SNA to Study Multi-State Trade Show Possibilities

ATLANTA – For more than a decade, the Southern Nursery Association has heard a strong message from a large number of industry members that there are too many trade shows and that more of them need to be combined. Because of the relationship and the concern, SNA has for the industry and the SNA 16 Participating State Associations, a new initiative. A Multi-State Trade Show Study has been announced in which the feasibility of merging single-state winter shows will be studied.

SNA intived all of the SNA 16 Participating State Associations to be part of this effort to determine what shows and makretplaces the industry will best support in the future. To be an effective study, each state association was asked to share current and historical data on their shows that can be useful in achieving the goal of the initiative. The first meeting of the study was held in March 2004 in Atlanta with the association executive and several of the board members of each interested association attending.

 “This study will not be about the short term. It will focus on the long-term needs of the industry and how our associations best meet those needs while keeping our associations healthy,” said SNA President Dan Batson. “With the support of the SNA 16 Participating State Associations and the involvement of Gulf States Expo and the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, we hope to benefit from their experience through their input. Remember, in the eyes of our customers, we compete only by developing events that overlap and by forcing our industry to choose in which events to participate.”

The SNA, established in 1899 is a not-for-profit professional trade association representing the horticultural industry in the southern United States through educational, commercial and research opportunities.

For further information on SNA 2004 or SNA, visit the association’s Web site by clicking here, or write to:

The Southern Nursery Association
1827 Powers Ferry Road SE
Suite 4-100
Atlanta, GA 30339-8422

Phone: 770/953-3311
E-mail: mail@sna.org