Landscape contractors looking for a little bit of everything could find it at New England Grows. With a new format, new features and a new variety of educational sessions, the show, held Feb. 6 to 8 at the Boston (Mass.) Convention & Exhibition Center, truly offered something for everyone.
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“The demographic of attendees has definitely changed over the years,” said Jocelyn Dawson Deneen, territory manager, The Scotts Co., Hubbardston, Mass. “It’s kind of surprising the show is still put on by the New England Nursery & Landscape Association because it’s definitely more of a landscape show these days.”
The show’s new format offered a series of “Master Classes,” educational sessions aimed at experienced professionals, as well as the event’s first-ever keynote address, presented by Chris Zane, owner of Zane’s Cycles in Branford, Conn. His talk, titled “Whatever it Takes: The Secrets to Creating Lifetime Customers,” focused on the importance of customer retention and the value it can add to a company’s bottom line.
“In my 25 years of business I’ve strived for trust and unparalleled customer service,” Zane said.
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Other new additions to the show included the Jump Start Café, where attendees could start their day with coffee and conversation, and the Retailers' Choice Awards, which recognized new retail garden center ideas and trends.
“The new program features are designed to help increase attendees’ knowledge and maximize their business success,” says Greg Schaan, president of New England Grows.
The threat of heavy snow had some exhibitors and attendees worried Thursday’s attendance would be low. “A lot of these guys will probably be out plowing snow at this time tomorrow,” said Michael Horgan, president of professional cleaning, maintenance and landscaping firm Horgan Enterprises, Brookline, Mass., during a Wednesday session.
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As predicted, Donald Bishop, owner and president of Gardens Are…, Marlborough, Mass., began his Thursday morning session, “Ahead of the Curve: Mastering Organic Lawn Care,” saying, “I’ve been plowing snow all morning.”
Despite the weather, most exhibitors agreed the second day offered the heaviest foot traffic. “We’ve already made quite a few sales,” said a representative from Ball Horticulture. “This is always one of our best shows.”
“Foot traffic has been great, and I’ve spoken to many interested green industry professionals,” said Gail Rogers, membership manager for the Professional Landcare Network, Herndon, Va.
Sustainability and eco-friendly landscaping was prevalent on the tradeshow floor as well as in the assortment of educational sessions. “We’ve had many people stop by our booth wanting to know more,” said Catherine Rooney, member of the Ecological Landscaping Association, Concord, Mass. “It’s very exciting to know our hard work is paying off.”
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Green-focused educational sessions included “In Our Own Backyard: Climate Change and Its Implications for Horticulture,” “A Decade of Pesticide Use: What’s New and What’s Next,” “Smart Solutions for Reining in Storm-water Runoff,” “Creating Landscapes In Tune with Nature,” “Managing Landscape and Turf Weeds Without Herbicides” and “Organic Growth for Fun and Profit,” among others.
Three learning parks returned to the trade show floor and offered additional hands-on demonstrations and training. These areas of the expo covered the full range of new green industry trends and ideas in the areas of arboriculture, horticulture and garden centers.
New England Grows 2007 was named among the 50 fastest growing tradeshows in the country by Tradeshow Week magazine for the second year in a row. Based on pre-registration figures, attendance was anticipated to exceed 15,000. The exposition features 700 suppliers in 1400 exhibitors.
Despite all the new and improved features, the No. 1 reason most green industry professionals attend trade shows is to network and connect with colleagues, and New England Grows is no different. “It’s nice to see our regular customers and get to talk to them face to face,” said Norman Gray, founder of Transit Seeding, Medfield, Mass. “It’s that kind of interaction that helps keep business going.”