Portland, Oregon — The Farwest Show will remain at the Oregon Convention Center for 2024 and into the foreseeable future, OAN leaders and staff have determined.
“Over the past year, we felt the concerns that some have raised about COVID-era conditions
in Portland, and we knew it was important to explore various alternate locations in light of the
ongoing needs of the show,” OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone said. “Ultimately, we found
that the Oregon Convention Center is the only event venue in the state of Oregon with the
adequate size, scale and services to accommodate the needs of Farwest going forward.”
The 2023 Farwest Show expects to serve more than 4,000 guests when it opens next week,
and nearly 350 exhibitors will be there.
“We looked at other venues,” OAN Director of Events Allan Niemi said. “None of them have
the room to accommodate all the booths and people that come to Farwest, let alone the
educational seminars and other show features that we offer. We even looked at going to a
smaller venue. That would require putting some exhibitors outside in tents, and even then, it’s
questionable who all would fit. The Oregon Convention Center easily handles all our needs
and offers us the space that lets us grow again.”
The OAN did hear concerns from some about the state of Portland.
“We all have watched with sadness has happened with Portland over the pandemic, with the
state of houselessness,” OAN President Todd Nelson said. “It’s a problem that takes time to
address, and it’s affecting more than Portland but smaller communities as well. That said, we
have seen improvement in conditions downtown. Although Portland is not out of the woods,
the Convention Center and Lloyd District neighborhood is in better shape, and the city overall
is on a more positive trajectory back to pre-COVID conditions.”
The post-COVID recovery and the industry’s strong growth are positive signs for the nursery
industry and for Farwest.
“For 50 years, Farwest has been a grand showcase for Oregon growers, who are the best in
the country at what they grow,” Stone said. “The industry is growing and the show should
grow along with it. Visitors to Farwest will find a celebratory mood, more exhibitors to visit, a
compelling lineup of seminars, great networking opportunities, and a whole host of ideas and
products to help them grow their businesses.”
“Farwest truly took off when it moved to the then-new Oregon Convention Center in the early
1990s,” Niemi said. “It generated a sense of excitement and allowed new room for growth and
interaction. It’s still the best convention and event facility in the state and region, making it a
suitable home for Oregon’s largest segment of agriculture and the talented growers who drive
the industry forward.”
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents nearly 700
wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture
industry is one of the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $1.37
billion. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; more than 75% 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 biggest green industry trade show in the West, will celebrate its 50th
anniversary in 2023! The show is produced by the OAN, a nonprofit organization that
represents and serves the interests of Oregon’s nursery, retail and greenhouse 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 2023 Farwest
Show, visit www.FarwestShow.com or call 503-682-5089.
