Garden Center Executive Summit speaker lineup includes retail and lean business experts

The early-bird registration deadline for the  Garden Center Executive Summit is this Tuesday, January 15. Sign up today to save $200 on the educational conference, which will provide key decision-makers at independent garden centers with actionable ideas they can take back to their businesses and opportunities to network.

The inaugural Executive Summit, planned in collaboration with Garden Center magazine’s Conference and Editorial advisory boards, will take place Feb. 18-20, 2019, in Denver, Colorado.

Speakers include Ian Baldwin, veteran retail consultant who will explain the 5 most important metrics successful garden centers track; Chris Taylor, CEO of Fisher’s Technology, who will give attendees an inside look at the culture at his company and how he cultivates successful employees; Mark Graban, who will discuss how to incorporate lean business practices at garden centers; Jessie Jacobson, president and owner of Tonkadale Greenhouse, who will explain why it’s important to develop a mission, vision and core values at your garden center; and Jennifer Schamber of Greenscape Gardens, who along with Lindsay Squires Chrisp of Tagawa Gardens, will discuss fostering community at your garden center.

Companies who are on Garden Center magazine’s 2018 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers list will be honored during a celebration and networking event on Tuesday, Feb. 19. There will also be an opening welcome reception on Feb. 18.

Monday, February 18, 2019

Keynote: Strategy to Survive, People to Drive and Culture to Thrive – Hiring for Success and Developing and Reinforcing Culture, Speaker: Chris Taylor, CEO, Fisher’s Technology

Welcome Reception

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Keynote: The Lean Garden Center: How Owners Can Incorporate Lean Business Practices to Improve Customer Experience, Culture and More, Speaker: Mark Graban, Author, Speaker, & Consultant, Constancy Inc

Panel Discussion: The Employee Experience: How to Attract Career Staff and Create an Environment and Culture Where People Want to Work, Speakers: Susan Bachman West, President, Bachman’s and Mark Bigej, Chief of Operations, Al’s Garden & Home

Panel Discussion: What’s Driving Consumers: Authenticity, Transparency, Education and Experience, Speakers: Lindsay Squires Chrisp, Events & Community Outreach Coordinator, Tagawa Gardens, and Jennifer Schamber, Greenscape Gardens

Session: Measuring what matters: The 5 most important metrics garden centers track and key benchmarks for the industry, Speaker: Ian Baldwin, retail business consultant

Panel Discussion: Why I Bought a Garden Center: Setting a Direction for a Newly Acquired or Created Business, Speakers: Tammy Behm, Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop, Casey Landa and Madison Landa Williams, Co-Owners, Boulevard Flower Gardens

Session: Developing a Mission, Vision and Core Values: The Process of Creating and Implementing Guiding Business Principles, Speaker: Jessie Jacobson, President and Owner, Tonkadale Greenhouse

Session: How Garden Center Owners Can Adapt to Rapidly Evolving Marketing Strategies, Speaker: Rob Sproule, Co-Owner, Salisbury Greenhouse

Top 100 Awards Ceremony and Reception

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Keynote: Staying Relevant in a Quickly Evolving Retail World: What Are Other Retailers Doing and How Can Garden Centers Compete? Speaker: Julie Kouhia, CEO, Molbak’s Garden + Home

Session: Letting Your Customers Shop How They Want to Shop: The Pros and Cons of E-Commerce, What I Learned from Offering E-Commerce, In-Store Pickup and Delivery, Speaker: Richard Christakes, CEO, Alsip Home & Nursery

Roundtable: 30 ideas in 30 minutes