FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — An estimated 6,000 industry professionals traveled to sunny Florida, escaping dismal winter weather in much of the nation, to attend the 41st annual Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition at the Broward County Convention Center here Jan. 22-24. Around 400 exhibitors filled 29 aisles in the massive exhibit hall with 200,000-square-feet of tropical splendor.

An informal survey of a dozen or so vendors found all were happy with the foot traffic in the exhibit hall. Mike Schilstra of Northland Floral in St. Catherine’s, ON, was representative of this group. “The stream of visitors is light, but it’s steady,” he opined. Northland’s striking booth was composed of silvery aluminum ladders with aluminum-sheathed plywood shelving.

Ken Chatham of Optimara in Nashville, TN, also pronounced himself satisfied with the number of buyers at the show. He said this was his eighth year at TPIE, one of a dozen shows a year where Optimara exhibits.

Speaker at the opening session Jan. 22 was John Kennedy, business strategist, who offered tools on how to redesign businesses, and using creative thinking to solve challenges. The program offered training for managers and technicians; hands-on demonstrations on topics like upselling tropical plants and foliage and new ways to incorporate foliage into work, home and public places; a career fair; and a Happy Hour with Calypso dancers and steel drum music.

A new element, Create Theater, provided by the American Institute of Floral Designers, demonstrated how tropicals could be used in weddings (with attendees playing the role of guests at a wedding), creative ways to incorporate plants in special events outdoors and into home and office décor, and new ways to use foliage on holidays.

Also offered were short course general sessions on building an organizational culture that makes optimum use of the four generations that make up today’s workforce and making use of creativity in business strategies. Other short courses covered recruiting and growing talented staff members, time management and customer service.

Best of Show award, chosen by a team of judges, went to Excelsa Gardens in Loxahatchee, FL. Voted by attendees as Favorite New Flowering Plant was Tibouchina Hippie Dippie Tibbies (also known as Peace Baby) by ForemostCo. in Miami. Winning the vote for Favorite New Foliage Plant was Calathea Fusion White by Biostock in Plymouth, FL (see story, this page).

An emerging trend seemed to be fashion and design products designed for city-dwellers in smaller urban living spaces. Products such as a living picture frame with plants growing in it, vertical wire hangers for tillandsia and other aerobic plants, miniature violets and orchids, and small window box planters with culinary herbs.

Next year, TPIE will take place Jan. 21-23, again at the Broward County Convention Center.