Instructions and Guidelines

Date and Location
The 2026 Hardscape North America (HNA) Trade Show will take place October 21–23, 2026, at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Education sessions will be held onsite during all three days of the event, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Audience
The program is designed for residential and commercial hardscape and landscape contractors, hardscape product distributors and dealers, and product manufacturers.
Education Topics of Interest
We invite submissions that address the needs and interests of our audience and include clearly defined learning objectives.
For the 2026 education program, CMHA is particularly interested in topics in the following areas:
  • Policy: Federal or state-specific issues
  • DOT: Federal or state-specific topics
  • Outdoor Living Spaces
  • Technical Trades: Kitchens, plumbing, electrical, or gas-related topics
  • Additional Hardscape Topics
  • Paver Fundamentals
  • Project Planning and Overview
  • Sub-grade Elevation and Preparation
  • Aggregate Base
  • Bedding Sand
  • Concrete Paver Installation
  • Edge Restraints
  • Joint Sand
  • Care and Maintenance
  • Safety
  • Construction Tips
  • Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) Fundamentals
  • Job Safety
  • Pre-Construction Planning
  • Soil Characteristics and Compaction
  • SRW Components
  • Structural Design Considerations for Contractors
  • Best Practices for Wall Installation
  • SRW Construction Tips
  • Post-Construction Practices
  • Manufactured Stone Veneer (MSV)
  • Materials Overview
  • Surface Preparation
  • MSV Installation
The topic areas above will be given first priority during the selection process.

Other General Topics of Interest
We also welcome submissions addressing:
  • Sales and marketing strategies for hardscape contractors and distributors/dealers
  • Construction, installation, or design of hardscape projects
  • Hiring practices, employee performance evaluation, and general business operations
  • Advanced business management topics
Submission Instructions
Submissions are due Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Please be prepared to provide the following information:
  • Topic
  • Session Title
  • Session Description
  • Presenter contact information (for all proposed presenters)
  • Presenter bio(s) including relevant qualifications
  • Estimated travel expenses and speaking fee, if applicable (eligible travel expenses include airfare or mileage, airport–hotel transportation, hotel accommodations, and meals on speaking and travel days)
Proposal Selection Criteria
All proposals will be reviewed by the appropriate HNA Advisory Committee Task Group. Due to space limitations, the number of available presentation slots is limited. Proposals that are primarily promotional or proprietary in nature will not be considered.
Session titles and descriptions may be edited if selected. Presenters will be notified of decisions in late February. All education sessions will be 60 minutes in length.

Evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
  • Relevance of the topic to hardscape and landscape contractors and dealers
  • Level of interest and timeliness of the topic
  • Presenter experience, expertise, and past performance
Questions?
For questions or additional information, please contact:
Lee Krinzman, Director of Education
lkrinzman@masonryandhardscapes.org

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* 1. This proposal is for the following program(s):

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* 2. TITLE: What is the title of your session (limit to 12 words)?

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* 3. DESCRIPTION: Please provide a marketable description of the presentation (limit to 90 words).

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* 4. PRESENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

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* 5. SPEAKING FEE and TRAVEL EXPENSE: Indicate if the presenter requires a speaking fee, travel expenses, and/or hotel nights. Enter estimated amount for each line. Enter "0" if not applicable.

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* 6. PRESENTER BIO: Provide a brief bio for each presenter that clearly illustrates the presenter's qualifications for speaking on the topic (limit to 100 words).

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* 7. Have you presented at HNA Previously?

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