Conference 3-Day Pass
Pricing:
Early Bird Member $230 | Regular Member $280
Early Bird Non-Member $280 | Regular Non-Member $330
*Early bird pricing ends December 15, 2026
Student / Educator
$50
Media
FREE upon approval
Includes 3-day Trade Show Exhibit Hall access, Tailgate Party admission, LIVE Stage.
Conference Day Pass
Pricing:
Early Bird Member $135 | Regular Member $155
Early Bird Non-Member $185 | Regular Non-Member $205
*Early bird pricing ends December 15, 2026
Student / Educator
$50
Media
FREE upon approval
Includes Trade Show Exhibit Hall access, Tailgate Party admission, LIVE Stage.