Ohio, North Carolina prepare for green industry tradeshows

Visitors to Green and Growin’ look over distributors’ wares at a previous tradeshow in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) says registration is open for its Cents 2016 Marketplace & University, which is set for Jan. 11-13 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

In North Carolina, meanwhile, organizers of the Green & Growin’ 16 annual education conference and marketplace are hard at work in Greensboro. Education events are scheduled for Jan. 11-13 at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel there, while the tradeshow will be Jan. 14-15 at Greensboro Coliseum.

Ohio’s Cents 2016 show will feature more than 400 exhibitors offering products and services ranging from nursery stock, hardscaping, pest and disease control, landscaping equipment, business services and more.

The professional development side of the Cents 2016 event includes 136 sector-focused courses, including intensive pre-conference workshops, keynotes, nursery tours, hands-on expert demonstrations and interactive classroom presentations. CEUs may be earned at most of the sessions.

Cents 2016 will feature a keynote speaker each day, among them Travis Beck, a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and director of horticulture at the Mt. Cuba Center, and Charles R. Hall, Ellison Chair of International Floriculture in Texas A&M University’s Department of Horticultural Sciences.

For much more about Cents 2016, visit the website.

At the North Carolina event, Green and Growin’ ’16 officials say they’re expecting nearly 5,000 green industry professionals from across the country.

More than 80 sessions are planned as part of the education component, offering a total of 140 CEU credits toward eight different accreditations. A mix of hands-on workshops, specialty classes, top speakers and networking activities is planned.

Not surprisingly, the marketplace portion of Green and Growin’ focuses on plants. The North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association represents growers, landscapers, retail garden centers, suppliers, horticulture students and educators.

For more information about Green and Growin’ ’16, go here.