ACWORTH, Ga. – The Southern Nursery Association has announced final details of the annual SNA Business Meeting, the SNA Research Conference & Awards Luncheon, and a special State of the Industry Roundtable Session. All events will be held during the Gulf States Horticultural Expo (GSHE) at the Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center in Mobile, Ala.
The SNA Research Conference will take place on Jan. 18 from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., with the SNA Research Awards Luncheon from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Top researchers and educational leaders from universities will present their newest horticultural discoveries. While most contributors are from the SNA region, all researchers, growers and allied industry members that have knowledge to share are encouraged to participate. Hundreds of topics in thirteen categories will be presented. The conference format allows industry members to sit in on all or only those topics of interest. Presentations will be made in the following categories:
- Container grown plant production
- Field production
- Economics and marketing
- Engineering, structures & innovations
- Entomology
- Floriculture
- Growth regulators
- Landscape
- Pathology and nematology
- Plant breeding & evaluation
- Plant propagation
- Water management
- Weed control
The Bryson L. James Student Competition Awards will be presented to deserving young students during the SNA Research Awards Luncheon. In addition, the Porter Henegar Memorial Award will be presented to honor an individual that has made outstanding contributions to ornamental horticultural research and, more specifically, to SNA. Proceedings of this conference are published on the SNA website at www.sna.org.
A special State of the Industry Roundtable Session, presented by SNA, GSHE and Nursery Management magazine, will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. This unique event, moderated by Todd Davis, Nursery Management, and Danny Summers, Southern Nursery Association (SNA), will begin with an overview of the “2011 State of the Industry Report,” produced by Nursery Management. Next, participants will engage in a roundtable “brainstorming” session to identify areas of opportunity for the industry. Finally, a panel will discuss the opportunities identified and suggest steps to propel the ideas into action. The session will conclude with Q & A. All industry members are invited to attend. No registration required.
The Annual SNA Business Meeting will be held on Jan. 19 at 5:00 pm. All members are encouraged to attend this meeting to hear about the challenges and successes of the association over the past year. The election of officers will take place and awards will be presented to individuals and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and through their voluntary efforts exemplified inspiration, vision, innovation and action to advance the SNA and the industry.
The Gulf States Horticultural Expo (GSHE), sponsored by the Alabama Nursery & Landscape Association, the Louisiana Nursery & Landscape Association and the Mississippi Nursery & Landscape Association, is scheduled for Jan. 19 –20 at the Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center. For a complete GSHE schedule visit www.gshe.org.