Thursday, August 26
Room B 115-116
9 a.m. – Noon

Preparing and Embracing the Realities of the Economic Turnaround – Getting Ready for Change

Speaker: Dr. Jean Meeks, organizational strategist, positive eye consulting

We are living in challenging economic times. The rapid changes that we are witnessing in the business and financial markets have created a business environment that is far different from anything we've seen in the past. A lot of people are talking and asking about how to react.

♦ How are you going to react?
♦ What moves are you going to make?
♦ Are they sound and long lasting with positive results?

There will be a lot of companies whose very first action will be to cut budgets and people, this knee jerk reaction often cuts the wrong things and ends up positioning the companies in a weaker state in the end than when they started. Why? Because the moves they make are unfortunately based on the past and not the future. They're tactical and not strategic. And if there is one thing we know for sure, it's that the future is going to be a far different business environment than what we are in today. You need a strategy that will align you to where you are going, not where you've been.

Our current economic turmoil has forced organizations into change. Change at a level that many executives have not had to consider in their current job responsibilities or in the career as a whole. Where most OD consultants manage incremental or first order change; Jean Meeks, organization systems expert on socio-technological systems (STS); dives deep to transformational organizational change. Meeks is prepared to demonstrate how to navigate through the raging waters of reform in order to come out on top.

1 – 3 p.m.

Looking Closer at Your Plants: Learn How to Examine and Interpret their Signs and Symptoms

Speaker: Dr. Luisa Santamaria, nursery crops extension plant pathologist, Oregon State University

During their growth, plants can present different changes that make us think that something is wrong with them. These events are known as signs and symptoms. The objective of this class is to provide basic information on aspects that should be observed and analyzed to determine the origin or cause of these alterations. The most common causes that result in changes in plants are: diseases, insects, environmental factors or chemicals. Dr. Santamaria will provide diagnostic tools and practical examples that will help the participant to examine and identify the different signs and symptoms in plants.

Friday, August 27
Room B 115-116
9 a.m. – Noon

Define Your Garden Center Brand and Make It Work for You

Speaker: Richard Holberg, president, GreenBranding

This interactive session explores the power of a garden center brand and how it can help a retail green industry business grow. The session starts with a high-level introduction to the concept of branding and brand positioning. Next, general concepts of marketing will be reviewed. Then the fun starts! Working in small groups you will be given the name of a new fictitious retail garden center business. Each group will define their brand message and create a positioning statement for their "business". Next you'll define a target audience and discuss ways of positioning your brand to reach that target. Finally, each group will create marketing and advertising strategies to get your brand message out to your defined audience. In separate tasks, both traditional and non-traditional methods will be created. The concepts discussed and ideas shared will allow participants to look at their own garden center brand, decide what changes should be made to enhance your brand and provide unique methods for making an impact in your marketplace with your new brand.