Tip Jar: Face to face

Spirits were high during the 2014 trade show season, despite the Polar Vortex. This year I broke my rule about travelling north in January and braved the snow to attend MANTS. My personal mission: to invite people to a party!

Not exactly the traditional use of the trade show circuit, but it was efficient, fun and will likely help raise a few extra dollars for a public garden. Yes, I am a social butterfly, and catching up with like-minded nursery professionals provides me endless happiness. It is also important that I keep up with plant trends, new introductions and sources as a grower and propagator. However, I had no “real business” at this venue; I just wanted to go. Needing a purpose to justify the expense of travel, hotel, admittance and food, I decided to take on a cause to promote: The annual fundraiser for the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C.

It was a pleasure walking through the convention center, catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, and sending them away with a Save the Date for a fun weekend getaway. It got me thinking about what motivates people to attend and how to encourage more young professionals to utilize these well-organized events. Even if you are not in a position of doing “business” at the show, you can still accomplish a lot. When I posed the question of “What is your favorite aspect of an industry trade show?” universally the response was networking; connecting with other passionate professionals. Live, in-person communication is what we all desire.

Thanks to the efforts of Josh Robinson, Christopher Uhland, Joe Lutey, Alicia Rittenhouse, Aubrey Ballinger and many others through AmericanHort, the Young Nursery Professional meet-ups are being included in the program at many trade shows across the U.S. These events are encouraging a new generation to attend trade shows with renewed purpose.

“The YNP helped me forge some valuable connections in regards to peers at other nurseries,” said Christopher Uhland of Harmony Hill Nursery. “With so many new entrants in the industry, the young professional groups are more than just hanging out and socializing. They are business builders.”

Facebook and other social media sites are the means for spreading the word, creating excitement, and ultimately coordinating the details. Groups like Emergent: A Group of Growing Professionals and GenNext have proven to be an effective link to less experienced green industry members, who have a fresh and unique perspective and a desire to contribute in a big way.

Events to look for in 2014 include the OFA Short Course, July 12-15 in Columbus, Ohio; Garden Writers of America Aug. 8-11 in Pittsburgh; Farwest Show Aug. 21-23 in Portland; and the Independent Plant Breeders Conference, October 30-Nov 2 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Young Nursery Professional meet-ups are being planned all around the country this year during trade shows and at regional conferences.

I hope these meet-ups continue to expand, focus and become a motivation for people of all ages and experience levels to attend a trade show and participate in conversations with colleagues regarding this ever changing business. It is time we celebrate our contribution to the world and start a campaign promoting the value of our great green industry! Why not start at your next trade show?

Brienne Gluvna Arthur is the propagator & grower at Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill, N.C. This retail mail-order nursery specializes in rare trees and shrubs. The CFN breeding program includes many cold hardy camellia introductions. In her free time, Brie and husband David Arthur tend a 1-acre ornamental edible landscape in suburban Raleigh, N.C.