When show management was brainstorming about how to give attendees more value for their visit to the Nursery/Landscape EXPO, we considered some of the topics and issues they are dealing with today. WATER rose to the top of the list. So, what did we decide to do...
The EXPO is partnering with the Texas Turf Irrigation Association (TTIA) on our irrigation tracks during the EXPO Education Conference on Thursday. The Irrigation Association classes have been chosen by TTIA and will be monitored by them as well. THANK YOU, TTIA!
We are going one step further. There will be a smart irrigation pod of suppliers that currently handle smart water technologies. This will be in Hall F close to the Food Cafe. Across the aisle from the "pod" will be organizations and state agencies that deal with water: TTIA, Irrigation Association, Texas A&M Irrigation Technology Center, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the WaterWise Council. Finally, the WATER Corner will be rounded out with a discussion area that will be used by the smart irrigation companies or the organizations listed above for informal discussions on water. Be sure and look for the WATER Corner sign in Hall F by the Food Cafe!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
NO ONE is good at Multi-Tasking - GUEST BLOG
This blog is written by one of our excellent speakers that will be featured during the Education Conference on Thursday, August 13, 2009.
Job Advertisement: “Must be good at multitasking.”
Obviously the company that posted the above ad is not up-to-date on current research which shows that no one is good at multitasking. Now I realize that you are probably disagreeing with me right now, since you multitask throughout the day, but reality is that our brains are not good at executing demands to perform multiple activities simultaneously.
What actually occurs is a mental traffic jam where eventually one item breaks through, followed close behind by a second, and then a third. They may be so close together that it seems simultaneous, but in actuality one precedes the next.
When MIT students were given two simple tasks to perform at the same time, identifying shapes and letters or colors, they could not do it and lost their composure. Once they were allowed to switch back and forth, they could do it, but it was very slow because they were forcing their brains to fire in different directions so quickly.
This mental traffic jam is causing stress as we pump adrenaline throughout the day. Over an extended period, there are both short-term (absentmindedness, since we are not focused) and long-term results (brain damage in our prefrontal cortex and hippocampus). Those two brain regions are associated with short-term memory and the abilities to assess and prioritize. The extended stress also ends up causing physical illness (80% of sickness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
It can appear that teens and even younger children may have a better ability to multitask. Again, reality is that they are not better at it, they just have more practice. If you must multitask, be sure that one of the two things you want to do can be done without any thought, like running and listening to your iPod.
Denise Landers is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc. (www.keyorganization.com). Based in Houston, she is a national speaker, trainer, consultant and coach providing conference sessions, corporate training, and individual assistance to improve daily work flow and time management skills.
Job Advertisement: “Must be good at multitasking.”
Obviously the company that posted the above ad is not up-to-date on current research which shows that no one is good at multitasking. Now I realize that you are probably disagreeing with me right now, since you multitask throughout the day, but reality is that our brains are not good at executing demands to perform multiple activities simultaneously.
What actually occurs is a mental traffic jam where eventually one item breaks through, followed close behind by a second, and then a third. They may be so close together that it seems simultaneous, but in actuality one precedes the next.
When MIT students were given two simple tasks to perform at the same time, identifying shapes and letters or colors, they could not do it and lost their composure. Once they were allowed to switch back and forth, they could do it, but it was very slow because they were forcing their brains to fire in different directions so quickly.
This mental traffic jam is causing stress as we pump adrenaline throughout the day. Over an extended period, there are both short-term (absentmindedness, since we are not focused) and long-term results (brain damage in our prefrontal cortex and hippocampus). Those two brain regions are associated with short-term memory and the abilities to assess and prioritize. The extended stress also ends up causing physical illness (80% of sickness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
It can appear that teens and even younger children may have a better ability to multitask. Again, reality is that they are not better at it, they just have more practice. If you must multitask, be sure that one of the two things you want to do can be done without any thought, like running and listening to your iPod.
Denise Landers is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc. (www.keyorganization.com). Based in Houston, she is a national speaker, trainer, consultant and coach providing conference sessions, corporate training, and individual assistance to improve daily work flow and time management skills.
Monday, May 11, 2009
FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!
Wow. Just came back from vacation and the world did not stop while I was gone. It is a great feeling to come back feeling refreshed and face the mountain of work on your desk! Ugh. Thanks to great EXPO staff the trade show continues to progress forward - nicely.
It is now time to FOCUS. Focus on the end game - Nursery/Landscape EXPO. Have you reserved your booth yet? Have you logged in and registered yet? Are you waiting for the printed brochure before you act? Don't wait! The time to focus on EXPO is now.
www.nurserylandscapeespo.org
Make your hotel reservations, so you can be sure you are in the headquarters hotel. There is still time to reserve a booth but the best ones are going fast. Let us know if you have questions by emailing expo@nurserylandscapeexpo.org
It is now time to FOCUS. Focus on the end game - Nursery/Landscape EXPO. Have you reserved your booth yet? Have you logged in and registered yet? Are you waiting for the printed brochure before you act? Don't wait! The time to focus on EXPO is now.
www.nurserylandscapeespo.org
Make your hotel reservations, so you can be sure you are in the headquarters hotel. There is still time to reserve a booth but the best ones are going fast. Let us know if you have questions by emailing expo@nurserylandscapeexpo.org
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