"Go get ideas. Go get knowledge. Go make connections," Show Director Allan Niemi said. "Get it all at Farwest and meet the future of the nursery industry."
According to the Oregon Association of Nurseries and the Farwest Show, that's particularly true for the Farwest Show seminars, which this year will offer more than 36 hours of instructional time across a variety of subject areas. Topics include green marketing, consumer trends, succession planning, pest issues, spray drones, climate change, talent recruitment, landscaping, partner programs and much, much more.
"Our seminar schedule is designed around the green industry professional," Niemi said. "We've made it our mission to help them power up their careers, and even their businesses, with engaging seminars on the cutting edge of thought leadership. They'll get actionable, game-changing ideas they can take home and put to work immediately."
Farwest takes place August 21–23, 2024 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Registration is now open. Early Bird rates on expo and seminar passes are available until July 31 at FarwestShow.com/Register.
Educational seminars will take place all three days of the show, featuring various "treks" for different professional areas (Business Trek, Grower Trek, Landscaping Trek, Pest Management Trek). There are sessions suitable for arborists, breeders, business leaders, designers, growers, landscapers, marketers, municipalities, retailers, pest control and more, with an additional focus area on sustainability.
The seminars will include Solution Center mini-sessions right on the show expo floor during open hours (10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Friday). These will cover marketing to new generations, pruning demonstrations, solar grants, brand programs and more. Between the seminars and Solution Center, there are more than 45 sessions in all.
When learning opportunities wrap up Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, on-site networking gatherings will directly follow. At the NexGen and Women in Horticulture socials (all are welcome at both), professionals can exchange ideas, share what they learned, reflect on the day's offerings, even talk about something cool they found on the show floor, all while enjoying drinks and light bites.
Those first two days of Farwest will then conclude with a Happy Hour Wednesday at 5 p.m., and the Farwest Pub Crawl on Thursday, starting at 5 p.m. and lasting into the night.
The three-day show kicks off with a Farwest Keynote from leadership author, motivational speaker and improv comedian James Robiolotta. It's free for all registered Farwest attendees.
Two all-day tours of local nurseries and retail garden centers precede the show, starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20. (Both are sold out and have waiting lists.) The show also offers its traditional New Varieties Showcase featuring new plant introductions, and New Products Showcase.
"There's a continued sense of excitement around Farwest," Niemi said. "Attendees will find more grower booths on the floor than last year's 50th anniversary edition of the show, or the year before that. We've worked hard with partners around the host city to get things ready and bring more excitement back."
According to the Oregon Asosciation of Nurseries and the Farwest Show, Oregon is a nationwide nursery industry leader, with more than $1.2 billion in sales during the most recent year tallied. " It's the leading state for coniferous evergreens, deciduous shade trees, deciduous flowering trees, bareroot nursery products, B&B nursery products and cut Christmas trees."
For more information:
Farwest Show
www.Farwestshow.com