Category Archives: Events

Insights Into How Customers Rate Garden Company Shopping

November 2, 2009 – 4:15 am

In my last blog post, I emphasized the importance of following best practices in all your customer touchpoints if you want to maximize your sales without increasing your marketing budget. As I mentioned, the Secret Shopper Survey sponsored by the Mailorder Gardening Association earlier this year uncovered an astonishing number of opportunities for improvement in this regard. A new program at the next MGA conference is sure to provide even more ideas for low-cost improvements. (Click on the headline for more…)

By Val Gosset | Also posted in Customer service, Marketing | Leave a Comment

Harbinger of a Good Season to Come?

September 25, 2009 – 4:15 am

Attendance at last month’s Independent Garden Center show jumped a full 36% over the previous year — to 6,043 registered attendees from 49 states and 24 countries. Considering that the majority of the exhibitors were selling ornamentals, hard goods and outdoor living products – not vegetable gardening products that boomed this past year – that [...]

By Val Gosset | Also posted in Garden industry trends | Comments (1)

See You at the Independent Garden Center Show?

August 5, 2009 – 4:15 am

The Independent Garden Center Show (Chicago, Aug. 18 – Aug. 20) is less than two weeks away. Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of this new show, it’s been expanded to include more than 900 vendors of unusual, high-quality products for the independent gardening merchant.

I’ll be there on Tuesday, August 18 and Wednesday, August 19. Please let me know if you plan to attend. I’d love to meet!

By Val Gosset | Leave a Comment

Building Customer Engagement: Some Novel Approaches

July 31, 2009 – 4:15 am

In my last post, I mentioned some of the ways Terrain at Styer’s, the Philadelphia nursery owned by Urban Outfitters, is expanding their market. One of the key elements in their program is events, including those that reach far beyond the traditional gardening how-to offerings. Their July calendar includes the following: (Click on the headline for more…)

By Val Gosset | Also posted in Marketing | Leave a Comment

Make Your Mailorder Gardening Association Conference Reservation Now!

June 15, 2009 – 4:15 am

If you’ve been thinking about going to the Summer Mailorder Gardening Association conference in Minneapolis (July 15 – 17), pick up the phone and make your reservations now. Our block of rooms is reserved through today and because the hotel is filled with other conferences, any unsold rooms are likely to be snapped up quickly.

It promises to be an outstanding program. Among the speakers are: (Click on the headline for more…)

By Val Gosset | Leave a Comment

See You at the Hardware Show?

April 10, 2009 – 4:15 am

The National Hardware Show in Las Vegas is just a few weeks away, and I’m dusting off my walking shoes. With over 900 exhibitors in the Lawn, Garden and Outdoor Living category alone, it’s not a place for the faint-of-foot. I’ll be attending Tuesday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 6. If you’d like to meet, please let me know. I’d love to sit down (!) and chat over a cup of coffee.

By Val Gosset | Leave a Comment

See You at the NEMOA Conference?

February 6, 2009 – 4:15 am

I just signed up for the Spring conference of the New England Mail Order Association (more commonly known as NEMOA), and I’m hoping to see you there. Attendees include a diverse group of direct marketers, including… (Click on the headline for more.)

By Val Gosset | Leave a Comment

Mailorder Gardening Association Conference Preview

November 10, 2008 – 4:15 am

The conference brochure for the Mailorder Gardening Association (MGA) Winter 2009 conference, January 5 to 7 in Baltimore, just arrived and it’s chock full of excellent reasons to attend: (Click on headline for more…)

By Val Gosset | Tagged | Comments (1)

See You at the Independent Garden Center Show?

August 8, 2008 – 4:15 am

Last year, Nursery Retailer and Garden Chic magazines launched the Independent Garden Center Show, devoted exclusively to garden center products and experts. It was a first-rate show with a large collection of unusual, high quality merchandise on display.

This year’s show runs from Tuesday, August 19 through Thursday, August 21 at the Chicago Navy Pier, and I’m looking forward to attending.

In addition to the exhibit hall, two full days of lectures are also offered. Many topics are specific to garden centers, but quite a few deal with trends, markets, organics, and other topics of equal interest to catalogers and online marketers.

Please let me know if you plan to attend the show. I’d love to meet!

By Val Gosset | Tagged , | Leave a Comment

See You At The MGA Conference?

July 4, 2008 – 4:15 am

The summer conference of the Mailorder Gardening Association is just around the corner (July 15-18 in Colorado Springs), and I’m especially excited about the program. For starters, we’ll enjoy a return visit by Kip Creel of Standpoint Marketing Research. At the January conference, Kip dazzled us with an amazingly insightful presentation on marketing gardening products to younger buyers.

By Val Gosset | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)
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