Georgia's drought and the wilting economy will remain front and center at the Georgia Green Industry Association's annual conference in Athens this week, but horticulture professionals also will come bearing an upbeat attitude, said GGIA spokesman Chris Butts.
"There is a great sense of unity and feeling that it's time to focus on the positives and get back to business," said Butts, who is the director of legislative and environmental affairs for the GGIA.
The GGIA will hold its WinterGreen convention Jan. 21-23 at the Classic Center, with its hallmark event, the GGIA member trade show, scheduled for Jan. 22-23. The trade show is not open to the public.
Despite the sluggish economy, though, Winter Green has signed up 30 percent more exhibitors for this year's trade show than last year, Butts said. The conference will set up 200 booths in the Classic Center's large exhibit hall and an additional 60 in upstairs meetings rooms at the center. The association also plans to use meeting rooms in the Classic Center's Foundry Street warehouses and in other sections of the center.
Butts attributes the strong exhibitor registration to an inherent optimism of the industry, he said.
"We're like farmers, we keep planting year after year, and we know the economy will turn around and it will start to rain again," Butts said.
This year, WinterGreen planners hope to bring 2,400 people working in an industry that covers irrigation businesses, horticultural growers and landscapers to Athens. As of last week, about 1,300 people had pre-registered, but a large number of folks usually register during the conference itself, Butts said.
The conference includes several workshops and classes that cover a wide range of topics from new plant selection to green building to pesticide application to drought tolerant plants, Butts said.
Water and the economy will remain "pre-eminent" topics for the event, which will include courses on how to tighten budgets and watch expenses, Butts said. Instructors and exhibitors may offer insights on how companies can diversify services beyond traditional landscaping, such as handling masonry or concrete pouring instead of subcontracting those jobs. Water harvesting with cisterns and other systems to capture rainwater is another area where businesses can expand, Butts said.