A little cold weather has never kept New Englanders from making the most of a great opportunity. And when it comes to the New England Grows conference and trade show, even green industry professionals from the opposite coast and points south are known to brave Boston wind chills to benefit from this huge industry event.
Last year’s conference, held in the new Boston Convention & Exposition Center was a big success, boasting attendance of 11,688 professionals, students, educators and members of allied professions, despite some bad winter weather that kept snow and ice crews busy and attendance down on Friday and Saturday.
This year, however, the forecast calls for clear skies and New England Grows organizers are expecting an even better turnout - 2005 attendance is expected to be between 15,000 and 18,000 people from around the country and internationally.
So what keeps bringing more attendees from far and wide – and warm – to the cold Northeast every year? An expanded trade show and more seminars and educational opportunities are among the benefits of this year’s event. While last year’s popular education conference provided more than 30 hours of educational opportunities, this year, New England Grows 2005 attendees may have to bring one or two coworkers to help take notes. Over the course of the three-day event, the 2005 conference features 38 hours of educational sessions, ranging from biological pest control and protecting trees during construction to boosting sales through customer service and taking advantage of landscape photography. A full copy of the educational conference schedule can be downloaded in a PDF format by clicking here.
Additionally, several educational sessions offer opportunities for recertification credits either for pesticide applicators (in the six New England states, New York and New Jersey) or for the International Society of Arboriculture (one continuing education credit available for each hour of training.) For more information on who is eligible for recertification credits and how to record them, call 508/653-3009.
Of course, winter is trade-show season for the lawn and landscape industry, and New England Grows certainly doesn’t skimp when it comes to offering a complete marketplace of products and services to its attendeeds. This year, attendees will have more than 600 exhibitors at their disposal.
Running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, the New England Grows exposition will cover 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and feature more than 1400 booth spaces; industry-specific educational showcases; a central gathering area with bookstore, cafe and partner displays; glass-enclosed skywalks; a welcoming area and much more.
With so much to take in on the trade show floor, attendees may want to plan their visits before they arrive at the Boston Convention & Exposition Center. To get a feel for the layout of this huge marketplace, visit www.negrows.org and tour the “Virtual Exposition” in a Flash or HTML format. Simply click on the exhibitor you’d like to visit and see exactly where that company’s booth is located on the show floor.
From education and products to networking and interactive learning opportunities, New England Grows 2005 promises to be an exceptional industry event, but won’t break contractors’ wallets. The full three day event is only $45 per person and attendees can easily register onsite. For more information, download the full event brochure, visit www.negrows.org, or call New England Grows at 508/653-3009.