This year Congress was blessed with a break in the weather, allowing thousands of green industry professionals to make their way to the Toronto Congress Centre (TCC) from Jan. 8-10. With eight acres of exhibit space, a full conference program and hundreds of new products on display, there was plenty to see, do and learn during the three-day show.

Educational opportunities at Congress started a day early, with Jan. 7 designated as Warm Up Monday. Several concurrent full-day conferences were held at the Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, across the street from the TCC. Members could choose to learn at the LO Designer’s Conference, the IPM Symposium, Jim Paluch’s lean management program, Paul Doornbos’ marketing and sales management CLP prep course or the LO irrigation roundup.

During the show, the Congress Conference offered over 35 hours of in-depth educational seminars with strong business and design/landscaping themes. “Professionals in the green trades have come to depend on these informative sessions to give them an edge over their competition and ultimately to boost their business’ productivity,” said Pat Hillmer, LO’s conference coordinator.

Apart from the conference sessions, one of the most-cited reasons for visiting Congress is the opportunity to see hundreds of new products under one roof. “Congress is the forum where our industry convenes to learn about and discuss all of the product innovations for the upcoming season,” says Paul Day, LO’s tradeshow manager. Students in the horticulture program at Fanshawe College created a setting for the New Product Showcase at the entrance to Congress. Most attendees took the opportunity to tour the Fanshawe garden and display of new products. Students from Humber College, Niagara College and St. Clair College also created display gardens at Congress giving visitors a place to sit and relax.

Tuesday night’s Awards of Excellence ceremony celebrated the best of the best with a Viva Las Vegas theme featuring show girls, sporting feather headdresses and landscape tools, escorting several of the dignitaries to the stage. Haig Seferian acted as master of ceremonies. As it was Elvis Presley’s birthday, The King rocked the show for the grand finale. Hank Gelderman was presented with the LO Alumni Award. In recognition of his commitment and dedication to the industry, Dr. Calvin Chong was honoured with LO’s Legacy Award, which was created to recognize a lifetime of achievement in the horticulture industry.

For the second year in a row, the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation hosted a Legacy Room in the conference area of the Toronto Congress Centre. This is a quiet room where industry pioneers are invited to relax and share some memories with other members of the trade. LO’s Jane Leworthy helped in the Legacy Room and enjoyed the many stories she heard throughout the day. “Hearing about the history of the horticulture industry and the creation of Landscape Ontario from those who lived it was fascinating,” she said. The Legacy Room will return to Congress next year and all attendees are encouraged to drop by and visit with some of the pioneers of the green industry.

In contrast, the annual Congress Tailgate Party, held on Wednesday night, gave exhibitors and attendees a chance to let off some steam. This year’s entertainment was a rock and roll tribute band who performed classics from the 50s through 80s.
 

New for 2009

A new initiative for Congress 2009 was announced by LO and Communities in Bloom, who have partnered to create the Green Forum. This will be a trade show and conference within Congress 2009. It will focus on providing information and best practices, as well as showcase proven and innovative green services and products. “The Green Forum will provide insight and environmental stewardship opportunities for members through education and exposure to green products,” explains Paul Day. “Members will also be exposed to municipal environmental plans, giving them the opportunity to tailor their services to take advantage of local green initiatives.”

The year 2008 marked the 35th anniversary of Congress, which is ranked as one of the 50 fastest-growing trade shows in North America by Trade Show Week magazine. Congress is also rated among the top five horticultural shows in North America. Congress 2009 will be held Jan. 6-8, 2009.
 

Congress Committee

Brian Lofgren, chair
Brian Cocks, vice-chair
Bob Adams
Scott Beaudoin
Terry Childs
Douglas Coote
Barry Dickson
Beth Edney
Nathan Helder
Michael Laporte
Bob McCannell
Klaas Sikkema
Nick Solty
Monica van Maris


Captions:
The abundance of different hardscape treatments displayed at Congress reflect the calibre of landscape projects being created by talented professionals.

The New Product Showcase is one of the most popular features of the trade show.