The Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition takes place Jan. 21-23 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Under the banner, “Inspire. Innovate. Create.” TPIE always jumpstarts the new year with one of the bigger business venues in the plant industry and 2015 will be no exception as TPIE offers opportunities to inspire new thinking, innovate with new products and create new partnerships.

Known as the show where vendors showcase their newest products and services, TPIE offers buyers insight into market trends and design ideas. TPIE is a major national trade event where buyers and sellers of tropical foliage converge.

TPIE’s opening session on Jan. 21 will feature international trend analyst Christine Boland, as she discusses “Trends & Mindsets — Creating Success Today by Anticipating Tomorrow’s Consumer Trends and Needs.” Sponsored by LiveTrends Design Group and SK, a German ceramics company, the opening session is included with trade show admission. Christine Boland’s presentation will focus on social, fashion and retail trends and how to apply them to the world of foliage and tropical plants.

The Create Theater, presented by the American Institute of Floral Designers, returns with three days of themed how-to sessions. This year’s focus includes “Plant Design Trends,” “Plants with a RePurpose,” and “Plants as Art.”

Look for a new format for the TPIE Short Course as its classes go on the road. Known as the “TPIE Road Show: It’s Education on the Go!” and taking place on Jan. 20, this new format offers two industry segment tracks and tours. Each starts with general sessions in the classroom, and then moves to nurseries or garden centers, depending on which tour is selected. The Interiorscape tour heads to Homestead, FL, where the sessions continue at local nurseries, while the retail tour visits three unique garden centers in the Fort Lauderdale area.

New to TPIE this year is the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association’s Landscape Certification Exam Showcase where prospective certification candidates preview exam station layouts, as well as receive tips and clarifications from certification mentors and exam judges. This area will be located on the trade show floor and is accessible throughout show hours.

After a busy day on the trade show floor, the TPIE Happy Hour, sponsored by the SunParasol Collection, brings the party outside. TPIE attendees relax by the iconic Sailfish Fountain in the convention center’s courtyard and continue to mix business with pleasure, enjoying drinks and mild Florida temperatures.

The TPIE palette for 2015 will bring an inspiring, innovative and creative mix of plants, products, ideas and connections. Register by Jan. 5 for $15; it’s $30 thereafter. Separate registration is necessary to attend the TPIE Road Show.

TPIE is sponsored by FNGLA as a benefit to its members and the industry at large. The proceeds from FNGLA’s trade shows support the many key programs and services that FNGLA offers its members and industry.

For more information, visit www.tpie.org.

Jennifer Nelis is director of communications and public relations at the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association in Orlando, FL. She can be contacted at [email protected].