The Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) 2012 delivered calypso music, beautiful tropical plants and foliage and an ideal tropical escape for more than 6,100 industry professionals as they gathered in sunny Fort Lauderdale, FL to take in the newest tropical plants, products and ideas which this exotic section of the horticulture industry has to offer. Taking place January 18-20 at the Broward County Convention Center, TPIE offered a trade show with nearly 400 exhibiting companies, a full-day nursery tour in Homestead, FL, a thought-provoking opening session, cutting-edge educational programs, dozens of hands-on demonstrations and a fantastic outdoor Opening Day Happy Hour.
"TPIE is always an exciting show. This year the mood was even more upbeat as people are finally feeling a turn in the economy," noted Charlie Martin, owner of HB Martin, Inc. and TPIE chairman. "Our attendance was up by 8%, orders were being written and buyers were excited by the products they saw. The fabulous weather didn't hurt either!"
TPIE exhibitors set the standard for exciting and inspiring exhibits. "It's a challenging job to be a booth award judge at TPIE," noted Robert Bowden,executive director of Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando and one of TPIE's booth award judges. "There are so many exceptional displays. I wish we could give them all awards!" This year's Best of Show award went to DeRoose Plants, Apopka, FL. A complete list of award winners is available at www.tpie.org.
TPIE's Opening Session was a standing-room-only event, as retail industry futurist Doug Stephens shared insights related to social, economic and technological trends which will impact everyone's business in this decade. "Doug's vision of the future trends, who our target customer should be and the evolving technologies available to position our company for success, was very enlightening and exciting," noted Bill Lyden, president of Farm Life Tropical Foliage. "This year's opening session had a meaningful message for our entire industry and was a fabulous way to kick-off the 2012 TPIE." Sponsored by Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses and SK, the TPIE Opening Session is a complimentary program for all TPIE participants.
The first day of TPIE 2012 ended with the TPIE Happy Hour, sponsored by Sun Parasol/Suntory Collection, as thousands of TPIE attendees shifted from the confines of the exhibit hall to the balmy winter temperatures which only south Florida can offer. Attendees basked along the fountain plaza, enjoying drinks, appetizers and being entertained with music and a variety of dancers, including carnival, belly and fire dancers.
Other activities at TPIE included a TPIE First-Timers' Orientation where TPIE rookies were provided an overview of the show and the foliage industry, as well as tips to get the most benefit from the show. Industry buyer Gary Mangum, Bell Nursery, was recognized for attending every TPIE since it began in 1973, making Gary 39 in TPIE years!
The TPIE Short Course provided exceptional education for interiorscapers attending from across the country. The management track introduced participants to biomimicry, a process of applying nature's solutions to human design applications. In addition, sessions with Jason Cupp, a business growth consultant, provided insights on creating the best internal team, as well as improving external sales with new marketing methods. Technician sessions were also popular as they focused on biological pest controls, including a hands-on workshop. Dennis Snow, former Walt Disney World manager, provided an enlightening and entertaining luncheon keynote which offered fun and inspirational examples of exceptional customer service from world-class organizations.
Offered as an optional event to the TPIE Short Course, the TPIE Road Show was a full-day tour which took attendees to Homestead, FL, a major foliage production hub. The well-attended trip included visits to Farm Life Tropical Foliage, Bernecker's Nursery, Schnebly Redland's Winery, Kerry's and Burr's Berry Farm.
In addition to the TPIE Short Course, ongoing demonstrations took place on the show floor. These quick and informal sessions covered a variety of topics including Fairy Garden Essentials, Exploration of Color and Plant Combinations, Tropicals in Container Gardens and Tropicals with Gen Y Appeal. Several demonstrations were presented by members of the American Institute of Floral Design (AIFD) which partners with TPIE on a variety of programs. The complete demonstration program is sponsored by Ball Publishing.
TPIE is well-known as the trade event for exhibitors to premier their newest plants and products. Many of these are included in the TPIE Exhibitor Showcase, sponsored by Farm Credit. Buyers can vote for their favorite new items. This year's winning favorites are: favorite new flowering plant, Medinilla magnifica, by Northland Floral, Ontario, Canada; favorite new foliage plant, Calathea lancifolia, Stewart's Greenhouse, Apopka, FL; favorite new product, Xanadu Collection, Wesnic, Jacksonville, FL. A complete list of new plants and products is available at www.tpie.org.
Using TPIE as its stage, FNGLA's Horticulture Career Fair engaged nearly 250 middle and high school students in contests and reviews about the nursery and landscape industry and potential career opportunities. Lloyd Singleton, UF/IFAS Extension Service and Chris Beytes, Ball Publishing, were the moderators, keeping a lively pace and incorporating fun into the informative program.
About TPIE
TPIE 2012 marks the 39th year of this unique event taking place. TPIE 2013 is scheduled for January 23-25 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. TPIE is brought to you by FNGLA, the nation's largest state nursery and landscape association and represents Florida's environmental horticulture industry, which in 2010 produced $15.35 billion in sales and directly employed nearly 205,000 Floridians.
Source: TPIE
