Aug. 11, 2014, National Harbor, MD – IGC East's inaugural event wrapped to rave reviews from buyers and vendors alike.
The three-day event at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Mld., showcased thousands of new products in the trade show hall, where retailers wrote orders on-site. “In just the first two days of the show, we placed 30 orders," said Jim Crowell, owner of Atlantic Garden Center of Virginia Beach, Va. "We saved a lot of money with the IGC Show specials."
In the mornings, thought-provoking keynotes from retail dynamo Corey Bordine and no-nonsense restaurateur Willie Degel got the crowd going. In the IGC Retail Conference classrooms, garden center owners, managers and staff gathered for the latest actionable ideas and best practices to boost their bottom lines. Drawing new foot traffic and retaining loyal customers was the focus, as retailers from stores of all sizes asked questions and offered solutions during open-mic exchanges at the conference and keynotes.
The positive buzz at IGC East carried through to the evenings, as the industry danced front stage to Don Felder's high-energy performance of The Eagles' biggest hits and enjoyed dinners inside the resort and at the world–class restaurants along National Harbor's river walk.
On the vendor side, IGC East brought a new customer base to exhibitors, who are calling the show a solid success.
"We saw East Coast garden buyers who we used to see in Atlanta but don’t any more, and new buyers we've never seen before at any other event," said Keith Turbett, vice-president of Scheurich USA, Inc. "We were excited to be so busy."
During the show, which ran Aug. 5 to 7, IGC Show founder and CEO Jeff Morey took to the stage to dismiss rumours that IGC East will relocate to Boston next year. "I love Boston, it's an amazing city – but we're not moving IGC East there," Morey says. "IGC East will be back next year, in the same Baltimore-Washington, DC, area. More details and dates are coming soon."
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