Schedule of Events
Garden Center Conference & Expo
Session Topics
08:30 AM – 06:00 PM
Garden Center Tour (additional fee)
Event Function
Pre-show activities include a garden center tour that will include stops at several stand-out Minneapolis operations. Keep your eyes out for details —space is limited, and last year’s tour SOLD OUT.
CLICK HERE for more information.
09:00 AM – 06:30 PM
Registration Open
Event Function
09:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Welcome Refreshments
All-Access
Event Function
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Squeeze the Orange! Creating a Sales-Driven Culture
All-Access
With the IGC trends of today showing a reduction in the number of transactions, the trend of tomorrow must be making the most of every customer interaction. From creating your “Five Star Standards” to a laser focus on maximizing the interaction with your customer is the best way to combat the trend of sagging revenue. “Up-Help” and “Guarantee Success” are a few of the many tools John will bring to this dynamic and fast-paced workshop. This is not about “aggressive selling” but more of a way to create conversations or drive community building. It’s not selling … it’s creating an opportunity to buy!
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Creating Customer Experiences
All-Access
Retail is becoming more about experiences than ever before and the new generations of IGC customers are looking for community. Today’s garden centers need to create multiple access points for customer experiences that speak to their interests. In this session, Rob will discuss how to turn your garden center into a town square where customers come for community, how to bring online and offline experiences together to create multiple access points and how to create an event that’s more than a class or workshop, but a community-building experience.
12:15 PM – 01:30 PM
Networking Lunch
All-Access
Event Function
01:30 PM – 02:30 PM
All Access Workshop 3
All-Access
01:30 PM – 02:30 PM
Dive Into Garden Centers Across The Pond
General Session
Take a virtual tour through some of the UK’s biggest and best garden centers to get an in-depth look at innovations across the pond. Longtime consultant Bob Marley, who has worked with some of the highest-grossing garden centers in the UK, will take you on a journey of best practices throughout each business, including marketing, financial planning, amenities and more. The session will also explore what makes each physical location successful from the parking lot to the cash register. Delving into specific numbers, you’ll not only take away best practices for your company, you’ll understand why they work.
02:30 PM – 03:00 PM
Networking Refreshment Break
Event Function
03:00 PM – 04:30 PM
Keynote Session
Keynote
04:30 PM – 05:00 PM
Garden Center Top 100 Awards Presentation
Event Function
05:00 PM – 06:30 PM
Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Event Function
08:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Registration Open
Event Function
08:00 AM – 09:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
Event Function
Osceola Ballroom Foyer
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Taking the Fear Out Of Talking Tech
Executive
From SMS to AI to data analysis and more, there are exciting opportunities for garden centers on the market. But how do you navigate this new world of technology and feel confident in your investments? In this session, Katie Elzer-Peters will translate computer-speak into language we can all understand. By examining examples of tech opportunities in our industry, you’ll walk away from this session feeling confident about exploring how new tech can improve your business.
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM
The Right Staff
Management
It’s harder than ever to find reliable staff members who can help your business thrive. In this session, you’ll not only learn unconventional avenues to look for employees, you’ll learn new ways to help them thrive in their roles at your garden center.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Networking Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
Event Function
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Merchandising & Solutions Session 1
Merchandising & Solutions
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Concurrent Session 2A
Executive
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Concurrent Session 2B
Management
12:00 PM – 01:30 PM
Networking Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
Event Function
12:30 PM – 01:15 PM
Merchandising & Solutions Session 2
Merchandising & Solutions
01:30 PM – 02:30 PM
Concurrent Session 3A
Executive
01:30 PM – 02:30 PM
Survey Says! Leadership Development for Existing and Emerging Managers
Management
This unique workshop invites the participants to take a Self-Assessment Survey on their current leadership capacity at the beginning of the session, and then follow along with John as he discusses the top core competencies of successful leaders. The audience members will be able to compare their score to others, find blind spots to address and chart a course for leadership development into the future.
02:30 PM – 03:30 PM
Networking Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
Event Function
02:45 PM – 03:30 PM
Merchandising & Solutions Session 3
Merchandising & Solutions
03:30 PM – 04:30 PM
Concurrent Session 4A
Executive
03:30 PM – 04:30 PM
Content Is King
Management
Join garden center pros and GardenComm members for a panel on the importance of creating engaging, unique and educational content for your customers. Hear from freelance content creators and internal garden center staffers about how to find your IGC’s voice, stay on message and give your customers the confidence they need to keep on gardening. Plus, you’ll hear from professional content creators about how they work with garden centers that outsource blogs, newsletters and more. You’ll leave with the inspiration and tools you need to consistently provide information that establishes you as the expert in your market.
04:30 PM – 06:00 PM
Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Event Function
08:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Registration Open
Event Function
08:30 AM – 09:00 AM
Networking Continental Breakfast
Event Function
09:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Social Media Strategies
General Session
Learn the ins and outs of catering your social media content to platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and more with this panel of experts. You’ll discover new ways to think about connecting with your customers, finding your voice and planning your social media schedule to reduce stress when it comes to consistent posting.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Networking Refreshment Break
Event Function
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Merchandising & Solutions Session 4
Merchandising & Solutions
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
General Session 2
General Session
12:00 PM
Event Concludes
Event Function