Sep 17, 2019
MANTS Announces 50th Anniversary, Opens Trade Show Registration

The Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) recently announced that registration is now open for its 50th annual event, scheduled to take place January 8-10, 2020, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

The convention center has housed the event for the last 40 consecutive years. Since its inception in 1970, MANTS has grown into one of the largest trade shows in the country serving the ornamental horticulture industry.

“It has been an honor to follow in my parents’ footsteps and lead the team that brings MANTS to life each year,” says Vanessa Akehurst Finney, executive vice president. “Since 1970, our goal has been to connect professionals throughout the country, and around the world, in order to facilitate industry commerce and networking. We work hard to make sure that MANTS is the place to buy, shop, meet, see and be seen every January.”

In 1970, the Mid-Atlantic Nurserymen’s Trade Show Inc. was established by the Maryland and Virginia Nurserymen’s Associations. Two years later, the West Virginia Nurserymen’s Association joined in as the third and equal sponsor of the show. The first trade show was held in Williamsburg, Virginia, in January 1971, with 64 exhibitors; and the second in 1972 at the Hunt Valley Inn in Cockeysville, Maryland, with 79 exhibitors.

In 2019, MANTS welcomed more than 11,600 registrants to the Baltimore Convention Center, reportedly the largest number of registrants since 2008. Some 956 exhibiting companies participated, spread throughout more than 1,550 booths.

For more information, visit www.MANTS.com.