Cultivate’17 Hits New Attendance Record
Cultivate’17 saw a record number of 10,016 attendees from 34 countries and across all industry segments at this year’s bigger and bolder event.
Cultivate’17 took place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center July 15-18, in Columbus Ohio.
It was the first event to use the entirety of the newly renovated convention center space, which included the addition of 30,000 square feet to the trade show floor. Nearly 700 exhibitors showcased products and services and utilized the increased trade show space to its full advantage.
Ken Fisher (pictured above), AmericanHort president and CEO, said, “We enjoyed strong performance and growth at Cultivate’17 by just about every measure. Exhibit space and exhibitors were up nearly 12 percent and overall attendance by about 5 percent. We had great feedback on the refreshed event layout, education, tours, keynotes, and receptions. The AmericanHort team is already hard at work preparing for Cultivate’18 and all great things to come from AmericanHort.”
Highlights from the annual industry event included the opening keynote by Jon Gordon, renowned author and business expert. Gordon spoke on the power of positivity in work and life and how positive attitudes can transform a business for the better. AmericanHort’s Ken Fisher and Craig Regelbrugge, along with Charlie Hall, chief economist, presented a State of the Industry address, as well. The address detailed both current and upcoming business, legislative and economic challenges for industry businesses, as well as outlined strategies to address challenges and to promote collective industry growth.
Cultivate’17 also debuted CareerUP, a first-of-its-kind event that welcomed nearly 150 young professionals for a day of communication skill development, stories from industry trailblazers, and discussions on thriving as a young professional in the industry. Representative from many different parts of the horticulture industry all shared their experiences and best advice for cultivating a meaningful horticulture career.
GPN magazine hosted its annual reception applauding the Class of 2017 40 Under 40 recipients.
In addition, AmericanHort along with the Garden Center Group presented 16 Retailers’ Choice Awards for retailers’ favorite products and plants from the show floor.
Over 60 awards were presented at the Interior Plantscape Awards Celebration, which recognized notable achievements of interiorscape businesses.
Tom Demaline, AmericanHort chairman of the board and president of Willoway Nurseries, also an exhibiting company, commented, “The new and refreshed atmosphere of Cultivate’17 was felt by everyone. There seemed to be more conversations happening on the trade show floor, more discussions about industry trends and events, and just all around more energy. The AmericanHort team certainly addressed the needs of the industry for an all-encompassing event and then some!”
Cultivate’18 will take place July 14-17, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio.
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