News
Industry’s SHIFT in focus debuts at Cultivate’15

July 20, 2015, Columbus, Ohio – North America’s largest all-industry horticulture exposition and convention attracted 10,000 attendees earlier this month.

Cultivate’15 attracted professionals from all aspects of the horticulture industry, including garden and floral retailing, greenhouse and nursery production, plant breeding, landscaping, interior plantscaping, research and education, and the manufacturers and distributors of products and services.

Formerly known as the OFA Short Course, it was the 87th edition of the event that was rebranded last year as “Cultivate.”
 
“AmericanHort brings together the entire industry so that growers, breeders, retailers, and installers can connect,” said Michael Geary, AmericanHort president and chief executive officer.

“This year, we also expanded our offering for interior plantscapers so they can build their skills, and explore products and services for their businesses. There is something for all parts of the vertically integrated industry, and that’s why the event is important for so many.”
 
The programs and activities this year included a larger “Retail District” to accommodate more companies to exhibit products and services for local garden and floral retailers, and related hands-on workshops.
 
The AmericanHort SHIFT initiative was introduced at this year’s show. Along with the Horticultural Research Institute, the two organizations are conducting research and developing strategies to propose how the industry needs to react to a new generation of consumers.

GROW WISE, BEE SMART
 
The association also brought visibility to its “Grow Wise. Bee Smart.” campaign with numerous presentations on sustaining pollinator health and increasing the use of pollinator-friendly plants. As a founding member of the National Pollinator Garden Network, AmericanHort offers resources for growers and retailers on the subject.
 
Cultivate’16 will be held in Columbus on July 9-12, 2016. Registration and housing is expected to be available in March 2016 but reservations for exhibit space are accepted now.

For more information, visit AmericanHort.org/Cultivate.