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Re: Speaking of trade shows

At 07:36 AM 12/18/2003, you wrote:
Interesting to hear everybody's opinions on the different tradeshows.
I'm going to TPIE in Ft. Lauderdale on 1/15. Does anyone have any opinions on this one?

Ellen Zachos
I think a previous note put these shows in perspective. They are trade shows. Their intent is to sell business to business. Some of us work in the trade and our jobs depend on selling our product to other nurseries, garden centres etc. That is the primary purpose of these shows.

They are not set up for consumers or those who are primarily interested in talking to consumers such as garden writers. Yes, at some shows there are decent speakers but the talks are - again - aimed primarily at the trade rather than the consumer or garden writer.

Shows such as pants (Philadelphia) and mants (Baltimore) do not have talks associated with them. Cents (Columbus) and Landscape Ontario (Toronto) do have talks. I note that TPIE in Florida has talks (although I'd like to go for the weather rather than the talks) :-)

As a nurseryguy, I want to be at these shows to sell and scope out the competition.

As a garden writer, I find lots of neat new plants, new "stuff" and story ideas within the booths. Some of these stories - such as Echinacea 'Razzmatazz' and other new plant introductions are long term stories (the plants are introduced to the trade long before they are introduced to the general public) and if I write about them before the plants are ready for consumer production, I only annoy both my readers who can't get the plants and the nursery trade who are not geared up for production.

('Razzmatazz' btw is coming south this year from Valleybrook / Heritage Perennials. to its garden centre customers. Wayside will again have US distribution to consumers. Supplies of this plant are *extremely* limited as there were production problems at the propagation level and many of the nurseries who are advertising they will have it will not get their plugs. Only the first line licensees are expected to have large quantities of this plant.) I note that 'Razzmatazz' is an excellent plant and did very well in the garden last summer. Echinacea such as 'Doppelganger', 'Sparkler' etc are expected to be equally impressive. (good thing too 'cause I have cuttings on my windowsill) :-)

This is the long way of saying that in my opinion, trade shows are great sources of information and contacts. However, they are business operations and if you go expecting to see consumer oriented talks and boutique operations, you'll be disappointed. Trade shows are about volume selling. Garden shows are about consumer selling.

I don't know how operations like Chris' handle this - I guess you just have to decide to bite the bullet and take the costs into your growth decisions. That discussion though is a small nursery/operations discussion about the nature of the green industry in North America. I'm not sure it belongs on a writer's list.

Doug
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