Don't bluff your way through the season. Draw the winning knowledge you need from our expert-led education sessions.
This year’s Symposium sessions bring together industry experts and snow and ice professionals for a mix of workshops, concurrent sessions and mini-learning opportunities for multiple roles.
NOTE: Sessions and schedule times are subject to change.
This year’s Symposium education sessions bring together industry experts and snow and ice professionals
for a mix of workshops, concurrent sessions and mini-learning opportunities for multiple roles.
The Psychology of the Sale: Moving Beyond the Math
Stop pitching price and start positioning value. In this 4-hour interactive workshop, Klyn Elsbury of Executive Sales Training will use the neuroscience-backed IMPACT Method to help you gain access to elusive decision-makers and build a book of business through relentless relationship management. We'll dive into the exact words and repeatable processes to close deals consistently, moving your mindset from a "bidder" to a "trusted partner."
Time: 10:30 am-3:30 pm
Cost: $115 or included with SIMA+
*Lunch and workshop materials are included
Liquids Workshop
Adding liquids to your ice management toolbox requires a careful approach that blends strategy, cost analysis, science and application best practices. A mix of classroom training and hands-on experiences with peer experts will deliver a comprehensive look at building a liquids program.
Time: 8:30 am-4 pm
Cost: $115 or included with SIMA+
*Lunch and transportation are included
The Business Case for Liquids | Speaker TBA
Not sure if your business is ready financially or operationally to add brine to the mix? You’ll hear from a company whose successful implementation has resulted in cost and material savings, improved customer satisfaction and safety and more. Come with your questions!
The Cost of Implementation | Mike McCarron, Imageworks Landscaping
Adding liquids to your ice management toolbox will require investments in labor, materials, equipment, storage and more. Learn how to identify and assess those costs to ensure you achieve a return on that investment.
Lessons Learned from Starting a Liquids Program | Jeremy Kirkham, Clintar Ottawa; Ben Holmes, Rye Beach Landscaping; and Greg Davis, EMI
Starting a liquids program can come with some bumps and bruises. Our panelists, which represent companies in different areas of the US and Canada, will share their experiences—the good and bad—so you can use their experiences as you shape your program.
Outdoor Stations
In an era of unprecedented challenges, the path to your organization's greatest success lies in finding solutions together. Join Jeremy Poincenot as he shows how prioritizing interdependence drives powerful results:
Individually: Experience greater job satisfaction, stronger relationships, less turnover, and increased loyalty.
As a Team: Achieve enhanced performance, better connection, more alignment, and a shared purpose.
As an Organization: Gain improved efficiency, increased creativity and collaboration, and better results from every initiative.
Discover how working interdependently is the key to collective success and individual fulfillment!
Sponsored by Caterpillar, Inc.
We’ve been taught for decades that the way to win in business is simple: lower your price, add new features, or outspend the competition on marketing. But what we’ve been taught is wrong. In today’s marketplace, price wars are a race to the bottom, and innovation gets copied almost instantly. The truth is, nearly every company is now selling a commodity – whether they admit it or not.
So why do some brands still rise above the noise while others fade into irrelevance? Because customers don’t talk about transactions. They talk about experiences. This keynote reveals why the last true differentiator left in business is the one your competitors can’t copy: how you make people feel. And it will leave you WISE to the power of customer experience.
Kellan Stevenson, Paradigm Services; Ken Boegeman, CSP, ASM, The Swinter Group; Matt Brewer, EMI
Adding liquids to your ice management toolbox doesn’t have to be cost-prohibitive. Hear from panelists who’ve made the jump by thinking outside of the box to invest on their terms.
Pahuna Sharma Laden, Lagraphia
Property managers are already using ChatGPT and AI-powered search to research and shortlist snow and ice contractors, often as an early step in vendor selection, sometimes even before an RFP is issued. This session explains how AI decides which contractors to recommend, the visibility and trust signals that drive inclusion, and the common gaps that make strong operators invisible. Attendees will leave with a practical checklist and a 6- to 12-month action plan to protect renewals and win more routes.
Danny Kerr, Breakthrough Academy
You will never remove yourself from job sites, admin, and sales calls if you can’t recruit talented people. And no, posting on Indeed and hoping for more applicants is NOT the answer. More resumes won’t fix the problem if the wrong people are applying. Danny will share how to: attract top performers before they’re even looking; filter out “big talkers” and hire proven achievers; turn your online reputation into a recruiting engine; and build a bench you can keep coming back to.
Nicholas J. Hubner, Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP
A flawed snow contract is a liability that often goes unnoticed until a crisis, like a blizzard or a major unpaid bill. This session teaches you to audit your agreements. We'll analyze contract structure to eliminate harmful language, select the best portfolio structure, and insert protective clauses to safeguard your time, equipment, and business.
Jill Valdez, LINK Consulting
Cracking the Communication Code is built for snow and ice professionals who have to communicate fast and clearly when the stakes are high. In the middle of an ice event, one wrong message can create confusion, frustration, or conflict. This workshop helps crews understand the four main communication styles, how to work better together under pressure, and how to de-escalate tension before it blows up. Practical tools ... real world teamwork!
Vanessa McQuade, Intrigue Media
Nicholas J. Hubner, Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP
Mike McCarron | Imageworks Landscaping
Kristy Sieve, mertz design
Sponsored by Innovative Surface Solutions
Jenny Girard, The Integra Group
Jason Ostrander, Eastern LLC
Sponsored by Aspire Software
Speaker TBA
Nicholas Klotz, CSP, EPM Professional Grounds Services
Running “bigger than your size” isn’t about adding headcount—it’s about building big-league habits that make a small- or mid-sized snow team perform like an elite operation. In this session, you’ll learn practical systems for estimating, selling, routing, staffing, communication, and accountability that reduce chaos during events, improve service consistency, and protect margins. Walk away with repeatable playbooks you can implement immediately—so your team executes with the discipline, speed, and confidence of a much larger contractor.
Brian Ivey, NorCast Consulting
Every contractor has experienced a storm that didn’t go as planned. This session examines common weather-related mistakes: mistimed pretreatment, over-application, missed refreeze. Let's explain how to better interpret forecast data for operational decisions. Participants will leave with practical rules-of-thumb and a structured weather playbook to improve storm performance and strengthen client communication.
Mike McCarron, Imageworks Landscaping; Mike Mason, CSP, The Lawn Pro; Wyatt Keoski, MSNW Group
In this high-impact panel discussion, seasoned veterans from low-snow regions share their playbooks for de-risking their businesses to be profitable whether it doesn’t snow at all or you get hit with a once-in-a-lifetime storm.
Michele Kruezer
Long hours are inevitable in the snow and ice industry—but dangerous sleepiness carries real consequences for both crews and operations. There is a critical difference between being tired and being sleepy. Sleepiness slows reaction time, impairs decision-making, and increases the risk of accidents, equipment damage, and lost productivity. This session gives leaders and crews practical tools to spot warning signs and reduce fatigue, protecting both people and the business.
Randall Dean | The E-mail Sanity Expert
This fast and fun program gives tips for managing multiple projects/tasks/interruptions, clearing mental clutter, keeping track of staff & deliverables, and tips for smartphone productivity! It includes specific strategies for Microsoft and Google users (including useful AI Tips in Copilot and Gemini). Learn immediately useful strategies and tips for finding a few minutes on your daily tasks, activities, and actions, leading to (hopefully!) an extra hour of productivity every day.
Phill Sexton, ASM, WIT Advisers
In the high-stakes world of snow and ice management, a missed detail isn't just a mistake—it’s a drain on your bottom line. This workshop is designed to help you move beyond "guesstimates" and transition into a data-driven bidding powerhouse. We will break down the mechanics of a bulletproof estimate, including focusing on often-overlooked variables that turn a profitable contract into a liability. Learn how to build a pricing model that protects your margins regardless of what the forecast holds.
Michael Wagner, CSP, ASM, Designscapes Colorado
This session moves beyond the technical specs to focus on the strategic and financial aspects of fleet management. Learn to optimize your equipment's financial engine by mastering market timing, weighing the pros and cons of renting versus owning, and creating a multi-year acquisition and divestment plan for a healthy balance sheet.
George Urvari, Roundtree Consulting
Cashflow is king. Contracts, billing cycles, and collections are the key to peace of mind. In business, you can't leave anything to chance. Your systems need to be bulletproof so clients can't take advantage of you. Clarity up front is key. In this session, learn how to make cashflow the least of your problems.
Randall Dean, The E-mail Sanity Expert
E-mail can be a true BEAST! If you would like to tame your inbox and take control, this session is for you! Randy shares strategies for effective e-mail management, organization, prioritization, and reducing distractions (with live and newly updated demos in popular programs like MS Outlook and Gmail) that have helped thousands of professionals regain control and sanity in their inboxes.
Phill Sexton, ASM, WIT Advisers
Ken and Nicole Boegeman, Swinter Group
For snow and ice pros who avoid Excel like a February sidewalk. This beginner-level session will help you break the ice. Learn how to structure your data, sort work orders, and subtotal storm activity so you can stop digging through messy paper or guessing at performance. We’ll use storm data examples to show you how to turn spreadsheets into tools, not torture. No prior Excel experience required, just a willingness to plow forward.
Todd Stone, The Cleaver Company
When I left True North Outdoor in 2022, our snow portfolio had over 1,200 acres of parking lots—and a majority were on 20+acre sites. In this session, I’ll share the tips and strategies we used to "whale hunt". I'll talk about replacing normal selling with "siege selling" and why things like culture, politics and site-specific pain points play an outsized role in the process. I’ll also share ideas for how smaller contractors can "punch above their weight" to compete for the big sites.
Levi Jett, Jett Winter Advisors
AI is rapidly transforming how businesses operate, from research and content creation to workflow automation and website development. In this session, Levi Jett will show practical ways ChatGPT can reclaim hours each week, improve decision-making, and streamline operations. Attendees will also see a live demonstration of how to build a custom GPT tailored to their business, leaving with a tool they can immediately implement.
Moderator: Phill Sexton, ASM, WIT Advisers
The 2025-26 winter introduced a "perfect storm" for the snow industry: Depleted stockpiles, skyrocketing prices, municipal prioritization squeezing private supply lines. The "business as usual" approach to salt supply management is no longer sustainable. This moderated session brings together attendees to dissect the current crisis and build a shared playbook for survival and profitability.
Moderator: David LaFore, Colorado Green Pros
Join this interactive session to swap manual headaches for smarter workflows. We’re skipping the lecture and getting straight into a real-world talk about how digital tools can actually make your life easier when the snow starts falling. This isn't a sales pitch. It’s a chance to huddle with other pros, audit your current process, and find the right tech to help you run a tighter ship this winter.
Moderator: Jenny Girard, The Integra Group
Moderator: Nick Klotz, CSP, ASM, EPM Professional Grounds Services
Moderator: Jason Ostrander, Eastern LLC
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Kick off the Symposium early with one of our pre-conference workshops: Implementing liquids into your ice management operations or Sales and business development. (Additional fee applies. One workshop is included in the SIMA+ Pass.)
In an era of unprecedented challenges, the path to your organization's greatest success lies in finding solutions together. Join Jeremy Poincenot as he shows how prioritizing interdependence drives powerful results:
Discover how working interdependently is the key to collective success and individual fulfillment!
Choose from five sessions focused on key topics like operations, business, sales & marketing, risk and more.
Choose from five sessions focused on key topics like operations, business, sales & marketing, risk and more.
Choose from five sessions focused on key topics like operations, business, sales & marketing, risk and more.
Choose from five sessions focused on key topics like operations, business, sales & marketing, risk and more.
Set your alarms—you won't want to miss the last two sessions of the Symposium. Come prepared to participate as we crowdsource technology and salt supply solutions.
Spend 30 minutes on the trade show floor chatting with peers about Life, Leadership and Lessons in the snow and ice management industry. These are moderated discussions so come prepared to contribute your experiences.
We’ve been taught for decades that the way to win in business is simple: lower your price, add new features, or outspend the competition on marketing. But what we’ve been taught is wrong.
In today’s marketplace, price wars are a race to the bottom, and innovation gets copied almost instantly. The truth is, nearly every company is now selling a commodity – whether they admit it or not.
So why do some brands still rise above the noise while others fade into irrelevance? Because customers don’t talk about transactions. They talk about experiences. The Experience Maker Dan Gingiss will share why the last true differentiator left in business is the one your competitors can’t copy: how you make people feel. And it will leave you WISE to the power of customer experience.
