Feb 16, 2023
Farwest Show Calls for Speakers and New Varieties for 2023

Organizers of the 50th annual Farwest Show and conference in Portland, Oregon, want to make the nursery trade show’s educational offerings truly exceptional — and they’re casting a wide net to do so.

That’s why they’ve issued a call for speaker proposals for those who might want to present, as well as a seminar survey so attendees can say exactly what they’d like to learn.

“Education has always been a key component of the Farwest Show,” said Heather Cyrus, events and education manager of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which produces the show. “People come to network, do business and grow as professionals. In planning our seminars, we’re looking for innovation and cutting-edge ideas. We want to make sure people can head home from Farwest truly feeling like they learned something new — something that solves problems; something they can put to work at their business.”

Speakers that have innovative ideas, solutions and business practices they would like to share with others can submit ideas at here.

Meanwhile, nursery professionals who have ideas for speakers or topics that they want to see, either as a keynote or during educational seminars, can take the Farwest Seminar Survey here.

The 2023 Farwest Show will take place Aug. 3–25, 2023 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, and organizers are looking to make it big for the 50^th anniversary of the show. The very first Farwest took place Sept. 11–13, 1973, during the earliest days of disco music, and the show has only continued to grow since then.

Call for 2023 New Varieties Showcase Entries

The 2023 Farwest Show is now accepting submissions of new plant introductions for the upcoming New Varieties Showcase.

Sponsored by Hip Labels, the showcase is an annual highlight at Farwest, the biggest green industry trade show and conference in the West, which will be held Aug. 23–25, 2023, at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon.

“The New Varieties Showcase highlights the best and most exciting new plants on the market — those that will make buyers and consumers sit up and take notice,” said Allan Niemi, director of events for show producers the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “New introductions truly do drive the industry forward.”

Each year, the New Varieties Showcase is one of the industry’s most-watched events for previewing new plant introductions that will raise the bar in the marketplace. The showcase display on the expo floor gives prominence to cutting-edge plant varieties from around the world. All accepted entries are judged by a jury of industry experts, as well as the 4,000-plus show attendees. The top vote-getters have the chance to win a Judge’s Award or a People’s Choice Award.

For 2023, two tiers of entry are being offered: Tier 1 entries will be featured online at www.FarwestShow.com and displayed in the New Varieties Showcase on the floor with Hip Labels plant tag labels. Added-value incentives for Tier 1 entries include presentation in the July issue of Digger magazine ($750 value) and Hip Labels plant tag take-aways for attendees. Each Tier 1 submission costs $250 and the registration deadline is April 14.

Tier 2 entries will be featured online at www.FarwestShow.com and displayed in the New Varieties Showcase on the floor with Hip Labels plant tag labels. Each Tier 2 submission costs $90 and the registration deadline is June 30.

To qualify for approved entry, plants must exhibit qualities of greater hardiness, increased bloom time, more vibrant color, improved habit and/or better disease resistance. Entries must be new market introductions for 2023 or 2024, and they must be available for purchase from at least one designated grower or supplier exhibiting at the 2023 Farwest Show. At the 2022 show, 61 impressive varieties were on display, including annuals, grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees. The online form to submit entries is available at https://farwestshow.com/new-varieties-showcase-submissions/.

DOWNLOADABLE ASSETS:

2023 FARWEST SHOW RELEASES AND ASSETS