Lloyd Traven Will Keynote IGC East
Everyone talks about capturing the young consumer – and now horticultural trailblazer Lloyd Traven will lay down a game plan for doing just that during his IGC East keynote Wednesday morning, one of three free keynotes at IGC East, Aug. 4-6.
“Plants are emotional. Yes, they’re a product, but it’s an emotional reaction that people have to what we do,” Traven says. “We need to leverage that and make it our bailiwick. Hitting young people in the gut with ‘wow factor’ is the thing we independents do that the boxes will never do. It’s our ace in the hole.”
During his keynote, “Bring Your Best ‘Awesome’ to Her Every Day,” Traven will show the audience how to capture the younger generation by engaging with them in the ways they are expecting to be engaged, and how to become that go-to place garden centers want to be – the one store the young consumer has to go to for the “coolest” shopping experience. “If we don’t provide a multifunction, multi-benefit solution for what they’re looking for, young consumers just don’t have time for it. A pretty flower just doesn’t cut it,” Traven says.
“We are so product-centric that we think they’re coming to our store looking for a specific plant. But they’re not. They’re looking for success and the benefits of a finished garden.” Traven, president of Peace Tree Farm, Kintnersville, Pennsylvania, is a USDA-certified organic grower providing unusual starters to growers around the world, as well as specialty plants for local garden centers, botanical gardens and museums.
He was a regular guest on The Martha Stewart Show, bringing exciting new varieties to her audience. More than 30 years ago, Traven and his wife and business partner, Candy, were among the first to emphasize edibles and herbs, and now they’re leading the industry in biocontrols and sustainability. The Travens are introducing their own plant varieties to the market under their Garden Geek and One Earth Edibles lines.
For more information about the IGC Shows and to register, visit www.IGCshow.com. Attendees registering by June 30 are entered into a drawing to win one of 10 Apple Watches.
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