Wilsonville, Oregon (August 5, 2016) - The 2016 Farwest Show, August 25-27, in Portland, OR, will sponsor The
Garden Center Group’s Retailers’ Choice Awards at this year’s show, in addition to introducing a mobile app to optimize convenience for attendees and adding a pollinator-focused grower's showcase to the show.
The Retailers’ Choice Awards take place at major trade shows around the country each year. At Farwest, representatives of the Garden Center Group will search the Expo floor for the top 10 new and innovative plants, hard goods, and services that can make a positive impact on operations and bottom-line performance for independent garden centers.
The Awards process takes place over two days, Thursday, August 25 and Friday, August 26. It will be led by Sid
Raisch, Garden Center Group service provider and owner of Horticultural Advantage, horticultural consulting. All
garden retailers are welcome to participate in the product search on Thursday, gathering at the Idea Center for
Retailers on the Expo floor for instruction and survey forms. After searching the floor and gathering entries, the
team will regroup to compare notes and choose top picks. Winners will be presented at the Idea Center for Retailers on Friday, at 3p. Representatives from companies awarded will share information on their products at that time.
The Retailers’ Choice Award is a program of The Garden Center Group. The Garden Center Group is an alliance of 125 premier garden centers and professional products and service providers from around the country.
A complete description of The Retailers’ Choice Awards can be seen at www.FarwestShow.com/highlights.
For further questions, contact Allan Niemi, director of events, at 503-582-2005 and aniemi@oan.org.
Cutting-edge plants and grower solutions
Farwest 2016 is also adding presentations of the latest and greatest plant introductions and ways to be more successful in production with this year’s New Varieties Showcase and Growers Showcase. Both events combine to cover a wide range of interests and issues that are trending around plants today. The Showcases are staged on the expo floor and open for all attendees from Thursday, August 25 to Saturday, August 27.
Companies from around the world have submitted 55 entries covering the best and brightest of perennials, shrubs, evergreens, shade and flowering trees, vines, groundcovers, and edibles being introduced for in the New Varieties Showcase for 2017.
To be accepted into the showcase, plants must demonstrate truly unique or improved characteristics that are
new to the market. Selections must be available for current or future sales by at least one Farwest exhibitor.
Additionally, at the time of offering, these plants must also be in large-scale production and readily available.
Take-it-with-you tags from sponsor Macore Company provide specific plant information such as height, width,
color and unique characteristics, as well as a list of growers or representatives at the show where show guests can place orders for these new varieties.
As in past years, a team of distinguished judges will evaluate the varieties and award the top picks on Thursday,
August 25. In addition, visitors to the showcase will select their top three favorites for the People’s Choice
Awards, to be announced on Saturday, August 27.
Click here for complete details and a preview of this year’s entries.
"Plants with a Purpose: Pollinators"
The Farwest Show 2016 will focus the yearly Growers Showcase on the issue of pollinators this year. With the theme "Plants with a Purpose: Pollinators," the showcase, set up on the expo floor, invites all exhibitors to contribute plant material and products that fall under the pollinators theme. Pollinator decline reports have taken central stage in recent years with consumers more aware of ecological and environmental issues than ever before.
Plants and products in the showcase will be tagged with exhibitors’ booth numbers for further inquiry and displayed to feature the beauty and benefit of pollinator gardens. The showcase is open to all attending the show and will be set up Thursday, August 25 through Saturday, August 27. See complete details at www.farwestshow.com/highlights.shtml#3.
For further questions, contact Allison Pennell, event and program coordinator, at 503-582-2010 and apennell@oan.org.
Farwest at your fingertips
The newest version of the Farwest mobile app is ready and available for download for this year’s show. The iPhone and Android app is free to download at the App Store and Google Play.
The Farwest mobile app is a planning tool for exhibitors and attendees with advance information including exhibitor listings, speaker sessions and biographies, a floor map and more. At the show, attendees can use the app to connect with others, track connections, and receive real-time notifications. Show goers will be able to rate speakers, share photos and insights on social media, and join the virtual community at #FarwestShow. Anyone with the 2015 app already installed can visit the App Store and Google Play and enable updates to have the 2016 show at their fingertips.
For complete details on downloading, other show information, and to register for the Show, visit
www.FarwestShow.com.