2026 Event Schedule

Symphony Ballroom Foyer

Symphony I

Starstruck

Hands-on creative workshops are one of the most powerful (and underutilized) tools for increasing foot traffic, average tickets, community engagement and repeat sales in independent garden centers. These immersive experiences can go beyond traditional porch pots and container planting classes and still be relevant and cost-effective.

In this strategic session, you’ll learn:

• Why craft-based classes matter to younger customers, especially those under 40
• How workshops increase average ticket and return visits
• Real examples and case studies from successful retailers
• What types of projects resonate most
• How to price workshops (including margins, materials and labor)
• How to market and fill classes quickly with an early sign-up strategy
• How to talk through common fears and operational concerns with your team

Elzer-Peters will also host an example workshop in the afternoon for the first 20 people who register (see below for more information).

Symphony II & III

Looking for a way to expand your retail business beyond traditional sales? Tropical plant rentals can be a powerful revenue stream, especially for garden centers already strong in houseplants and indoor gardening. Gardens of Babylon generated more than $150,000 in revenue the first year by adding rentals to its offerings — servicing events, conventions and short-term installations. This session will help you evaluate if plant rentals are right for your market.

We’ll cover key considerations: Are you in a tourism- or convention-driven city? Do you have a strong inventory of large tropicals?

From there, we’ll dive into the nuts and bolts: minimums and pricing, sales practices, how to create a polished proposal, rental contracts and the logistics and operations that make it work.

Symphony II & III

Many established independent garden centers with owners from the third generation and beyond share similar origin stories of family members starting the business by selling flowers or produce from small, modest roadside stands, and building from there. But it’s not typical for a garden center that got its start in this digital-first decade — and in the middle of a pandemic.

In this inspiring and practical session, Linsay Chavez, owner of Four Arrows Garden Center, will share how a pandemic side project selling succulents from her driveway in Arizona to keep her kids busy when everything shut down evolved to a thriving, three-acre destination garden center approaching $750,000 in annual sales in just three years. In a matter of months, Chavez, who has a marketing background, first expanded to her family’s backyard, then to a 2,000-square-foot space inside an Ace Hardware, and finally to her own brick-and-mortar business.

From “Kids Plant Free” programs that convert families into loyal customers and  school partnerships that create built-in brand ambassadors to an event that attracted more than 900 people on a 110-degree day in August, every initiative is rooted in community and designed to generate traffic, increase basket size and build long-term loyalty.
In this session, Chavez will share:

• How Four Arrows scaled and grew the business without traditional advertising
• How simple, low-cost activities and events can be powerful traffic drivers
• Why storytelling is essential
• How to build partnerships with local schools for workforce development programs and field trips
• Why the business lets kids plant free and gives away succulents for free on Saturdays

Symphony I

Symphony II & III

Starstruck

Symphony I

Symphony I

Starstruck

Many of us learn best by doing, and that’s why Katie Elzer-Peters is offering a hands-on workshop both to talk about creative and profitable craft-based workshops that garden centers can offer and invite attendees to experience one of her classes so garden center owners and managers can better replicate them at their stores. This immersive opportunity is limited to the first 20 attendees who sign up and will include:

• Watercolor basics for beginners
• Creating painted paper backgrounds
• Tracing techniques for non-artists to design a garden portrait, which they can then use to plan their outdoor spaces and get inspired before the gardening season
• How to structure class time (including downtime while paint dries)
• How to upsell plants and supplies tied to the artwork
• Supplies will be provided

Symphony II & III

Symphony II & III

Symphony II & III

Since 2020, the Garden Media Group has been collecting data on social media posts about plants and gardening to better understand how consumers are talking about horticulture. Now, 44 million posts later, that data helps inform the language garden centers can use to talk about gardening in a way that resonates with potential customers — and how their priorities have shifted. The information can also help build a marketing strategy  independent retailers can use to promote their products and services in a way that matters most to consumers.

Becky Paxton, an account executive with Garden Media Group, has maintained this data for more than six years and will share her insights on her findings, what she views as the most important trend of the year for garden centers and  what aspects of marketing are most important to foster customer loyalty. After this session, you’ll walk away with:

• Insights on how the words customers are using to talk about garden shopping have changed since the pandemic.
• How much customers are talking about buying plants (changes in social media volume over time specifically related to garden spending).
• Key words and messaging garden centers can use that resonates with what customers are talking about today.
• Which trends from the Garden Media Group 2027 Garden Trends Report are the most important for garden retailers to know.
• How garden retailers can incorporate key trends into their product positioning.
• How to implement a marketing "energy pyramid," which will help retailers invest energy and hours where they can build the deepest loyalty.
  

Starstruck

Symphony II & III

Symphony II & III

Symphony Ballroom Foyer

Nashville-area Garden Centers

Some of the best independent garden centers are in the Southeast, and the retailers of Nashville, Tennessee, are no exception. Join us as we tour inspiring, nationally known Nashville-area operations to see how they meet and exceed garden consumers’ demands and provide immersive experiences with spaces to learn, shop, dine and grow throughout the year. Space is limited, and last year's tour SOLD OUT.

Click here for information on the Garden Center Tour.