Nursery/Landscape Expo Sizzles in Texas

San Antonio Sizzle was the theme for the Nursery/Landscape Expo 2006, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas Aug. 18-20. Although the temperatures hit record highs, attendees came to the Outdoor Product Showcase in record numbers where they enjoyed equipment, information, and free barbecue.

The Pre-Expo Education Conference, on Aug. 17, hosted 390 attendees who heard from experts around the country about marketing, landscape design trends, sustainable landscaping practices, and pest management and irrigator CEU updates.

On the Expo floor, exhibitors told the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association staff that they were experiencing new highs in contacts made as TNLA held its premiere Expo in the new San Antonio location. The ambience of the city, the courtesy of the convention and decorator staff, and the warmth of the San Antonio citizens were noted by exhibitors and attendees in evaluation forms.

TNLA introduced a new certification logo during the Expo and TNLA certified professionals celebrated at their own certification lounge and at the certification social after show hours on Friday.

In keeping with the city tradition, attendees and exhibitors were led from the exhibit hall to the Friday Welcome to San Antonio Party by a full compliment of mariachi musicians who played all the way from the convention hall to the headquarters Marriott Rivercenter Hotel where record numbers of attendees came to the opening party. Revelers were treated to a festive night full of great food, socializing, and a DJ playing a wide variety of music to fill up the dance floor.

The Expo opened with its traditional ribbon cutting by the TNLA Chairman of the Board Tom Dickerson.

Booth awards were presented in six categories:
Large Hardline: Pavestone Company – Grapevine, Texas
Medium Hardline: Fafard, Inc. – Anderson, S.C.
Small Hardline: Stonesmith Garden Vessels – Cambria, Calif.
Large Greenline: Color Spot Nurseries – San Antonio, Texas  
Medium Greenline: Ball Seed Company – West Chicago, Ill.
Small Greenline: Buell’s Wholesale Growers – Cibolo, Texas

TNLA also honored Carl Pool Products/Vital Earth of Gladewater, Texas as a 50-year exhibitor (50 consecutive years on the priority list for booth selection since the creation of the process in 1954).

The Nursery/Landscape Expo is managed by the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association. It is recognized, once again by Trade Show Magazine, as one of the nation’s top 200 largest trade shows. Partners in producing Expo 2006 were:  Arkansas Green Industry Association, Lawn & Garden Dealers Association, Louisiana Nursery & Landscape Association, Mississippi Nursery & Landscape Association, Oklahoma Nursery & Landscape Association, Professional Landcare Network, Texas Recreation & Parks Society, and the Turfgrass Producers of Texas.