.png?width=1448&height=430&name=SYMP25_Logo_Reg_Stkd_HR%20Transparent%20(1).png "SYMP25_Logo_Reg_Stkd_HR Transparent (1)"){kind=logo}
Tuesday 6/17
Pre-Conference Workshops
First Timer Reception
After Hours networking
*No Trade show on this day
Let's get groovy
in Grand Rapids!
June 17-20, 2025 // DeVos Place
Registration opens February 2025!
Good vibes and positive energy only at the 28th annual Symposium!
Stay in the loop for peace, love and a good time in Grand Rapid, MI.
Schedule at-a-glance
STAND BY! We're still working finalizing our thoughts and ideas for the Best Show in Snow. The full event schedule will be available soon.
Wednesday 6/18
Opening Keynote
Education Sessions
Snack & Chat Lunch
Welcome Reception
Trade Show After Dark (pm hours)
After Hours networking
Thursday 6/19
Connections Breakfast
Education Sessions
"How to..." Sessions
Trade Show (afternoon hours)
Ale Trail
Thursday Night Party
Friday 6/20
Trade Show (morning hours)
Prize Raffles
Closing Keynote
Offsite Closing Event
Get the Symposium Replay
July 17, 2024 | 11 - 3 PM EST
What is it?
Hear from select speakers and suppliers virtually who presented at the 27th Symposium in Pittsburgh.
What is the cost?
**Anyone with a full show attendee pass gets free access**
Day pass, trade show pass, and non-show attendees = $59 per person
Here's a recap
Did you miss the show?
You might have missed the Best Show in Snow but here are some Hot Takes from Pittsburgh.
Interested in what the speakers presented? Download the app to access their materials.
Join us in Pittsburgh this June
Get the SIMA show into you budget for 2024
Speaker PDFs & Downloads
If provided, speaker presentations and downloads from the 26th Annual Symposium are available in the show app. Visit the Speakers icon, select the speaker to find any available resources.
Sponsored by BOSS Snowplow
Check out our exhibitors
Trade Show
Can you dig it? Learn about the products and services you can see on the trade show floor this June.
Interested in exhibiting? Join us in Grand Rapids in 2025.
Pittsburgh, PA
Plan your trip
June 25-28, 2024
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Host hotels: Westin and Drury Plaza
Amway Grand Plaza
DeVos Place
Grand Rapids, MI
As you plan your journey to Pittsburgh,
check out these hotel + transportation + parking options:
Holiday Inn East Hartford
100 E River Drive
East Hartford, CT 06108
Rate: $145/night
Hilton Hartford
315 Trumbull Street
Hartford, CT 06103
Rate: $199/night
Hotel Rooms
If you still need a hotel room for the BEST SHOW IN SNOW, we have put a site together with available options
LEARN MORE
Airport Shuttle
The 28X Airport Flyer route provides bus services to/from the Pittsburgh Int. Airport for $2.75 one-way
ROUTE + SCHEDULE
Parking
Attendees are encouraged to use the parking garage attached to the Convention Center for $16/day
PARKING INFO
2025 Symposium Call for Speakers
We're in search of the next great Symposium speaker! Let us know about your session, what you expect an attendee to learn, and why you feel the topic is important. We'll get back to you when we have made our selections.
Thanks to our 2024 Symposium Sponsors
Schedule-at-a-glance
Check back as we finalize show planning for updates.
Tuesday, June 25
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Move-In
Location: Exhibit Hall BC
Tuesday, June 25
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Pre-Con: Hiring + Retention Workshop
Location: DLCC | Room 315
Tuesday, June 25
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Pre-Con: Sales & Estimating Workshop
Location: DLCC | Room 305
Tuesday, June 25
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Registration/Badge Pick-Up
Location: DLCC | Exhibit Hall Concourse
Tuesday, June 25
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
SIMA Show Sidekick Meet-up
Location: DLCC | South Terrace
Tuesday, June 25
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
First Timer + Volunteer Reception
Sponsored by: Caterpillar
Location: DLCC | South Terrace
Tuesday, June 25
8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
SIMA After Hours
Sponsored by: MetalPless
Location: Grandview Saloon
Wednesday, June 26
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Registration/Badge Pick-up
Location: DLCC | Exhibit Hall Concourse
Wednesday, June 26
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
SIMA+ Lounge
Location: DLCC | Room 330
Wednesday, June 26
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Breakfast w/ State of SIMA + Industry Awards
Location: DLCC | Spirit Ballroom
Wednesday, June 26
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Move-In
Location: Exhibit Hall BC
Wednesday, June 26
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Opening Keynote
Sponsored by: Caterpillar
Location: DLCC | Spirit Ballroom
Wednesday, June 26
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
SIMA Connections
Region-based networking
Location: DLCC | Ballroom Gallery
Wednesday, June 26
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Break the Blue Collar Stigma to Attract the Next Generation of Talent | Mikayel Ter-Grigoryan, Just for Snow
Location: DLCC | Room 317
Wednesday, June 26
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CapX, Labor & ROI of Liquids | Jordan Smith, Storm Equipment
Location: DLCC | Room 319
Wednesday, June 26
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Death & Destruction - Are You Ready for It? | Amanda Pruss, SIMA; Doug Freer, Blue Moose Snow; William Akehurst, Akehurst Landscape Service
Location: DLCC | Room 315
Wednesday, June 26
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Negotiate Your Way to Success | Michael Sloopka, Selling Solutions
Location: DLCC | Room 305
Wednesday, June 26
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Team Productivity & Performance Management | Rick Kier, Forge Ahead Consulting
Location: DLCC | Room 303
Wednesday, June 26
12:00 PM - 1:15 PM
Snack & Chat Lunch
Sponsored by: WeatherWorks
Location: DLCC | Spirit Ballroom
Wednesday, June 26
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Service Partner Relationships - A Two-Way Street | Jeff Heller, Innovative Maintenance Solutions & Christopher Kolt, American Service Professionals
Location: DLCC | Room 319
Wednesday, June 26
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Accounting for Inflation in Your Snow & Ice Business | Sydney Smyers Conway, Know Your Worth Pittsburgh
Location: DLCC | Room 317
Wednesday, June 26
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Mergers & Acquisition in Snow & Ice | Don Mahoney, Mahoney & Associates
Location: DLCC | Room 305
Wednesday, June 26
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Staff Accountability Secrets for Rapid Growth | Danny Kerr, Breakthrough Academy
Location: DLCC | Room 315
Wednesday, June 26
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Operations Managers Talk Trends & Challenges | TBD
Location: DLCC | Room 303
Wednesday, June 26
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Reduce Salt without Reducing Service | Michael Wagner, CSP, ASM, Designscapes Colorado
Location: DLCC | Room 319
Wednesday, June 26
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Leadership Lab: Get Unstuck! | Christy Uffelman, EDGE Leadership
Location: DLCC | Room 317
Wednesday, June 26
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
How Much are Your Clients Worth? | Doug Freer, Blue Moose Snow
Location: DLCC | Room 305
Wednesday, June 26
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Tame the Chaos: SOPs for Overwhelmed Owners | Danny Kerr, Breakthrough Academy
Location: DLCC | Room 315
Wednesday, June 26
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Documentation: It's in the Details | Jenny Girard, ASM, RM Landscape
Location: DLCC | Room 303
Wednesday, June 26
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
SIMA Connections
Role-based networking
Location: DLCC | Ballroom Gallery
Wednesday, June 26
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Canadian Meet-up
Location: DLCC | South Terrace
Wednesday, June 26
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Women in Snow Meet-up
Location: DLCC | South Terrace
Wednesday, June 26
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Welcome Reception
Sponsored by: Pro-Tech, TrucBrush, TrueWeather, WeatherWorks, Winter Equipment Company
Location: DLCC | Rooftop Terrace
Wednesday, June 26
8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
SIMA After Hours
Sponsored by: Pro-Tech
Location: Sienna Mercato
Thursday, June 27
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Registration/Badge Pick-up
Location: DLCC | Exhibit Hall Concourse
Thursday, June 27
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
SIMA+ Lounge
Location: DLCC | Room 330
Thursday, June 27
7:45 AM - 8:45 AM
Breakfast Jamboree
Sponsored by Fisher, SnowEx, Western
Location: DLCC | Spirit Ballroom
Thursday, June 27
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Exhibitor Move-In
Location: Exhibit Hall BC
Thursday, June 27
8:45 AM - 9:30 AM
SIMA Connections
Facility-based networking
Location: DLCC | Ballroom Gallery
Thursday, June 27
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Improve Hiring with Tech & Flexibility | Laura Means, Brian-Kyles Landscapes
Location: DLCC | Room 319
Thursday, June 27
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Is Your Company Ready for a Business Management System? | Stephanie Leveling, The Integra Group
Location: DLCC | Room 317
Thursday, June 27
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
From Team Member to Team Leader | Angel Campos-Chavez, Imageworks Landscaping; Jake Howard, Outdoor Pride Snow & Ice Management (Bill Butts, moderator)
Location: DLCC | Room 315
Thursday, June 27
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Marketing Your Business to the Next Level | Darci Knowles, Darci Creative
Location: DLCC | Room 305
Thursday, June 27
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Building a Win-Win Relationship between Property Managers & Snow Pros | TBD
Location: DLCC | Room 303
Thursday, June 27
10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
"How Do I …" Education Sessions
Location: TBD
Thursday, June 27
10:45 AM - 11:05 AM
Conduct an effective meeting? | Jason Ostrander, East End Group
Location: DLCC | East Atrium
Thursday, June 27
10:45 AM - 11:05 AM
Melt more in less time? | Heather Stadler, OxyChem
Location: DLCC | West Atrium
Thursday, June 27
10:45 AM - 11:05 AM
Develop an onboarding program? | Scott Lesak, CSP, Kasel Rocks Landscaping
Location: DLCC | Room 310
Thursday, June 27
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
SIMA+ Trade Show Experience
Mini-educational sessions available at the Sideshow + Garage stages
Location: Exhibit Hall
Thursday, June 27
10:45 AM - 11:05 AM
Use social media effectively? | Darci Knowles, Darci Creative
Location: DLCC | Room 307
Thursday, June 27
11:45 AM - 5:15 PM
Snow & Ice Trade Show + Sideshows
Use your lunch vouchers to grab lunch on the show floor.
Location: DLCC | Exhibit Hall B / C Concessions
Thursday, June 27
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
Conduct a client lunch and learn? | Bill Butts, Outdoor Pride Landscaping
Location: DLCC | East Atrium
Thursday, June 27
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
Sell liquids to your property manager? | Daniel Gilliland, Camion Systems
Location: DLCC | West Atrium
Thursday, June 27
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
Conduct a site hazard analysis? | Speaker TBA
Location: DLCC | Room 310
Thursday, June 27
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
Reduce the risk of an insurance claim? | Jay Long, Gerardi Insurance
Location: DLCC | Room 307
Thursday, June 27
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Buyers Dog Den
Location: Exhibit Hall | Booth #503
Thursday, June 27
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
SIMA+ Education Session
Location: DLCC | Room 305
Thursday, June 27
2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Ale Trail
Location: DLCC | Exhibit Hall
Thursday, June 27
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
ASM/CSP Reception
- Invite Only -
Location: Exhibit Hall | Booth #1206
Thursday, June 27
7:00 PM - 10:00 AM
Thursday Night Party
All attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors are welcome!
Location: Shorty's Pins x Pints
Friday, June 28
8:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Exhibitor Move-In
Location: Exhibit Hall BC
Friday, June 28
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Registration/Badge Pick-up
Location: DLCC | Exhibit Hall Concourse
Friday, June 28
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
SIMA+ Lounge
Location: DLCC | Room 330
Friday, June 28
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Coffee & Conversation
Location: DLCC | Ballroom Gallery
Friday, June 28
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
The Power of Women in Snow | Amanda Ochoa, Tricon Group; Jillian Burns, Burns Landscaping; Katelin Pufnock, ASM, emi landscape; Chelsea Ingram, WeatherWorks (moderator)
Location: DLCC | Room 317
Friday, June 28
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Emerging Climate Trends that are Impacting the Industry | Frank Lombardo and Rob Reale, WeatherWorks Inc.
Location: DLCC | Room 319
Friday, June 28
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
SIMA Foundation Research: Workplace Survey | Steve Wolf, WolfWorks Consulting
Location: DLCC | Room 315
Friday, June 28
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Build a Seasonal Staffing Plan | John Mocharko, Acacia Facility Services and Evan Tachoir, Consultant
Location: DLCC | Room 305
Friday, June 28
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Practical Approach to Using AI & Tech for Growth, Efficiency & Execution | Patrick Baglien, Vue Robotics; Isaac Howell, Acacia Facility Solutions; Todd Reinhart, Reinhart Landscape & Snow
Location: DLCC | Room 303
Friday, June 28
9:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Snow & Ice Trade Show + Sideshows
Mini-educational sessions available at the Sideshow + Garage stages
Location:
Friday, June 28
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Buyers Dog Den
Location: Exhibit Hall | Booth #503
Friday, June 28
12:45 PM - 11:59 PM
Exhibitor Move-out
Location: Exhibit Hall BC
Friday, June 28
12:45 PM - 2:15 PM
Lunch + Closing Keynote
Sponsored by: Skyline Salt Solutions
Location: DLCC | Spirit Ballroom
Friday, June 28
5:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Closing Event Dinner Cruise
Sponsored by: Caterpillar
Location: Gateway Clipper