MANTS

Known as the Masterpiece of Trade Shows, the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) is huge. Occurring early in January, this show sets the tone for the year. From January 7-9, the Baltimore Convention Center will transform into one of the premier nursery trade shows in the U.S. The show is hosted by the Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Associations and pulls in a much larger audience than just that area. More than 11,000 national attendees join this show each year, as this is the place where business gets done. Check out the website for more information. 

 

 

TPIE

This one is new for me and I'm so excited to visit south Florida to check out the biggest tropical plant show on earth. Hosted by the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA), the Tropical Plan International Expo (TPIE) is the best place to find all the new foliage and tropical plants that fly off the shelves. I've traveled across the country visiting nurseries and shows, and I can attest that south Florida is unique. It almost never freezes down there, which provides the potential for such a unique and interesting plant palette. This year, TPIE is January 21-23 in Ft. Lauderdale. You can check out the website for more information. 

 

 

Gulf States

This used to be my annual retreat when I was in Louisiana. The Gulf States Horticulture Expo (GSHE) is hosted by the Alabama Nursery & Landscape Association (ALNLA), Mississippi Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) and, of course, my great friends at the Louisiana Nursery & Landscape Association (LNLA). With all these groups joining together for a single effort you know it must be good. I mean, now that college football is over for the group, folks from LSU and Auburn can come together and put on one heck of a show. GSHE runs January 15 and 16 in Mobile, Alabama. Check out the website for more information.

 

 

IPM Essen

For those of you who might be a bit more adventurous, IPM Essen is quite possibly the largest horticultural trade show in the world. With over 40,000 attendees each year representing over 40 countries, this is the show to keep your finger on the pulse of global horticulture. Sadly, I've never been to IPM Essen, but this is on my bucket list. The show is held in Essen, Germany from January 27 - 30. I've been told that this show does not ever disappoint, so if you have a chance to go, do it! You can find all the information and activities HERE. 

 

The HRI Leadership Academy is a program run by AmericanHort that advances leadership concepts throughout the industry and prepares individuals to tackle challenges head on, and provides tools and skills to understand, respond, demonstrate and develop. 

 

One of the final requirements for the program is a LEAD Project (Learn, Engage, Adopt, Deliver), where participants can apply the skills and concepts they've learned in a group project that's intended to advance the industry. This project is different annually and developed by the participants, so as the years go on the projects continue to propel the nursery and landscape industry in the U.S. 

 

This year’s class has elected to explore eCommerce and help us get a better handle on how the use of online marketplaces and online sales is impacting and shaping the industry. To gather the information they need, they've developed a very short survey that you can take HERE. I know that we're getting surveyed out, but I can confirm that this survey will take less than five minutes and will unlock information in an unexplored territory. Think of taking this survey like being on the Lewis and Clarke expedition, except without all the dangers and pitfalls. 

Now that we’ve discussed the HRI Leadership Academy, don’t you think you might want to participate? Well, you’re in luck—applications are now being accepted for the 2027 cohort. This year will be the fifth year of the program, which has seen advancement of some of the brightest stars in our industry. 

 

The HRI Leadership academy is a program designed to advance leaders in the horticultural industry, across several sectors and experience levels, from seasoned leaders to early career and rising talent. The program sets its participants up for immediate success. It's a single-year commitment, which involves approximately 10 hours of effort per month. There are four in-person meetings scheduled throughout the year. While that's a commitment, participants get much more in return. There are so many positive reviews of this program, it's no wonder this has been a major success. 

 

The application deadline closes February 6, 2026, so you still have some time to get your application together. You can find more information on the program and application HERE. This is a chance to make a lasting impact on the future of horticulture. 

I didn’t just mention something about being “surveyed out,” did I? Well, one more can’t hurt. 

 

A couple weeks ago, the University of Florida hosted a nursery production workshop and, in addition to wonderful presentations by several of my esteemed colleagues, a few members of our S3 (Soilless Substrate Science) team were invited to share our research updates. While I often drone on about various substrate-related research, today I want to ask for your support in an S3 project. 

 

 

Dr. Alexa Lamm of the University of Georgia is leading a project that will collect a thorough assessment of substrate use by the U.S. horticultural industry. What we want to do is learn about your perceptions of different substrate media. The information collected in this survey will remain confidential and help our team provide better support and more targeted information.

 

I moderated a grower listening session for Dr. Lamm at the Homestead meeting and it was so insightful. While it was difficult to not interject (I was explicitly told that I was not allowed to contribute to the session—just record), being in the room and listening to growers talk about their ideas and perspectives was enlightening. We're still compiling everything, but I'll certainly share everything once it's organized.

 

This survey is a wider net to get input from growers across the nation. We've held listening sessions at Farwest, Cultivate and Homestead with a few more scheduled, but the online survey is critical to our success. 

 

The survey will take less than five minutes and will help our project immensely. You can take it HERE. 

 

With that I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I very much enjoy sharing news and thoughts with you and look forward to an exciting 2026 for Nursery & Landscape Insider!