The 2016 ASLA Annual Meeting in Review: PPN Live in New Orleans

Nancy Buley, Hon. ASLA, of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., speaks to Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour attendees on October 22, 2016 in New Orleans. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — Nancy Buley, Hon. ASLA, of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., speaks to Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour attendees on October 22, 2016 in New Orleans.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

With the action-packed ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO in New Orleans this October now behind us, we can take a look at all the events and gatherings that took place throughout the meeting weekend through the new PPN Live format. Meeting attendees had numerous opportunities to network with colleagues from all 20 of ASLA’s Professional Practice Networks (PPNs) by:

participating in the PPN meetings that took place in PPN Live,
attending a PPN-themed exhibitor tour of the EXPO floor,
and networking with PPN peers at the EXPO Reception featuring the PPNs.

Meetings in PPN Live

PPN meetings took place throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, October 22-23, and were open to all attendees, giving them the chance to meet fellow PPN members and explore different practice areas (all ASLA members receive one PPN membership for free, and additional PPNs for $15).

The EXPO’s new PPN Live space offered meeting rooms, the PPN Lounge area for networking, and a larger presentation space called City Park Stage, which hosted our largest PPN meeting to date: the joint meeting of the Campus Planning & Design and Education & Practice PPNs, which featured a series of short presentations on the theme How has technology changed the nature of the university campus?

During the PPN meetings that took place, new PPN leadership volunteers were identified for the Children’s Outdoor Environments, Design-Build, Ecology & Restoration, Environmental Justice, Historic Preservation, International Practice, Parks & Recreation, Planting Design, Transportation, Urban Design, and Women in Landscape Architecture PPNs. Interested in learning more about getting actively involved in a PPN? Check out the leadership positions to consider and send an email to propractice@asla.org if anything strikes you, or if you have any questions about the PPNs. We look forward to continuing to grow the PPN leadership teams, building on the momentum of the PPN meetings in New Orleans!

Planting Design PPN Chair David Hopman, ASLA, invited Nigel Dunnett, Professor of Planting Design, University of Sheffield, UK, to present on designing for intermingled plant combinations. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — Planting Design PPN Chair David Hopman, ASLA, invited Nigel Dunnett, Professor of Planting Design, University of Sheffield, UK, to present on designing for intermingled plant combinations.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

The Healthcare & Therapeutic Design PPN meeting, led by PPN Chair Lisa Bailey, ASLA image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — The Healthcare & Therapeutic Design PPN meeting, led by PPN Chair Lisa Bailey, ASLA
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

Transportation PPN Officer Jean Senechal Biggs, ASLA, and Past PPN Co-Chair Craig Churchward, FASLA, at the Transportation PPN meeting image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — Transportation PPN Officer Jean Senechal Biggs, ASLA, and Past PPN Co-Chair Craig Churchward, FASLA, at the Transportation PPN meeting
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

The Children's Outdoor Environments PPN gets ready at City Park Stage. Lolly Tai, FASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture at Temple University, presented on the topic of Children’s Gardens: Design Features and Goals. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — The Children’s Outdoor Environments PPN gets ready at City Park Stage. Lolly Tai, FASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture at Temple University, presented on the topic of Children’s Gardens: Design Features and Goals.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

The Environmental Justice PPN meeting image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — The Environmental Justice PPN meeting
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

The Ecology & Restoration PPN meetingin PPN Lounge image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — The Ecology & Restoration PPN meeting in PPN Lounge
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

Also in PPN Lounge: a chance for attendees to sound off on what they'd like to find out from their PPN peers image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — Also in PPN Lounge: a chance for attendees to sound off on what they’d like to find out from their PPN peers
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

The Parks & Recreation PPN meeting in PPN Lounge image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — The Parks & Recreation PPN meeting in PPN Lounge
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

PPN EXPO Tours: Network and Learn at ASLA EXPO

ASLA also offered attendees the opportunity to network with PPN peers and product exhibitors in a PPN show floor tour designed to highlight PPN topic areas. The PPN EXPO Tours gave attendees a chance to learn about new and improved products and how these improvements and services can assist in creating a successful design project. Each one-hour tour included up to four presentations by various exhibitors. For this first year of PPN EXPO Tours, 24 exhibitors gave short presentations on the 7 tours that took place. Each offered 1.0 PDH (LA CES / non-HSW) to the more than 130 attendees who participated.

The Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour at J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.'s booth, where they listened to an overview of efforts to select, test and introduce new tree cultivars and bring underused native and site-adapted species into the marketplace. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — The Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour at J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.’s booth, where they listened to an overview of efforts to select, test and introduce new tree cultivars and bring underused native and site-adapted species into the marketplace.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

At Star Roses and Plants' booth, another stop on the Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour, attendees received a brief overview of identification, care, maintenance, proper planting considerations, and design aspects of shrub roses in the professional landscape. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — At Star Roses and Plants’ booth, another stop on the Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour, attendees received a brief overview of identification, care, maintenance, proper planting considerations, and design aspects of shrub roses in the professional landscape.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

The Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour concluded at the Plantium's booth, where the presentation focused on new tools that allow landscape architects to more easily select plants and draft designs. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — The Planting Design PPN EXPO Tour concluded at the Plantium’s booth, where the presentation focused on new tools that allow landscape architects to more easily select plants and draft designs.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

Eric Gilbey, ASLA, of Vectorworks, demonstrates how practitioners can utilize BIM workﬂows for sites during the Digital Technology PPN EXPO Tour. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — Eric Gilbey, ASLA, of Vectorworks, demonstrates how practitioners can utilize BIM workﬂows for sites during the Digital Technology PPN EXPO Tour.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

Tiffany Kafka, of Kafka Granite, presents to Ecology & Restoration PPN EXPO Tour attendees about the options for landscape architects to consider when selecting pathway materials for trails, walkways, and bike paths. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — Tiffany Kafka, of Kafka Granite, presents to Ecology & Restoration PPN EXPO Tour attendees about the options for landscape architects to consider when selecting pathway materials for trails, walkways, and bike paths.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

At Ledge Lounger Inc., Design-Build / Residential Landscape Architecture PPN EXPO Tour attendees learned more about including the pool environment in designs to extend residential landscape projects and create complete outdoor living spaces. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — At Ledge Lounger Inc., Design-Build / Residential Landscape Architecture PPN EXPO Tour attendees learned more about including the pool environment in designs to extend residential landscape projects and create complete outdoor living spaces.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

EXPO Reception featuring the Professional Practice Networks

PPN Live also brought the PPN Reception right to the show floor on Sunday, October 23. Fellow PPN members had the chance to meet, mingle, and make connections with friends and colleagues and discuss how they are contributing to the landscape architecture profession.

Each PPN had a spot on the EXPO floor to meet during the PPN Reception. image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC) — Each PPN had a spot on the EXPO floor to meet during the PPN Reception.
image: Event Photography of North America Corporation (EPNAC)

Women in Landscape Architecture (WILA) Walk

Dana Brown, ASLA, and Gaylan Williams, ASLA, of Dana Brown & Associates, Inc. led this year’s WILA Walk along the Mississippi River to visit and discuss existing and proposed riverfront projects designed to bring the City of New Orleans back to the River. Starting from the Convention Center, WILA Walk attendees headed to the Riverwalk, through Spanish Plaza and the future Four Seasons Hotel, through the Audubon Aquarium’s riverfront plaza, to Woldenberg Park, and on to the cruise ship dock and the Moonwalk in front of the French Quarter. During the walk, Dana and Gaylan presented on the new Riverfront Master Plan, whose purpose is to make the paths taken on the WILA Walk more seamless, integrated, and compelling.