Highlights from the 2017 National Landscape and Hardscape Tradeshows
Belgard hit the 2017 tradeshow circuit, showcasing an array of hardscape product and design innovations at the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and Hardscape North America (HNA) tradeshows. Below are some highlights from those shows, as well as key learnings regarding the hardscape industry trends heading into 2018.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ASLA 2017
Belgard headed to the fabulous city of Los Angeles for the annual American Society of Landscape Architects Meeting and Expo. The theme for this year’s show, “Common Ground,” focused on how landscape architects design common areas where people meet, interact and celebrate community. Visitors to the Belgard booth were tremendously interested in the following elements with regard to the “Common Ground” theme.
Westile® Benches and Cubes
The Westile line of rooftop and plaza pavers drew a tremendous amount of interest at the show. Booth visitors were particularly drawn to the coordinating benches and cubes, which make it a snap to design common areas like plazas, terraces and walkways.
Mirage® Porcelain Pavers
The durability, stain resistance and contemporary look of Mirage Porcelain Pavers drew a lot of interest for designing common areas like patios, poolscapes, terraces and outdoor dining areas. Booth attendees showed particular interest in the woodgrain designs, such as the Noon and Nau styles.
Moduline™ Series Pavers
The multiple shapes, colors and textures of Moduline make it a highly versatile option for common areas, including those needing to support heavy vehicular loads. Booth visitors were especially interested to learn about the current project case studies from around the U.S. as seen in the prominent location The Commons near the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN.
Lunch & Learns
Booth visitors were very interested in the multiple free continuing education opportunities available through Belgard Commercial, including a variety of Lunch & Learn courses on topics that include best practices, design principles and maintenance of various commercial hardscape applications.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM HNA 2017
Belgard made quite a splash at the 2017 HNA tradeshow held in Louisville, Kentucky, in October. As Platinum Sponsors, this year’s expansive Belgard booth showcased design innovation from inspiration to installation. Here are some of the highlights from this year’s event.
Innovative Design Concepts
Much of the design of the Belgard booth centered on creative uses for Belgard products, including built-in seating, water features, a linear firepit and a vertical garden. One of the most popular areas of the booth was the “Outdoor Spa” section, which included a hanging bed and an outdoor shower that incorporated Riverstone permeable pavers for water infiltration. Booth attendees were also interested in learning that many municipalities offer tax incentives and rebates to homeowners and businesses that install permeable pavers.
Virtual Reality Design Services
Booth attendees had the opportunity to test Belgard’s new Virtual Reality platform offered by the Belgard Design Studio, which was very well-received. Contractors learned that by submitting “before” photos and a design sketch to the Design Studio, they can get photorealistic 3-D imagery and have it converted into a 360-degree view, viewable with a smart phone inserted into VR goggles. This 360-degree view allows the homeowner to become immersed in the design and experience it as though standing in the finished space. This tremendous sales tool is free to Belgard Authorized Contractors and available for a nominal fee to those who are not authorized partners.
2017 HNA Awards
Always a highlight of the show, HNA announced this year’s best of the best, awarding top honors to the best hardscape installations in a variety of residential and commercial categories. Belgard was pleased to have products showcased in 12 of the honored designs, placing in 10 of the 16 categories. See the honored Belgard designs.