The Garden Center Show (presented by Lawn & Garden Retailer and SmartWork Media) recently hosted garden center professionals from the U.S., South America and even the UK to walk the trade show floor and attend keynotes and conference sessions over the two-day event.
In addition, the day before the show, a full-day garden center tour took place, stopping at four Chicagoland IGCs and The Gardens at Ball for lunch. Thank you to Ball for sponsoring the tour and allowing nearly 150 of us to roam their nine acres!
Following are some scenes from the 2024 event — and be sure to mark your calendar for the 2025 Garden Center Show, scheduled for Aug. 12-13 in Rosemont (Chicago), Illinois.
Michelle Sherrier, owner of MC Design Academy and host of The Retail Whore Podcast, kicked off Day 1 with her keynote on “Merchandising Is Storytelling: Crafting Effective Displays for Enhanced Sales.”The trade show floor at The Garden Center Show was busy with exhibitors noting the positive energy.Lawson Thalmann, vice president and chief technology officer at Chalet, discussed artificial intelligence to a standing-room-only audience.To build on her keynote, Michelle Sherrier took attendees through building a display from the ground up, which remained on display during the rest of the show.Michelle Sherrier’s finished merchandising techniques display.The New Product Area at the Garden Center Show displayed the latest and greatest goods for garden centers to carry in their stores.The Lawn & Garden Retailer 2024 Innovator of the Year Award Winners were announced on Tuesday, Aug. 6.