June 20, 2013, Toronto — Landscape Ontario's Garden & Floral Expo offers novice and veteran retailers and designers the products and professional development needed to operate a profitable business.
The show, which takes place Oct. 23 and 24 at the Toronto Congress Centre, offers a reformatted program to meet industry retailers' personal and professional needs.
"To connect you to thought leaders, topics and ideas that will inspire you to meet the challenges of today’s new retail environment, Garden Expo offers an exciting line-up of events," said Heather MacRae, Landscape Ontario's director of events and trade shows.
Following on last year’s success, the Destination Inspiration Theatre will be brought back for 2013. Featured workshops will include seasonal urn assembly, live cooking demonstrations and information on product trends relevant to garden and floral retailers and designers.
During the expo, the Compost Council of Canada will join forces with Landscape Ontario to present a demonstration by executive chef Joseph Levesque of the Toronto Congress Centre. Levesque will use locally harvested fruits and vegetables commonly sold through garden centres to create fine fare live on the Destination Inspiration Theatre stage.
This year's show will also include a new schedule, reverting back to a 9:00 a.m. opening. Landscape Ontario sector group-hosted events will shift from breakfast to lunch schedules.
- The Garden Centre Group is excited to announce Jim Hole, Hole’s Greenhouses & Gardens, as the keynote speaker. Mr. Hole is Alberta’s most articulate and knowledgeable horticulturist, and known for his business savvy. He is ardent about plants, conservation, the environment and business.
- A workshop on Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB) will be hosted by the Interior Plantscape Sector Group. More and more studies show the benefits of green plants – at home or in the workplace – and how they increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, minimize health problems, and create a better sense of well-being. Ultimately all of this translates to bottom line improvements for businesses. This session will be eligible for GPGB CEUs, and is the only opportunity of its kind in Canada for 2013.
In addition, the annual welcome reception will create a buzz as an illustrious panel of retail industry leaders and innovators present their top 10 tips. Several industry innovators will join Karl Stensson, president of Sheridan Nurseries, on stage to share their tips.
Garden writers, on a trend-spotting mission, will also return to Garden & Floral Expo for their annual Connect event. The meeting concludes with a visit to the trade show floor. Vendors, showcasing their latest products and services, strive to be "spotted" by the writers for coverage in their publications, blogs and other communication mediums.
This year's expo will also launch a new event, aimed at horticultural educators and affiliated professionals. The Connecting Educators Summit will be held on Warm-up Tuesday, Oct. 22.
For more information about Garden and Floral Expo, visit www.loexpo.ca. You can also Follow Garden Expo and Landscape Ontario on Twitter @LOexpo and @LOevents.
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