Schedule of Events

Join Editor Patrick Alan Coleman as he discusses data and insights from Garden Center magazine’s annual State of the Industry Report.

Our State of the Industry Report is a well-established franchise that has allowed us to track the health of the garden center industry for the past 12 years. We’ve documented highs and lows and trends that have come and gone.

In 2024, we found that our industry is starting to focus on its core business as profits and growth mellow with the COVID boom in the rearview. It appears that garden centers are getting back to what they do best: selling plants.

Our first ever digital-only State of the Industry Report, the 2024 report is fully interactive, allowing the data to be as dynamic as the industry it reflects.

Dig into the numbers with Patrick in this session that puts the industry in focus.

Join Garden Media Group President Katie Dubow in conversation with Aubry Field, founder of Lizzy Blossom as they discuss their careers as leading women in the horticulture industry. This wide-ranging conversation centers on getting out of your comfort zone and what it takes to start and maintain a business while being conscious of work-life balance as business owners and parents.

Get a sneak peek of the Garden Center Conference & Expo tour stops and how these independent retailers are working to build community connections with their customers. From cafés to concerts, Kansas City-area garden centers are making their stores the go-to venues for shopping and socializing, establishing third places all while amplifying their brands and driving profitability. Join us live to hear insights from leaders of Suburban Lawn & Garden, Colonial Gardens and Family Tree Nursery.

With 70% of business owners planning to exit within the next 10 years and buyers becoming increasingly selective, the green industry faces a critical transition period. 80% of businesses are not saleable or do not have the proper talent or family pipeline to continue. Thus, only the best will sell. Is your business ready to be among the 20% that successfully transfer ownership?

Stephen Covey coined the adage, "Begin with the end in mind." If you’re a business owner looking ahead to retirement, troubling headlines— tariffs, immigration policies, inflation, and Wall Street volatility— create uncertainty and make it difficult to visualize the end. However, for business owners and company leaders, it is more important than ever to prepare and acquire the knowledge and support necessary to manage their businesses and enhance the value of their companies, especially in turbulent times.

There is no better time to start working ON, as opposed to IN, your business, and building value like the present. Whether you’re a business leader or owner who wants to prepare for succession or sell their business – or know they could – you will discover the critical value drivers that acquirers prioritize and how to implement them in your green industry business.

In this interactive session, you will learn the following:
• Leading practices and strategies.
• What do acquirers consider, and how to Increase the eight drivers of company value?
• Minimizing your company's reliance on your personal involvement.

Whether you plan to exit in 2, 10, or more years or become a leader or business owner someday, these value-building techniques will enhance your business today while preparing it for tomorrow’s transition opportunities.

What is your “why”? Dive deep with Rob Sproule to discover the purpose that fuels your business and learn how aligning it with the way you lead in order to fire up your staff and drive success.

In this webinar Rob will:

• Explore the impact of vision and purpose to bolster decision-making and team connections.
• Empower you to lead so that your values align with your business.
• Inspire leaders to lead with authenticity and purpose.
• Give you take home tools to continue to explore in your own time.

The Fertile Ground Live Event Series continues with a must-attend recap from this year’s Garden Center Conference & Expo — State of the Industry: Measuring Up.

Join Patrick Alan Coleman, editor of Garden Center magazine, as he shares exclusive data from the magazine’s State of the Industry Report, plus never-before-presented findings on revenue trends, department profitability and the health of the industry.

Find out how the State of the Industry Report is connected to the new criteria for the 2025 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers List and discover strategies to keep your business growing strong.