July 15, 2013
Garden Expo full of new ideas for retailers
This year Landscape Ontario’s Expo will return to its roots, with the name Garden and Floral Expo.
The event at the Toronto Congress Centre North Building, Oct. 23 and 24, will offer novice and veteran retailers and designers a large selection of products and professional development. The program has been formatted to meet industry retailers’ personal and professional needs, and leading edge vendors will display hundreds of new products to entice customers.
Following last year’s success, the Destination Inspiration Theatre (main stage) will be open throughout the day for all show attendees, and feature workshops on seasonal urn assembly, live cooking demonstrations and information on product trends relevant to garden and floral retailers and designers.
Just announced, executive chef Joseph Levesque of the Toronto Congress Centre will take to the stage to create dishes from locally harvested fruits and vegetables commonly sold through garden centres.
The show reverts back to a 9 a.m. opening, and ticketed sector group hosted events will shift from breakfast to lunch. The Garden Centre Sector Group is excited to announce Jim Hole of Hole’s Greenhouses and Gardens, as the keynote speaker. Hole is Alberta’s most articulate and knowledgeable horticulturist, and known for his business savvy. He is ardent about plants, conservation, the environment and business.
A workshop on Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB) will be hosted by the Interior Plantscape Sector Group. This session will be eligible for GPGB CEU’s, and is the only opportunity of its kind in Canada in 2013.
The annual Welcome Reception will create a buzz with an illustrious panel of retail industry leaders and innovators presenting Top Ten Tips. Who knows how to create retail success better than Karl Stensson, president of Sheridan Nurseries? The company is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary, and several industry leaders and innovators will join Karl on stage; this will be a memorable part of Expo 2013.
“To connect you to leaders, topics and ideas that will inspire you to meet the challenges of today’s new retail environment, Garden Expo offers an exciting lineup of events,” says Heather MacRae, director of events and trade shows.
Garden writers, on a trend spotting mission, will return to the show for their annual Connect Event. The meeting concludes with a visit to the trade show floor, where vendors showcasing their latest products and services will strive to be ‘spotted’ by the writers for coverage in their publications, blogs and other communication mediums.
A Connecting Educators Summit is a new event being launched at Garden Expo. It is a full-day of sessions aimed at horticultural educators and affiliated professionals. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Terry Childs, a consistent volunteer at Landscape Ontario since 2004, was recently honoured with chairmanship of the show committee. Childs commented, “Novice and veteran retailers, designers and florists will receive the inspiration and educational development craved to grow professionally and thrive in the new retail economy. Newer and sometimes smaller member companies gain the ability to look at how to set their sights high and achieve their business goals, as well as how to develop a professional company,” concludes Childs. “Expo provides the opportunity to meet many suppliers under one roof and discuss upcoming needs and desires. Most importantly the positive attitude we give is often reflected in the positive attitude we see.”
To register, or for more information, please visit www.loexpo.ca. Follow Garden Expo and Landscape Ontario on Twitter @LOexpo and @LOevents.
The event at the Toronto Congress Centre North Building, Oct. 23 and 24, will offer novice and veteran retailers and designers a large selection of products and professional development. The program has been formatted to meet industry retailers’ personal and professional needs, and leading edge vendors will display hundreds of new products to entice customers.
Following last year’s success, the Destination Inspiration Theatre (main stage) will be open throughout the day for all show attendees, and feature workshops on seasonal urn assembly, live cooking demonstrations and information on product trends relevant to garden and floral retailers and designers.
Just announced, executive chef Joseph Levesque of the Toronto Congress Centre will take to the stage to create dishes from locally harvested fruits and vegetables commonly sold through garden centres.
The show reverts back to a 9 a.m. opening, and ticketed sector group hosted events will shift from breakfast to lunch. The Garden Centre Sector Group is excited to announce Jim Hole of Hole’s Greenhouses and Gardens, as the keynote speaker. Hole is Alberta’s most articulate and knowledgeable horticulturist, and known for his business savvy. He is ardent about plants, conservation, the environment and business.
A workshop on Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB) will be hosted by the Interior Plantscape Sector Group. This session will be eligible for GPGB CEU’s, and is the only opportunity of its kind in Canada in 2013.
The annual Welcome Reception will create a buzz with an illustrious panel of retail industry leaders and innovators presenting Top Ten Tips. Who knows how to create retail success better than Karl Stensson, president of Sheridan Nurseries? The company is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary, and several industry leaders and innovators will join Karl on stage; this will be a memorable part of Expo 2013.
“To connect you to leaders, topics and ideas that will inspire you to meet the challenges of today’s new retail environment, Garden Expo offers an exciting lineup of events,” says Heather MacRae, director of events and trade shows.
Garden writers, on a trend spotting mission, will return to the show for their annual Connect Event. The meeting concludes with a visit to the trade show floor, where vendors showcasing their latest products and services will strive to be ‘spotted’ by the writers for coverage in their publications, blogs and other communication mediums.
A Connecting Educators Summit is a new event being launched at Garden Expo. It is a full-day of sessions aimed at horticultural educators and affiliated professionals. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Terry Childs, a consistent volunteer at Landscape Ontario since 2004, was recently honoured with chairmanship of the show committee. Childs commented, “Novice and veteran retailers, designers and florists will receive the inspiration and educational development craved to grow professionally and thrive in the new retail economy. Newer and sometimes smaller member companies gain the ability to look at how to set their sights high and achieve their business goals, as well as how to develop a professional company,” concludes Childs. “Expo provides the opportunity to meet many suppliers under one roof and discuss upcoming needs and desires. Most importantly the positive attitude we give is often reflected in the positive attitude we see.”
To register, or for more information, please visit www.loexpo.ca. Follow Garden Expo and Landscape Ontario on Twitter @LOexpo and @LOevents.