RE: Speaking of trade shows

**"prettydirtyladies" p*@prodigy.net**

Ellen,
 This show is a very large trade show. Excellent attendance from a Vendor's
perspective.
Let me know where you might be and for how long as I will be on the West
Coast in Naples for a few weeks in January. Gardenwriter's Rendezvous
possible?
gloria day

-----Original Message-----
From: gardenwriters-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[g*@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Doug Green
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 8:23 AM
To: Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum
Subject: Re: [GWL] 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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