Hundreds of Interior Business Professionals Attend CalScape 2001

SAN DIEGO - CalScape Expo, the 11th annual conference and trade show produced by the California Interior Plantscape Association (CIPA), attracted almost 600 attendees. Professionals nationwide attended three days of educational seminars, visited with suppliers at the exhibitor's showcase, applauded installations during CIPA's awards and Interiorscape Hall of Fame Banquet, and joined an industry tour.

According to Vicky Cate, CIPA Executive Chair, "Surveys confirm at-show observations that CalScape Expo 2001 was our best expo yet. Attendees and exhibitors alike were pleased with the quality of the tradeshow, sessions and social events."

Participants on the industry tour got a behind-the-scenes look at Paul Ecke Ranch, West Coast Nurseries and Specimen House - where they learned about plant production and supply processes critical to their interiorscape businesses. Quail Botanical Gardens and the interiorscape installations at Thornton Hospital were also stops on the tour.

The show officially kicked off with a poolside welcome party and later, trade show attendees gathered to answer a series of trivia questions at Plant Jeopardy, a game show style fundraiser to benefit the Plants At Work industry-wide marketing campaign.

Seminars began with keynote Gerry Faust, Faust Management Co., who inspired listeners to re-evaluate their company structure and find solutions, not excuses to their problems. At the roundtable luncheon, interiorscapers shared their own solutions on how to work smarter, not harder.

Seminar highlights included Rich Batcho leading off with 'Building A Better Color Bowl,' which was videotaped by an HGTV crew and set to air later in fall. Evelyn Weidner, Tami Clutter and Laural Taylor discussed patioscaping and demonstrated techniques.

At its awards banquet, CIPA honored Interiorscape Hall of Fame inductees Greg Eberly, Linnaea Newman and the late Richard Wilcox, and winners of CIPA project awards (see sidebar).

CIPA also raised $5,500 during a silent and live auction and through direct pledges to benefit CIPA education programs, including its Interiorscape Endowment at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. With a goal of providing well-trained interiorscapers in the future, the CIPA Endowment funds a 12-week interiorscape course at Cal Poly.

Next year, CIPA's convention will be held Aug. 28-30 in San Francisco. For more information, contact CIPA at 707/462-2276 or visit CIPA's Web site, www.cipaweb.org.