In 2021, utility vegetation management professionals came together in a virtual Trees & Utilities conference to learn about new trends, technologies and techniques. This year, however, 555 attendees from 42 states and three countries convened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for two-and-a-half days of networking and education from Oct. 26-28, 2021.
The event, presented by the Utility Arborist Association and the Arbor Day Foundation, included a trade show with 67 exhibitors, a Women in Vegetation Management Workshop, networking reception, awards ceremony and full conference program. The sessions covered such topics as integrated vegetation management, biodiversity and providing new training programs for qualified workers.
Daniel Horton, vegetation management specialist for American Transmission Company in Wisconsin, attended Trees & Utilities for the first time at the 2021 event in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By attending the event, he was able to meet other individuals in the industry and share best practices.
"Our industry has a constantly changing environment, and every day is different," says Horton, a certified arborist. "By talking to folks, you can get a lot of new ideas and hopefully take them back to your company about how to diversify your approach to vegetation management, drive down long-term costs, create sustainable right of ways and have good, reliable and safe electric service for your customers."
Next year's conference will be Sept. 20-22, 2022, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For more information, visit the Web site or follow #treesandutilities on Twitter.
As you mark your calendar for next year's event, check out this photo gallery, which shares some highlights from the 2021 Trees & Utilities conference.