Jul 10, 2014

Cultivate’14 Makes a Grand Debut By Tim Hodson

Cultivate’14 made its debut this weekend at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Yesterday morning the convention center was really buzzing with activity as attendees swarmed the main exhibit floor to see the latest new varieties and products for their greenhouses. It also marked the debut of the Retail Terrace with products dedicated for garden center retailers.

Last night, we had a chance to recognize the awesome members of the Class of 2014 of GPN’s 40 Under 40 at a special reception. As you can see in the photo below, the majority of this year’s class was on hand to receive their honors in person. In case you missed it, you can read about this year’s honorees in the May issue of GPN.

We also recognized Maddy Olberg (see photo below), the 2014 GPN/Nexus Intern of the Year who recently graduated from Cornell University and is getting ready to continue her horticulture studies in graduate school at Purdue University. Later this morning, I will be hosting a Mix ‘n Mingle session where Cultivate’14 attendees will have an opportunity to meet with many of this year’s 40 Under 40 honorees. It’s a great chance to really see what the future of our industry looks like.

Two days of Cultivate’14 are already in the books – it ends at 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. The GPN staff has been running non-stop since we hit Columbus but we still have a lot of appointments between now and then, so I gotta go!

– Tim

P.S. Remember, if you are attending Cultivate’14, stop by the GPN and Lawn & Garden Retailer booth (#1501). We’d love to talk to you.