Wilsonville, Oregon – The 2018 Farwest Show, August 22-24, in Portland, Oregon, will put garden retail front and center with industry experts Anne Obarski and Katie Dubow delivering talks on key facets of retail including personality conflict, customer experience, and emerging trends. Obarski, with two seminars, and Dubow, with one seminar, will speak on show opening day, Wednesday, August 22, at the Oregon Convention Center.
Obarski, the CEO of Merchandise Concepts, is a customer service strategist guiding companies in customer experience and brand recognition. Her first talk, “Dealing with Opposing Personalities: Employees, Customers and More!,” shares strategies to deal with employees or customers who are upset and turn them into word-of-mouth salespersons. The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 22, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m., in Room B110. In her second address, “What’s Your Pink Pig? How to Feed and Nurture Your Competitive Advantage!,” Obarski will discuss how to stand out from the competition by creating and marketing a “contagious experience” for first-time and return customers. This seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 22, 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m., in Room B110.
Dubow, the creative director of Garden Media Group, specializes in brand reputation, as well as building and launching new products in the lawn and garden industry. In her seminar, “Introducing the 2019 Garden Trends,” she’ll identify trends that will drive consumer sales next year. Retailers, breeders and growers will learn how to apply new research and information to grow their business and stay relevant. Dubow speaks Wednesday, August 22, 12:30 p.m – 1:30 p.m., in Room B110.
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents more than 800 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is one of the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $909 million. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 80 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089. The Farwest Show, the largest green industry show in the West, is produced by the OAN, a trade organization that represents and serves the interests of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For more information about the 2018 Farwest Show, visit www.FarwestShow.com or call 503-682-5089.
Source: The Oregon Association of Nurseries
