2010 IGC Tours                                                                2010 IGC Seminars (click here)

Monday, August 16 - SOLD OUT

2010 IGC Chicagoland
Garden Center Tour
7:15 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

The Chicagoland Garden Center Tour will provide attendees with a mixture of onsite merchandising and display tours at some of the area’s great independent garden centers. Attendees will visit Atrium Garden Center in Lake Zurich, Countryside Flower Shop, Nursery & Garden Center in Crystal Lake, Hawthorn Gardens in Hawthorne Woods, Pasquesi Home and Gardens in Barrington and Tom's Farm Market & Greenhouses in Huntley. Beyond the 45-minute educational stops to the retail garden centers, this tour will include an in-depth lab at Tom’s Farm Market & Greenhouses in Huntley, IL. The lab session will focus on the fastest growing trend in horticulture - food. Attendees will have a chance to visit with 10 vendors of specialty foods and food services. The workshops will focus on expanding the existing garden center offerings by including soft ice cream and smoothies, Gardner Pie Co.’s pies, donuts, specialty coffee and teas, old-fashioned candies, condiments, produce and food service equipment. The group will finish their day with a world-class visit to the Gardens at Ball. The Gardens at Ball are bigger and better than ever before. Greatly expanded comparison trials, 600-plus containers of vegetative annuals, more than 8,000 perennials and a new focus on edibles is sure to inspire plenty of fresh ideas, finished with an entertaining and interactive dinner.
Limited to 400 attendees - Sign up early - sold out in 2009!

Conducted by Garden Centers of America and The Garden Center Group
Food lab Organizer: Jeff Warschauer, Vice President of Sales, Nexus Greenhouse Systems

Sponsored by

2010 IGC EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE

Tuesday, August 17

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

STORE MANAGEMENT   -  2-HOUR WORKSHOP
Systems that Guarantee Store Success

Successful garden centers have one thing in common: Systems in place that will help them succeed and add more profit to the 'P&L.'  According to industry consultant Ian Baldwin, success is directly linked to having operational standards in place that are easy to understand by the employees, benefit the customer and impact the bottom line. Whether a garden center is a start-up or a seasoned company, to expand locations or departments, increase profits and become better managers, they have to implement systems that are useful and tangible. During this workshop, owners and managers will learn about retail systems that have been working for successful garden centers across the country for years. Ian will use real examples from real garden centers. This is part one of a two-part session. Part two is on Thursday and will include specific store examples.

Ian Baldwin, Store Management Consultant and Garden Center University Founder

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS   -  2-HOUR WORKSHOP
Global Garden Center Secrets Revealed

As an international retail consultant, John has seen things that most business owners dream they could experience. The business and consumer trends that are being addressed by garden centers in other countries can be a valuable lesson for those 'stateside.' Join John on an international journey of large and small garden centers. Owners and managers who are wondering what is happening in merchandising and displays in both the inside and outside sales areas will find it here. If you were wondering about operational secrets that are being used by successful garden centers from Australia and Europe, this is the workshop for you.

John Stanley, Global Garden Retail Expert and Garden Chic Columnist

CONSUMER TRENDS   -  2-HOUR WORKSHOP
Be in the Know with Social Networking

Social Networking is more than a buzzword; it is a way to increase company sales through added consumer relationships. For this workshop, we have Jean Ann Van Krevelen, one of the most influential gardening communicators in the country. Through various blogs, Facebook, websites and through her long list of social network followers, Jean Ann inspires, educates and challenges tens of thousands of gardeners each month. She is a published author who writes social media savvy gardening books. Her broad appeal generates sales and her community building skills guarantee repeat customers. Company owners, managers and marketing departments will learn about this valuable business tool. Jean Ann will share how she interacts with 10,000 people on Twitter and Facebook. She writes for and produces several blogs, of which the content is nationally syndicated on a variety of popular websites including: Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. Jean Ann was also named in the 2009 Top 100 Entrepreneurs on Twitter.

Jean Ann Van Krevelen, Garden Social Media Expert

SELLING PLANTS   -  2-HOUR WORKSHOP
Merchandising How-To’s and How-Don’ts: The Facts About Store Merchandising with Plants

Back by popular demand! If you saw them at the IGC Show in 2009 you will want to come back; if you didn’t, this is a not-to-be-missed session. For the first time in the industry, there is a merchandising session that addresses all of the important product categories that make the most money for garden centers. For the outside sales area, including trees and shrubs, is Aaron Shriver from Monrovia. Sometimes called 'Mr. Style,' see how regular plants sold for regular prices are transformed with a 'wow' factor that translates into a bigger margin per plant. From under the pavilion, to give detailed insights about annuals and perennials, is Judy Sharpton from Growing Places Marketing. There are fundamental lessons about product placement that translates into sales at the cash register. Hear how Judy has worked with garden centers across the country to track what works and what doesn’t.

Judy Sharpton, Plant Display Expert, Growing Places Marketing

Aaron Shiver, Plant Display Expert, Monrovia

Sponsored by

BEING INDEPENDENT   -  2-HOUR WORKSHOP
Let Your Indie Flag Fly!

Cookie-cutter chain stores ... franchise facades on practically every corner ... corporate establishments trying to pass themselves off as being part of the community ... unfortunately, this is the retail world many of today’s consumers have come to expect ... and accept. But as the culture pendulum reaches the end of its arc toward sameness, there’s a stirring among shoppers of all ages in search of real shopping experiences. A new decade brings opportunities for independent businesses like garden centers to connect with shoppers on a much more personal level. Whether you call it 'buy local' or 'Main Street rebound,' the 'make it real' movement is gaining momentum in communities and companies around the country. This interactive session combines consumer research with proven strategies garden centers can use to enhance their independent strengths. This session will be repeated on Thursday as a bonus session.

Robert Hendrickson, Industry Expert, The Garden Center Group

GROW YOUR OWN MOVEMENT   -  2-HOUR WORKSHOP
Top Vegetables Trends for 2011: A Visual Tour of Award-Winning Varieties

For almost 80 years, All-America Selections has been trialing brand new varieties of a host of different vegetables to determine which perform and produce best for home gardeners. With almost 30 trial grounds throughout the United States and Canada, you can be assured that AAS Winners have been proven in your climate and growing conditions, which is crucially important for your customers’ gardening success. In this seminar, we gather five vegetable breeding experts who are on the cutting edge of new trends in vegetable breeding, growing, retailing and usage. Join us for an entertaining and educational session on the trends you need to know in order to create the best product selection in your vegetable and herb department.

Panelists: All-American Selections, National Garden Bureau

ECO CHIC   -  2-HOUR WORKSHOP
Communications 2015: How to Tell the Green Story of Your Garden Center

In this special workshop for garden center communication professionals, bestselling author Amy Stewart offers tips and strategies aimed at getting a 'green' message across to the media and to your customers, employees, suppliers and colleagues. It’s geared especially for PR staff, garden writers and anyone with a message to get across. This hands-on workshop will let each participant develop new strategies and concrete steps specific to their own situation. You’ll go home with a completed 'message' in the form of a press release, a blog post or a newsletter item that you can put to use immediately - and you’ll get feedback from your peers that will help you improve your 'green' message going forward. In the workshop, Amy will introduce some 'big picture' concepts for getting an eco-friendly message across to customers and the community. Then you’ll break into groups and work on specific projects that participants bring to the workshop.

Amy Stewart, Author, Green Expert and Garden Chic columnist

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Networking Luncheon

Join fellow IGC execs from around the country for an informal luncheon to exchange ideas, talk shop and make new contacts. It’s a great networking opportunity that puts you face to face with people who share many of the same challenges and opportunities you do every day.

Wednesday, August 18

STORE MANAGEMENT
Why Don’t Checking Account Balances and Income Statements Agree?

Have you ever noticed that there is no relationship between what is in your store’s checking account and the profit in your business? While they are both important, you need to know which one to be watching at the appropriate time. Let respected store biz expert Tom Shay show you how to understand and utilize the information that your accountant can't explain. This could be the most profitable secret you learn this year!

Tom Shay, Retail Business Management Consultant and Nursery Retailer Columnist

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS
A World of Change for IGCs

Take a journey of cutting-edge garden centers from the U.K., Germany, France, South Africa, Australia and Japan. Innovative thinker and industry personality Keith Turbett will translate for you what's working and not working in innovative garden merchandising and change processes. His presentation is designed to create thought and action and highlight the do’s and don'ts of engaging in new ideas and projects around products and themes. He will also address the challenges garden retailers are facing around the world and how they are dealing with them.

Keith Turbett, International Garden Retail Expert, Scheurich

CONSUMER TRENDS
Top Five Consumer Gardening Trends from U.K.’s
Famous Chelsea Flower Show

Really, more so the 'World’s Fair of Gardening,' London’s famous Chelsea Flower Show takes place every spring and sets the mark for state of the art garden design, plant innovation and garden decor. If you have yet to attend in person, here’s the next best opportunity - a personal visual tour of this year’s event by RHS official and famous Brit plantsman Raymond J. Evison. After this, you’ll be booking your trip to Chelsea 2011! Bon voyage!

Raymond J. Evison, U.K.’s Royal Horticultural Society

SELLING PLANTS
How We Do It: Successful Merchandising of Vegetables and Herbs

To maximize sales for any trend, garden center owners need to perfect their option, make it stand out and replicate it. That is what has happened at one of the largest family-owned garden centers in the country - Stein Gardens & Gifts. Whether you’re are growing it yourself or using a regional or national brand, now is the time for garden center retailers to answer the call to supply this veggie and herb trend. With more than 900,000 4-1/2-inch annuals and herbs sold in a spring season, garden center owners are going to hear what it takes to move volume. Take a visual tour to see in-store merchandising and how it is coordinated with TV, radio and Internet advertising.

Werner Sperzel, COO, Stein Gardens & Gifts

BEING INDEPENDENT
The 'Buy Local' Movement and What It
Means to Your Store!

Get an up-to-date report on both the current status and history of the exciting 'buy local' movement, charting its rapid growth in recent years and highlighting demographic and social trends that are helping to propel this shift in shopping patterns and preferences. Stacy Mitchell will discuss the economic, environmental and community benefits of locally owned businesses, drawing a wide range of studies and data gathered in her 12 years of research, and will provide participants with key strategies for concisely and effectively communicating these benefits to your customers and the larger community.

Stacy Mitchell, Senior Researcher, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

GROW YOUR OWN MOVEMENT
Marketing Food 101

One challenge for garden center managers is to educate consumers on the food products they sell, which can be very different from plants and shrubs. However, if done properly, this can be a key differentiator for independent garden centers versus a big-box home improvement store. Education can also be helpful in attracting new audiences, who might be interested in starting a garden for the very first time. This seminar will describe how to educate consumers through the use of in-store and product signage, gardening seminars, product displays and consulting services that highlight the seasonality, growing conditions, usage, taste and flavor of fruits and vegetables to encourage consumers to do more gardening or plant a garden for the very first time.

Vicki Nowicki, Veggie Gardening and Food Expert

ECO CHIC
Emerging Market: Get Ready to Sell Rooftop Garden Packages

Prepare to be inspired to expand your sales in all items used for rooftop gardens. Take a visual tour of rooftop gardens and terraces in New York City. Jon Carloftis, award-winning garden designer, garden writer, television guest, author, and lecturer, is a great American gardener. His 23-year career in gardening began in New York City, far from home in Kentucky, where he became one of America’s pioneers in rooftop/small space gardening. Jon is the recipient of a landscaping design award, given for his overall body of work, from the Museum of the City of New York. The Estee Lauder family, actors Julianne Moore, Mike Myers and Edward Norton Jr. and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are a few of Jon’s recognizable clients.

Jon Carloftis, Garden Designer, Writer and Media Personality

STORE MANAGEMENT
Dynamics of Family Business for Family and Non-family Employees

This industry is made up of many family businesses. It be can both the best thing and worst thing - depending on which day it is! Making a conscious choice to create a long-lived company is the first step in building a strong foundation for the future. It takes some luck to survive for generations, certainly, but these things don't happen by accident either. It starts with your intentions and your preparation. This critically important session will talk about the key elements, such as effective communication among the generations that will guarantee both family peace and business success.

Henry Hutcheson, Family Business Consultant, ReGeneration Partners

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS
Ireland’s Retail Maverick Unveils His Latest Merchandising Secrets

Internationally renowned garden center Owner Jim Bradley will help you identify your store’s unique 'local' advantages over competitors. Learn from Jim how you can cash in by letting your customers do the selling for you. Plus, every seminar from Jim is a brainstorm of blazing and brilliant concepts from one of the most creative retailers in the world. Be ready to be wowed, challenged and driven, to get home and try out his exciting ideas.

Jim Bradley, Owner, Mid Ulster Garden Centre and Garden Chic Columnist

CONSUMER TRENDS
Food: Emerging Retail Trends for 2011

Do you want to know how one retailer sells more than 25,000 baked pies in a year at a garden center? Food is one of the fastest growing product categories in garden center retail. The industry’s past experience has focused on a cafe concept, a coffee stand and limited prepared foods. In this session, attendees will see other opportunities that include pies, dairy and vegetable roasting. A question being asked is not how deep into the category a retailer must go to make money with food, but what are the options and what is the impact on their bottom line. This session will answer those questions. Retailers who have succeeded in the food category will join Clint and Jeff.

Moderators: Clint Albin, IGC Trends Expert and Garden Chic Columnist and Jeff Warschauer, Store Design Expert, Nexus Greenhouse Systems

Panelists: IGC retailers

SELLING PLANTS
Edible and Consumer Vegetable Merchandising Trends in South Africa

With the growing needs of chefs in kitchens and the consumer’s desire to plant edibles for their personal cooking delight, garden centers and plant growers/brokers are forced to look at what plant varieties are available. Not only should the information clearly state the uses of the products, but also entice the consumer to purchase the product.

Keith Kirsten, South Africa’s Favorite Gardener, Media Personality and Entrepreneur

BEING INDEPENDENT
Buy Local: Working Together to Compete with National Chains

Jeff Milchen will lead participants through the steps of forming an independent business alliance and launching a 'buy local' campaign. He will guide participants in developing effective messaging to reach beyond the choir and motivate target audiences; crafting a powerful collective brand for local businesses; cultivating relationships with local media to maximize positive coverage of the campaign; and creating a strong online presence via a website, social networking and e-mail. He will also walk participants through the nuts and bolts of how to structure the local group, recruit businesses to join the campaign and how to fund its activities. Milchen will be joined by an independent business owner who has been active in a 'buy local' initiative in the Chicago area and will talk about how implementing the campaign in his business and what the results have been.

Jeff Milchen, American Independent Business Alliance

GROW YOUR OWN MOVEMENT
Engaging New Audiences
through Children

Bringing new audiences to the garden center is obviously important, especially in a challenging economy. Learn how to interest parents with techniques to allow their children to learn and grow through gardening - and at the same time gain a better understanding of how food is grown and where it comes from. This will translate into additional sales as these parents will be more likely to visit garden centers with their children and buy vegetable plants, fruit trees, herbs and garden supplies to help their children learn. Find out how to market to children and how to organize your garden center in a way that’s appealing to them. How to engage children by working with school garden projects will be detailed as well.

Jeanne Pinsof Nolan, Organic Gardener, Chicago’s Green City Market

ECO CHIC
Don’t Let Your Garden Center Be
an Eco-Fraud!

Retailers’ ability to offer alternatives to traditional pest and disease management just got harder. With the environmental trend still going strong, many manufacturers want to jump on the green bandwagon. The choices can be overwhelming. How do you know what products really fall into this category? What questions do you need to be asking about the offerings? Are there regulations regarding claims? This can all be a bit confusing so come learn how to sort it all out and be true to your customers.

Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, Ornamental Entomologist, Buglady Consulting

STORE MANAGEMENT
Having a Crystal Ball for Your
Income Statement

It’s your store’s financial road map: If you don’t know where you’re at, how can you know where you are going? Don't yet know how much money you made this month? How would you like to know how much you are going to make next month, or even next year? Store biz expert Tom Shay is bring along his special crystal ball and will show you how to perform a simple series of calculations that can accurately predict the future of your business.

Tom Shay, Retail Business Management Consultant and Nursery Retailer columnist

SELLING PLANTS
South African Plant Display Safari

South Africa is one of the new 'hot' countries becoming known for its innovative independent garden centers. South African industry personality Keith Kirsten will give us an in-depth look at how retailers in his country are merchandising plants in their stores. Included will be a special look at both their treatment of 'grow your own' veggie plants, as well as drought-tolerant and 'green' themes. Expect lots of new and unusual ideas that you can take back and wow your customers with!

Keith Kirsten, South Africa’s Favorite Gardener, Media Personality and Entrepreneur

CONSUMER TRENDS
Who Are the Most Inspiring Garden and Outdoor Living Retailers?

Take a visual and virtual tour through the doors of the country’s most inspiring garden and outdoor living retailers. Los Angeles-based outdoor living expert Debra Prinzing will introduce you to some of the best ideas in retail merchandising, visual display, product assortment and specialty services that she’s spotted in the past year. Her illustrated talk will focus on successful retail programs and ideas, especially those that have created a destination offering rewarding experiences for the garden consumer. These ideas are ones you can replicate or incorporate into your current garden center setting.

Debra Prinzing, Outdoor Living Expert, Los Angeles Times

SELLING PLANTS
Christmas Merchandising 2010: As Seen in Top Consumer Magazines

Jon regularly contributes to national garden and lifestyle publications, contributing to more than 200 feature stories throughout his career. His garden designs and editorials have been featured repeatedly in Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Home, Country Living, Garden & Gun, Garden Rooms, House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, Metropolitan Home and Oprah At Home. In this session, Jon will share with you his idea for winterized containers for the coming holiday season. The container garden recipes that he will share will be featured in the November and December issues of top consumer magazines.

Jon Carloftis, Garden Designer, Writer and Media Personality

BEING INDEPENDENT
Developing a Plan About How Local Businesses
Work Together

Led by both Jeff Milchen and Stacy Mitchell, this will be an interactive session for people who participated in either, or both, of their previous sessions. Participants will develop a basic plan for designing and starting a 'buy local' initiative in their community. They will have an opportunity to ask more in-depth questions and obtain tailored advice on how best to address particular issues and implement these concepts effectively in the context of their own unique communities.

Moderators: Jeff Milchen, American Independent Business Alliance and Stacy Mitchell, Senior Researcher, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Panelists: Local businesses

GROW YOUR OWN MOVEMENT
Attracting Urban Gardeners

You’re a city dweller. You have a balcony, terrace, rooftop or even a small back yard. You can be an urban gardener ... possibly a full-fledged urban farmer. Attracting city dwellers is often challenging for independent garden centers. This session will discuss how to teach city-based consumers to understand how they can turn that small outdoor space into a food-producing machine. Garden centers can increase sales and profits by expanding their services by adding garden coaches who address this timely subject.

Amy Cox, Cutting Edge Culinary & Garden Consulting

ECO CHIC
Five Eco-Trends in the Rocky Mountains

Take a look at the five hot-button issues and opportunities for garden centers in the Western and Midwestern states to cash in on green-leaning customers. Mary Ann will detail how going native isn’t pretty (enough). When it comes to native plants, you are going to have to create a demand and make them look as pretty as the English landscape standard. You’ll take home ideas on how to accomplish this. Additionally, you’ll learn how to turn drought challenges into increased store sales.

Mary Ann Newcomer, Eco-Gardening Communicator, The River radio, 94.9 FM

Thursday, August 19

STORE MANAGEMENT
Are Your Employees Stealing You Blind?

Have you ever wondered what would happen if your store had a security breach? What is your policy on shoplifting, invoice shortage or accounting embezzlement? How do you initially verify suspicion and address it? In this session you will find out how to measure and benchmark shrink from theft, by type. Join leading IGCs who’ve had to address this issue, handle the legal aspect of the crime, provide incentive for whistle-blowing and create policies to make sure it never happens again!

Moderator: Sid Raisch, IGC Business Consultant, The Garden Center Group

Panelists: Don Riddle, Homestead Gardens, Philip Schaafsma, Sr., Sid’s Greenhouse

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS
Seven Success Secrets to Massive Sales Increases!

The driving visionary behind the remarkably successful Mid Ulster Garden Centre in Northern Ireland, Jim will lay out seven specific ways to innovate your garden center in seven days ... and put $100,000-plus on the bottom line. You’ll never look at your business in the same way again. Some have called Mid Ulster the world’s best garden center. You’ve read about him, now see and hear Jim in person as he presents his one-of-a-kind insights and inspirations!

Jim Bradley, Owner, Mid Ulster Garden Centre and Garden Chic Columnist

CONSUMER TRENDS
The Female Gardener: 'Mommy to Maven' Trends

Presented by two of America’s best experts on the retailing to women, this session will cover key lifestyle trends and up-to-the-minute insights targeted for the female garden consumer. We’ll look at outdoor living including 'green,' entertaining, social media and technology. We’ll use trend assessments and analysis; market data points; product and retail examples; past, present and future implications; and you’ll learn all about the 'Mommy to Maven' trend taking place among consumers. Don’t miss this data-jammed session.

Debra Prinzing, Outdoor Living Expert, Los Angeles Times

Robin Avni, Marketing to Females Expert

SELLING PLANTS
How to Sell More Flowers!

Whether you go pink or purple, open or closed, up or down, selling flowers is the core of what garden centers do. Always in search of the next trend or technique to sell more color, merchandisers need to see what other retailers are doing. Judy will share first-hand examples of what retailers can do to sell more. She will use images as well as the 'real' thing to bring the message home.

Judy Sharpton, Plant Display Expert, Growing Places Marketing

Sponsored by:

BEING INDEPENDENT: PART 1 OF 2
Let Your Indie Flag Fly!

Cookie-cutter chain stores ... franchise facades on practically every corner ... corporate establishments trying to pass themselves off as being part of the community ... unfortunately, this is the retail world many of today’s consumers have come to expect ... and accept. But as the culture pendulum reaches the end of its arc toward sameness, there’s a stirring among shoppers of all ages in search of real shopping experiences. A new decade brings opportunities for independent businesses like garden centers to connect with shoppers on a much more personal level. Whether you call it 'buy local' or 'Main Street rebound,' the 'make it real' movement is gaining momentum in communities and companies around the country. This interactive session combines consumer research with proven strategies garden centers can use to enhance their independent strengths. This session will be repeated on Thursday as a bonus session.

Robert Hendrickson, Industry Expert, The Garden Center Group

GROW YOUR OWN MOVEMENT
Cashing In on Heirloom Vegetables

Part of the GYO movement has been the increasing consumer interest in non-hybrid veggies that taste natural. Diane Ott Whealy, Co-founder of Seed Savers Exchange, will help IGC retailers understand what is in store for consumers in heritage vegetables and heirloom seeds. She is on the front line of what seeds are widely used by seed companies, small farmers supplying local and regional markets, chefs and home gardeners and cooks alike. Come get up to speed on the evolving trend.

Diane Ott Whealy, Seed Savers Exchange

ECO CHIC
Garden Rant: The Real Story Behind "Eco"

The Garden Rant blog is the work of these highly opinionated gardeners: Susan Harris in Takoma Park, MD, Elizabeth Licata in Buffalo, NY, Michele Owens in Saratoga Springs, NY, and Amy Stewart in Eureka, CA. Garden Rant has been online since June 2006 and quickly developed a following among garden bloggers, writers and editors and IGC professionals. It has been named "Best Garden Blog," "Most Innovative Garden Blog" and "Best Written." This session will highlight the questions, terms, and misinformation that the panelists have observed in 2010. Their view and insight can provide retailers with an honest picture of what a real gardening consumer thinks. This is a must-attend session - you have read about them and now you get to meet them!

Panelists: Gardeners of the Garden Rant blog

STORE MANAGEMENT
Case Studies on $2 Million Garden Centers

This in-depth seminar is part two of Ian’s Tuesday workshop on successful garden centers that have systems in place that will help them succeed and add more profit to the 'P&L.' You’ll see specific examples of garden centers in the $2 million a year range that have operational standards in place that are easy to understand by the employees, benefit the customer and impact the bottom line. Bring questions for Ian to answer at the end of the session and get specific answers that will bring extra profit your way.

Ian Baldwin, Store Management Consultant, Garden Center University Founder

INTERNATIONAL TRENDS
Best and Latest Ideas from IGCs Worldwide

The placement of categories and the type of product we are selling is changing. Worldwide, the ‘grow your own’ movement has resulted in new merchandising strategies in garden centers. What are the trends in merchandising and who is doing it right? Globetrotting garden retailing expert John Stanley takes you on a tour around the world looking at new ideas in merchandising and display that can be easily introduced into your store.

John Stanley, Global Garden Retail Expert and Garden Chic Columnist

CONSUMER TRENDS
IGC Food Research - 2010 Update

Respected industry statistician Kip Creel will address consumer habits and how they relate to food in the IGC market. You’ll see the market data that clearly shows the importance of vegetable gardening as a Gen X / Gen Y trend and demonstrate how vegetables act as a gateway product category. Kip will present research showing exciting opportunities for garden centers to expand their product offerings. See in-depth data from a focus group study, combined with a national consumer survey.

Kip Creel, Standpoint Marketing Research, IGC Show Researcher

SELLING PLANTS
Creative Displays in the Outside Sales Area

Who knows more about merchandising plants in the outside sales area than someone who does it full-time, for many people, for a range of sizes of garden centers and uses many different kinds of plants? This session is designed to show store merchandisers how to do it right. From planning to setup, from vision to trends, there are many different things that are a part of the creative process that are not 'artsy.' This session will showcase the method and technique that is necessary to make a display beautiful, make a product stand out and, most of all, make the consumer want to buy.

Aaron Shiver, Plant Display Expert, Monrovia

BEING INDEPENDENT: PART 2 OF 2
Let Your Indie Flag Fly!

Cookie-cutter chain stores ... franchise facades on practically every corner ... corporate establishments trying to pass themselves off as being part of the community ... unfortunately, this is the retail world many of today’s consumers have come to expect ... and accept. But as the culture pendulum reaches the end of its arc toward sameness, there’s a stirring among shoppers of all ages in search of real shopping experiences. A new decade brings opportunities for independent businesses like garden centers to connect with shoppers on a much more personal level. Whether you call it 'buy local' or 'Main Street rebound,' the 'make it real' movement is gaining momentum in communities and companies around the country. This interactive session combines consumer research with proven strategies garden centers can use to enhance their independent strengths. This session is repeated from Tuesday as a bonus session.

Robert Hendrickson, Industry Expert, The Garden Center Group

GROW YOUR OWN MOVEMENT
Top 25 Must-Have Heirloom Vegetables for 2011

With more than 500 varieties of tomato, vegetable seed, certified organic seed potatoes and certified organic garlic to choose from annually, what are the best sellers, most delicious, easiest to grow and most satisfying? This session will take attendees on a tour of plant selection at the Seed Savers Exchange. See the heirloom vegetables that will be in magazines and restaurants all over America in 2011. David has had years of experience with the best varieties from extensive collections of more than 24,000 heirloom vegetables. He has been involved in every step of the production cycle - maintaining the original strains, identifying potential commercial varieties, stock seed production and commercial production. You’ll go back to your store knowing the best and purest heirloom seeds on the market!

David Cavagnaro, Heirloom Plant Expert

ECO CHIC
To Pot or Not to Pot: The Difference Between Recyclable and Plantable?

With consumers, and the industry, looking for alternatives to traditional plastic resin pots, manufacturers are bringing forth more options to choose from. Biodegradable, recyclable and plantable is the new language garden centers need to speak. These options and their solutions come with implications and some with unintended consequences. Do you know how to handle them? Which ones do you plant? Which ones do you recycle? Which ones need composting? In this session you will learn how to handle these newer products and how to market them to your customers.

Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, Ornamental Entomologist, Buglady Consulting