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  • Cultivating Cultivars Seed to Tree: The 30-Year Timeline for Climate Resistant Urban Trees

    Room B116

    Speaker: Nancy Buley, Communications Director, J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.
    It’s a long and complex journey from seed to city tree. Many hands and a decade or more are needed to grow a tree from start to finish. It takes even longer to develop, select, trial, and introduce new and improved cultivars. Bringing new and improved urban tree cultivars to market is a multi-generational effort that may take 15–30 years or more, via the collaborative efforts of plant breeders, growers, urban foresters, arboreta, and academia. Understanding the timeline and processes of new tree introduction and the how and why of cultivar development will help you plan ahead for choosing, growing, and planting the best trees for the future urban forest.

    Registration Required

  • Cash Incentives for Energy Efficiency: Greenhouses, Nurseries, Orchards and Farms

    Room B113

    Speaker: Jessica Arnold, Outreach Manager, Industry + Agriculture, Energy Trust of Oregon
    Cash incentives are available through Energy Trust of Oregon for eligible projects that save natural gas or electricity. Participating utilities include Portland General Electric (PGE), Pacific Power, Northwest Natural, Cascade Natural Gas, and Avista. Examples include projects from greenhouse shell and heating systems upgrades to controlled environmental agriculture optimization of HVAC, dehumidification, irrigation, lighting and more. Attend this session to learn all about the different programs, and get your questions answered.

    Registration Required

  • Promising Plants for Native Plant Gardens in Western Oregon

    Room B116

    Speaker: Gail Langellotto, Ph.D., Professor of Horticulture, Oregon State University
    Native plant landscaping and gardening are repeatedly listed as a hot trend for gardeners and landscapers. However, native plants represent a relatively small segment of retail plant sales, with many promising plants difficult to find in the retail marketplace. Based on OSU research, this presentation will highlight some promising plants for the native plant gardener and landscaper.

    Registration Required

  • Soil Moisture: Top Factor for the Survival of Newly Installed Plants

    Room B110

    Speaker: Wei Zhang, Vice President of Research and Development, TreeDiaper
    Urban trees tend to struggle because it is not an ideal growing condition between pavements and buildings. Underwatering and overwatering are the most common causes. Water prescriptions are developed to address this problem, but too much of the water is wasted. The most important factor for tree survival is the soil moisture, not how much water is dumped onto the root ball. New methods of increasing plant available water and stabilizing soil moisture will be discussed.

    Registration Required

  • Measuring for Change—the Lean Way

    Room B116

    Speakers: Rick Peters, President, The Peters Company | Elizabeth Peters, Vice President, The Peters Company
    “In God we trust. All others must bring data.” This quote by W. Edwards Deming refers to the significance of data measurement in doing business. Why? Because measurements drive behavior; what you measure is what you get. How do we choose what to measure? Which metrics give us the best prospect of achieving our goals? How can we use data to manage and motivate labor effectively — and how do we use all this information to improve our business? This seminar looks at measures for different levels of a company. It also offers an approach to implementing metrics and common pitfalls to avoid.

    Registration Required

  • Nowadays Tulipmania: Flower Bulb Extravaganza

    Room B110

    Speaker: Philipp Laagland, Country Manager USA, ADR Bulbs Inc.
    Join internationally recognized flower bulb expert Philipp Laagland as he shares his knowledge about setting trends and current struggles within the industry. This session will examine the working flower bulb life circle from farmer to the homeowner in The United States and new landscape designs and retail concepts using flower bulbs.

    Registration Required

  • Pruning / Topiary Demo

    Solution Center (end of Aisle 10,000)

    Presented by: Bountiful Farms
    This FREE mini-session is included with your trade show pass!
    Join the Bountiful Farms team as they perform a LIVE demo of pruning and topiary techniques. Get some fun new ideas, tips, tricks, and best practices.

    FREE

  • Regenerative Landscaping: Small Changes, Large Impact – Protecting and Supporting Local Ecology

    Room B110

    Speaker: Nutmeg Minneboo, Lead Ecological Designer, SymbiOp Garden Shop and Landscaping
    The way that we install and manage spaces in the landscaping industry has a large impact on the health and well-being of local ecology. Managing pests, plant diseases, water infiltration, and choosing plants for landscapes all directly affects local birds, pollinators, beneficial insects, and our local watershed. In this presentation, we will dive into ways we can learn to read the landscape. We will learn what to do when landscapes are out of balance and pests and diseases arise. Learning tips and tools for improving balance in a landscape naturally can help us protect local ecology.

    Registration Required

  • Pruning / Topiary Demo

    Solution Center (end of Aisle 10,000)

    Presented by: Serendipity Nursery
    This FREE mini-session is included with your trade show pass!
    The Serendipity Farms team will perform a LIVE demo of pruning and topiary techniques. Get some fun new ideas, tips, tricks, and best practices.

    FREE

  • Current Market Demands New Approaches to Container Growing

    Solution Center (end of Aisle 10,000)

    Co-Presenters: Tom Springer, Chris Murphey, NurserySource
    This FREE mini-session is included with your trade show pass!
    NurserySource’s and RediRoot’s goal is to help nurseries and grow operations integrate new approaches to container production and gardening. Their markets span nursery, cannabis and home gardeners giving them a unique look into the ways all growers are learning from each other and improving their production. They see the pressure labor and regulatory costs have upon different operations and work to help clients mitigate those challenges. This seminar will briefly detail their observations and recommendations.

    FREE

  • The Art and Science of Pricing Products

    Room B110

    Speaker: Bridget Behe, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University

    There is more to pricing than simply calculating costs and mark-up. Bridget will discuss some pricing strategies and share some research-based findings on how consumers react to pricing in communications. Price increases are always a concern. The presentation includes some ways for you to consider increasing prices that consumers will accept.

    Registration Required

  • Grow Profits Using Job Costing to Identify and Eliminate Waste in Your Company

    Room B116

    Speaker: Rich Thiebaud, Director of Sales, Landscape Management Network (LMN)

    With more than 25 years of experience, Rich will bring a wealth of knowledge to this seminar giving an overview of the importance of job costing and how to keep it as simple and automated as possible. Most importantly, Rich will give an overview of the nine wastes of landscaping, which are the biggest reasons landscape companies lose efficiency and profitability, and how to snuff those wastes out for good.

    Registration Required

  • Transforming vs. Evolving: Turn Your Vision into Dramatic, Measurable Results Using Policy Deployment

    Room B119

    Speaker: Rick Peters, President, The Peters Company

    Every leader faces the challenge of translating vision into results. Most have goals to achieve over the next 3–5 years; the difficulty is converting long-term goals into daily activities that can be measured. Oregon nurseries are using policy deployment ("Hoshin Kanri") to develop annual improvement targets that align and link with their long-term strategies. The process engages team members at every level. Each person understands how they can impact the organization's goals. Bring your leadership team for an introduction to this powerful tool. Learn how Robinson Nursery uses policy deployment to transform the business and achieve their mission of “growing people and plants to change the world.”

    Registration Required

  • A Milkweed Contamination Study Spotlights Pollinator-Safe Growing – An Oregon Nursery Shows the Way

    Room B113

    Co-Presenters:
    Sharon Selvaggio, Pesticide Program Specialist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
    Sam Bidwell, Integrated Pest Manager, Log House Plants; Founder, Sunnyside Sam’s Wholesale

    People across the country are working to help restore monarch butterflies by planting milkweed. A recent study showed that milkweed plants purchased from garden centers across the country contained a wide variety of pesticide residues, putting monarchs at risk. In this seminar, we invite a thoughtful conversation about how nurseries can use practices that result in pollinator-safe plants. We will present the findings and implications of the milkweed study and share examples of how a local nursery, Log House Plants, puts pollinator-safe growing into practice.

    Registration Required

  • Selecting Plants for Success!

    Room B116

    Speaker: Ben Hoover, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sustainable Nursery Production, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

    Millions of plants are purchased and planted every year in the United States. Many of those plants are destined for failure. Selecting the right plants and location for planting them appropriately can increase your credibility, customer base, and profitability. We will talk about making good decisions, communicating your expertise with customers, and benefiting the environment and your company at the same time. FYI: your concept of a native plant might be challenged!

    Registration Required

  • Make Signs People Will Read

    Solution Center (end of Aisle 10,000)

    Speaker: Bridget Behe, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University

    Bridget will present research-based information about how consumers read or ignore signage in the retail store. Signage is essential to communicate many things about the plants (and other products) people can’t know without you telling them.

    FREE

  • H-2A 101: What Your Business Needs to Know

    Room B110

    Speaker: Chelsea Ibarra, Deputy General Counsel, másLabor
    Free Session (Open to all attendees)

    This session will cover the ins and outs of the H-2A program for growers. The session discusses the program’s requirements, barriers to entry, and best practices for employers, including pertinent current events. As the labor landscape continues to be difficult, more and more businesses are turning to H-2A to solve their shortages.

    FREE

  • 10 Effective Ways to Communicate the Value of Your Products

    Room B110

    Speaker: Katie Tamony , Chief Marketing Officer, Monrovia Nursery Company and Former Editor-in-Chief of Sunset Magazine and Sunset Books

    In this seminar, Katie will present 10 effective ways to communicate the value of your products or services to a demanding consumer in today’s market. Using examples from Monrovia and other premium brands, Katie will share insights and success stories that will help you retain customers in the long term and grow your perceived value.

    Registration Required

  • People, Plants and a Backyard – An Exploration of How and Why We Interpret Urban Landscapes the Way We Do

    Room B116

    Speaker: Alan Shay, Senior Instructor, Horticulture Department, Oregon State University

    In this presentation we will examine the cultural heritage we in the west have inherited that leads us to react to management in landscapes in a particular fashion. Can we afford to prioritize aesthetics over functionality in a world of rapidly diminishing resources and climate change? How can we design landscapes sensibly, that look good and still make a profit for ourselves? It's all about education.

    Registration Required

  • Soil Oxygen: The Real Limiting Factor For Trees

    Room B119

    Speaker: Wei Zhang, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development, Zynnovation LLC

    This presentation answers common questions, such as: Why do we have to water trees so often? Why can't we supply them with one year's water supply at a time? Why don’t roots grow deep? Why is compacted soil bad for urban trees? Why is volcano mulching bad for trees while leaf piling against tree trunks in natural forests is good? Why is deicing salt bad for plants? What makes the space under sidewalks so attractive to tree roots? One thing in common with all these problems - Soil Oxygen! Join us for live demonstrations throughout the seminar.

    Registration Required

  • The UC Landscape Plants Irrigation Trials (Part One)

    Room B116

    Speaker: Lorence Oki, Ph.D., Specialist in Cooperative Extension, University of California, Davis

    The University of California Landscape Plants Irrigation Trials project evaluates performance of plants exposed to three different irrigation treatments based on evapotranspiration (ETo). The data collected leads to recommendations for irrigating those plants that are used by landscape designers and architects to design landscapes that comply with California water conservation regulations. This project started in 2004 as a graduate student research project, was expanded periodically, and then duplicated at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in 2017. We will discuss plant lists, data collected, irrigation recommendations, and project background.

    Registration Required

  • Trial Garden Report: Best in NEW Annuals and Perennials for Spring 2024

    Room B119

    Speaker: Allison Pennell, Sales Representative and Horticulturalist, McHutchison Horticultural Distributors

    This session will report on new introductions from trial gardens across the country. Annuals and perennials from your favorite breeders will be the focus. Ali will share garden performance results from trial sites to help you decide what to add to your own production plans for 2024. This session’s focus is on spring and summer selling crops. Breeders covered will include: Dummen Orange, SelectaOne, Syngenta, Danziger, Ball, Pan American Seed, Westhoff, Terra Nova Nurseries, Sakata, Think Plants and more!

    Registration Required

  • Prune Clematis Like a Pro! (Pruning Demo)

    Solution Center (end of Aisle 10,000)

    Speaker: Linda Beutler, Rogerson Clematis Garden

    Forget everything you have ever heard about Clematis pruning. Linda, the curator of the Rogerson Clematis Garden, North America's only accredited collection of clematis through the Plant Collections Network, will share her wealth of knowledge is this fantastic pruning demo. Rather than learning the "rules", follow some common sense-based suggestions to open a world of beautiful possibilities for your garden and your clematis.

  • Topiary Demo

    Solution Center (end of Aisle 10,000)

    Speaker: Todd Nelson, Bountiful Farms

    Join Todd Nelson, as he shares his topiary knowledge with the audience in this one-of-a-kind demo! Learn tips and tricks to the art of clipping shrubs into ornamental shapes such as boxes, spirals and spheres.

    FREE

  • Defining and Building Your Culture to Create a Thriving Team (SPANISH ONLY)

    Room B119

    Speaker: Elizabeth Peña, Value Stream Leader, Peoria Gardens Inc.

    A culture is how you solve problems and how you behave toward others. You must strike a balance between knowledge and behaviors, between head and heart. If you want your team to thrive, you must first define your culture, then do the important work of building your culture into everything you do together. You are invited to learn how Peoria Gardens, a second-generation greenhouse in Albany, Oregon, defined their culture, then built that culture into a business that continues to be recognized as one of the best places to work in the horticulture industry.

    Registration Required

  • The Climate Ready Landscape Plants Project (Part TWO)

    Room B116

    Speaker: Lorence Oki, Ph.D., Specialist in Cooperative Extension, University of California, Davis

    The University of California Landscape Plants Irrigation Trials project evaluates performance of plants exposed to three different irrigation treatments based on evapotranspiration (ETo). The data collected leads to recommendations for irrigating those plants that are used by landscape designers and architects to design landscapes that comply with California water conservation regulations. This project started in 2004 as a graduate student research project, was expanded periodically, and then duplicated at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in 2017. The project recently has expanded to the University of Washington, Oregon State University, Utah State University, and the University of Arizona that facilitates the comparison of plant performance in response to deficit irrigation treatments across the western region of the U.S. We will discuss plant lists, data collected, irrigation recommendations, and project background.

    Registration Required

  • Above- & Under-ground Partners: What Urban Trees are Missing

    Room B119

    Speaker: Wei Zhang, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development, Zynnovation LLC

    Trees in the forests live with their family and friends. Above the ground, young trees are protected by mature trees against extreme weather conditions such as scorching sunlight, damaging wind, and extreme cold. Equally, and maybe more important than the above ground partners, the underground partners; insects, worms, and root and soil microbiome, is critical for the survival and thrive of the baby trees. How can we expect turban trees to survive and thrive with compacted soils, excess stormwater runoff, salt, pollution, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and more.

    Registration Required

  • Mycorrhizae: Benefits and Use in Grower Operations and the Landscape

    Room B119

    Speaker: Jason Padden, Sales Account Manager, Mycorrhizal Applications

    Explore the science behind beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, with a focus on how growers and landscapers may utilize the power of mycorrhizae in their operations. Participants will learn how the addition of mycorrhizal inoculant products helps plants increase their efficiency of water use, nutrient uptake, and boost other plant health treatments. We will discuss how these benefits reduce plant loss by increasing plant vigor helping to grow hardier while saving time and money. Mycorrhizal inoculants have been used in sustainable growing systems for decades. Those that use them have been able to reduce the stress to both the plants they are growing and themselves.

    Registration Required

  • Drop-In OFFICE HOURS

    Room B119

    Speaker: Chelsea Ibarra, Deputy General Counsel, másLabor

    Stop by at any time during this hour (no appointment necessary) to ask our in-house expert questions about H-2A. This is a great opportunity if you missed the Thursday seminar or had additional questions not answered yesterday.

    Registration Required

  • A Plantsman’s Notebook: New Plants and a Reminder of Some ‘Smokers’ We Often Forget About

    Room B119

    Speaker: Nicholas Staddon, Company Spokesman/Plantsman, Everde Growers

    In this session, we will look at a number of new plants that have appeared on the marketplace in recent years. There will be something for everyone, trees, shrubs, perennials, and a few surprises! Staddon will also nudge our memories on a few of the great plants from the past. Nicholas will cover a few of the notable trends he believes hold water for us. As always, he is an avid reader and will share a few choice titles with the audience. With terrific pictures, supported by an informative and humorous narrative, this session is not to be missed if you are into plants.

    Registration Required

  • Pollinators of the Rogerson Clematis Garden

    Solution Center (end of Aisle 10,000)

    Speaker: Linda Beutler, Rogerson Clematis Garden

    Linda, the curator of the Rogerson Clematis Garden, North America's only accredited collection of clematis through the Plant Collections Network, will share the Clematis that attracts pollinators and which pollinators those are. Additionally, she will share her knowledge of the many native, native-vars, and non-native companion plants that enhance our clematis garden.

    FREE

  • Nursery Science Summit: Plant Pathology

    Room B119

      Speaker 1: Jay W. Pscheidt, Ph.D., Extension Plant Pathology Specialist, Oregon State University Title: Smart Spraying Grapes Leads to New Boxwood Blight Management Description:

  • Top Consumer Garden Trends to Drive Sales

    Room B110

    Speaker: Katie Tamony, Chief Marketing Officer and Trend Spotter, Monrovia Nursery Company Want to know what home gardeners are thinking? Every year, Monrovia conducts large

  • Nursery Science Summit: Plant Selection and Production

    Room B119

    Speaker 1: Ryan Contreras, Ph.D., Professor, Oregon State University Title: Past Successes and Future Directions for Nursery Breeding at Oregon State Description: Since 2009, the

  • The Retail Experience: Boxwood Problem Solving

    Room B119

    Speaker: Pat Reilly, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, Saunders Genetics LLC and NewGen Boxwood Landscapers, garden center staff, growers, and homeowners alike encounter issues with boxwood. Attention to

  • AI in the Landscaping World

    Room B116

    Speaker: Paige Tisdale, Business Developer, Dennis’ 7 Dees This presentation explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing the landscaping industry. It highlights how

  • Broch Martindale National nursery and greenhouse account manager at Corteva Agriscience

    The Importance of Training in Your IPM Program

    Room B113

    How we train greatly depends on several factors. In this talk Martindale will demonstrate the importance in training your team. Martindale will highlight some techniques for you to use the next time you train members of your team. [read more]

  • John Kennedy Co-founder of Boomerwrangle

    You Can’t Expect What You Can’t Inspect

    Room C124

    Fostering a culture of measurement and metrics is vital for a profitable and productive workplace in the green industry. Knowing your numbers and sharing them with your team is a great way to create a culture of engagement [read more]

  • Ryan Watkins Founder, HortMentor

    How A Quick Sketch Can Double Your Sale

    Room B110

    Boost sales by providing clients with a basic, hand-drawn visual of their space. This simple, yet effective tool can be utilized by sales associates to illustrate recommendations and assist clients with understanding how to accomplish their landscape goals. [read more]

  • Hot Yards, Cool Tips: Fire-wise Landscaping 101

    Room B119

    Speaker: Amy Jo Detweiler, professor and Extension horticulturist, Oregon State University Extension Service Join us for a practical approach to fire-wise landscaping. We’ll break down

  • Ryan Watkins Founder, HortMentor

    Landscape Design Basics: Time-Saving Tips

    Room B116

    Learn concepts of landscape design in this introductory class tailored to industry professionals. Dive into the 4Ts and DS4, two powerful methods that streamline plant selection while guaranteeing results your clients will rave about. [read more]

  • Plants that Pay the Rent

    Room B119

    No plant — be it tree, shrub, bulb, or perennial — evades eviction. Tap Heims’ 50+ years of plant knowledge to find out which plants fill multiple seasons with foliage color, long bloom times, fragrance, and decorative character. [read more]

  • AI for the Green Industry

    Room B110

    Learn how to overcome labor shortages, grow revenue, and optimize inventory by leveraging AI. In this session, we'll cover tactical tools and insights [read more]

  • Purchasing 101: Horticultural Professionals Discuss Purchasing

    Room B110

    Panel: Representatives from Growscape, Monrovia Nursery Company, Smith Gardens, Al’s Garden & Home, Anderson Pots, and OBC Northwest Inc.

    Panel discussion on basic purchasing and receiving processes and best practices from three growers and two manufacturers/distributors. Principles and processes that ensure efficient operations by securing the right product, right customer, right quantity, right condition, right place, right time, a

  • How We Relate to Plants Today — and Why We Buy Them

    Room B116

    Speaker: Erica Grivas, garden journalist/speaker

    Plants are more than decorations, they function as companions, wellness tools, and lifestyle statements. This session looks at how today’s buyers relate to plants, from food growers and pollinator supporters to low-maintenance gardeners and self-described “plant parents.”

  • Purchasing 102: A Deeper Dive

    Room B110

    Panel: Representatives from Growscape, Monrovia Nursery Company, Smith Gardens, Al’s Garden & Home, Anderson Pots, OBC Northwest Inc., Simplot Turf & Horticulture.

    A deeper discussion of today’s supply chain and how it’s affected by issues like tariffs, price, environmental legislation, and long lead times.

  • Listen Up! Garden Podcasts are in Your Customers’ Ears

    Room B116

    Speaker: Kathy Jentz, author, podcaster, Washington (DC) Gardener Magazine editor, GardenDC Podcast

    Garden podcasts are wired directly into your customers’ brains. Their hosts are telling them what to grow and purchase on this unique medium. You need to get hooked on them to reach this growing audience and spread plant knowledge.

  • Charlie Hall, Professor and Ellison Chair in International Floriculture at Texas A&M

    KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Charlie Hall, Ph.D.

    Featured
    Room C124

    Overcoming Decision Paralysis in the Midst of Uncertainty WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 11 a.m. in Room C124 FREE to all registered Farwest Participants. Charlie Hall, Ph.D.

  • Beyond the Hype: Targeting Trends that Matter

    Room B116

    Speaker: Erica Grivas, award-winning garden journalist

    Garden trends don’t move in a straight line. Why do some fade quickly while others persist? In this session, a national garden journalist presents a curated roundup of garden trends showing signals of staying power, drawn from reporting and industry observation.

  • Chaos to Clarity: Building an AI Stack for Growers and the Green Industry

    Room B116

    Speaker: Chris Sabbarese, co-founder, Infusion Management Services

    Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how businesses operate, but many organizations struggle to move from curiosity to practical implementation. This session provides a clear framework for understanding and building an AI technology stack that supports marketing,

  • Soil, Systems, and Sustainability: Transforming Landscape Practices for a Changing Climate

    Room B119

    Speaker: Trevor Smith, regenerative landscape designer, CFS Regenerative Design Studios, LLC

    As climate pressures reshape plant performance and client expectations, landscape professionals must align ecological function with profitability. This session explores soil-centered design, resilient plant communities, and strategies for building a niche market through sustainable materials, including native

  • Mastering Career Development Planning Part 1: The Foundations of a Career Advancement

    Room B110

    Speaker: Neal Glatt, founder and CEO, Neal Glatt Sales & Strategy

    Employees don’t just want a job — they want a clear pathway for growth. A career advancement plan gives them a documented roadmap for developing skills, earning new responsibilities, and achieving meaningful progress in their careers. When implemented well, it creates consistency

  • Promoting Soil Health: A Prescription for Landscape Success

    Room B116

    Speaker: Bryce Lane, distinguished professor emeritus, North Carolina State University

    As landscapers, and gardeners, we typically spend most of our time thinking above ground. We spend countless hours selecting the right woody plant, considering the right exposure, combinations, size, color, and textures. Woody plant’s success is equally dependent on what is going

  • Lawn Alternatives: Hot Design Style, or Challenging for Homeowners and HOAs?

    Room B116

    Speaker: Sue Goetz, garden designer, consultant, speaker and author, Creative Gardener

    You’ve heard the buzz words — rewilding, regenerative, and naturalism Ripping out traditional lawns and creating magical meadow plantings, no-mow-seed mixes, and more. It is all getting attention and becoming more mainstream, but is it sustainable for customers and landscape

  • Consumers and Environmental Health: How Growers Can Respond to Changing Market Demand

    Room B119

    Speaker: Marie Chieppo, CFS Regenerative Design Studios LLC

    Climate change and rising environmental awareness are reshaping how plants and horticultural products are selected, specified, and purchased. Designers, municipalities, and consumers are prioritizing climate-resilient, ecologically functional plant material while also examining

  • Mastering Career Development Planning Part 2: Designing Clear Roles, Skills, and Pathways

    Room B110

    Speaker: Neal Glatt, founder and CEO, Neal Glatt Sales & Strategy

    Employees don’t just want a job — they want a clear pathway for growth. A career advancement plan gives them a documented roadmap for developing skills, earning new responsibilities, and achieving meaningful progress in their careers. When implemented well, it creates consistency

  • Avoid Costly Delays: Spec-Correct Sourcing for Landscape and Municipal Projects

    Room B116

    Speaker: Cameron Korta, director of bulk sales, Swanson Bark & Wood, a Denali Company

    Project delays in landscape and municipal work often begin during the specification stage, long before construction starts. This session examines why material specifications fail in real projects, using practical examples that leads to change orders, rework, and schedule impacts.

  • How to Upsell Existing Customers with Engaging Email

    Room B110

    Speaker: Katie Elzer-Peters, CEO, The Garden of Words LLC

    In this session, attendees will learn how to engage their existing customers to sell more services, higher tiers of service and raise average order value. During the session they’ll also learn and take home templates for batching their email campaigns

  • There is No Such Thing as Dwarf: Compact Plants for the Landscape

    Room B116

    Speaker: Bryce Lane, distinguished professor alumnus, North Carolina State University

    Home landscapes are shrinking, the average residential property size is now less than a quarter of an acre. More and more people are living in the city and have less and less space for plants. This has resulted in an increasing demand for dwarf/compact, self-contained plants. In this talk

  • Deep Dive into Displays for the Retail Garden Center

    Room B110

    Speakers: David Williams and Erik Dietl-Friedli, partners, Garden Center Consultants LLC

    An inspiring and highly visual presentation showcasing innovative display strategies that drive customer engagement and increase sales.  Learn how to design intentional merchandising experiences that convert browsers into buyers.

  • How to Recruit, Train and Retain Talent in the Post-Baby-Boomer Era

    Room B110

    Speaker: Erick Harris, nursery sales director, Breezy Hill Nursery

    Companies all over the world have to contend with the fact that Baby Boomers are about to sail off into the sunset. By 2030, all of the Boomers, the second biggest generation ever, will be 65 or older. Because our industry is such a special place to work, we probably have more