Feeling the Magic
The day I arrived in Orlando for the 2010 Garden Centers of America Summer Tour, there was a welcome reception for attendees in a ballroom of the convention center attached to the Contemporary Resort.
Jim Charlton, who works for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, approached me as I was piling my plate full of hors-d’oeuvres. He was friendly enough: asked how I was doing, who I worked for… Then he found out I was a member of the press. “Great,” he said. “That means we can have this conversation now,” before we got on the buses the next day.
He asked very politely that I not take any photos of “cast members” hard at work “backstage,” meaning that any Disney employees doing watering, cleanup, deadheading or anything of the sort were not to be captured on film. He explained that no one needed to see that; part of the Disney Magic is letting visitors see things in their most perfect state to create the most wonderful experience possible.
That’s not a request we’re used to on these trips. Attendees get off the bus and start taking photos of everything. Part of the beauty in sharing a bus with 50 other people is behind-the-scenes everything, sharing trade secrets, getting that unprecedented access and being able to critique freely.
It was clear, from then on, that this would be a very different tour. How could it not be? Florida is unlike any other state, and the climate alone necessitates that garden centers be uniquely… Florida. A lot of us were just plain out of our element and really, really HOT which meant that we were often pushing pretty hard to come up with the usual critiques and conversation stimulators.
So we talked about other things. Like social media.
What a difference a year makes: Last summer, if I brought up Facebook fan pages or Twitter accounts, most garden center owners looked at me like I’d sprouted a pair of Mickey Mouse ears. This year, when we took an informal survey somewhere near Tampa Bay, I’d say about 75 percent of passengers on my bus raised their hands to say they were giving it a try. And, what do you know they’re getting results!
Speaking of Which…
Are you giving social media a go? Are you just jumping in, or clueless as to where to start? Do you want to learn more? You’re in luck. If you’re attending GCA’s annual membership meeting or the Home & Garden Showplace fall market, which are taking place concurrently at the Las Vegas Hilton, you can hear me talk about it, live and in person. I’ll be doing a one-hour presentation on Sunday, Sept. 12, on social media and how to communicate with today’s consumer.
I’m geeking out a bit, because I’m on the speaking roster with P. Allen Smith, star of the consumer gardening world and a longtime Lawn & Garden Retailer contributor, as well as Paul Erickson of RMSA Retail Solutions. It’s an honor to be in such distinguished company, and I can’t wait to share some ideas and research with all of you. Get in touch with GCA or Home & Garden Showplace if you want more details on the event.
As for the 2010 GCA Summer Tour in Orlando, you can check back here for photos and ideas in our November issue. What better way to fend off the winter blues than by revisiting the Sunshine State?
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