Free education sessions for IGC Show 2017 announced

CHICAGO – IGC Show organizers have announced the IGC Retailer Conference Free Sampler will return for the 2017 event on Tues., July 15. All IGC Show attendees are invited to Judy Sharpton’s workshop, “Starting Over: What If You Did Use a Bulldozer,” on Tuesday morning for free - no ‘All-Access Pass’ required and no need to RSVP. Free coffee and donuts will be served.

This year’s IGC Retailer Conference features five tracks of all-new interactive retail workshops that dig into issues of importance to the success of indies today, including Cashing In on the “Shop Local” Movement, Trying to Find the Work-Life Balance, Dollars & $ense, Store Makeovers and Using Google to Power Your Market Research. Each of the tracks’ sessions is detailed in full in the IGC Show 2017 Planning Guide, available for download here.

Jeff Milchen, co-founder and co-director of the American Independent Business Alliance, leads the track titled Cashing In On the “Shop Local” Movement. His sessions will look at what works – and what doesn’t – in building effective “shop local and independent” campaigns that draw more customers to your garden center. This new track will look at how to turn your garden center’s community roots into customer loyalty, and how to build your base through community partnerships. Part of this process involves working with other local independent businesses to form an alliance that puts muscle behind the “shop local” push.

Another new presenter at this summer’s conference, Eliz Greene, is an award-winning health and wellness speaker and author of several books, including her new release, The Trouble with Busy. Greene will lead the interactive track, “Trying to Find The Work-Life Balance: Managing Garden Center Stress.” Her sessions will discuss protective methods to deal with the high-stress environment of the busy spring peak, while giving you strategies for stress recovery and initiating a mental reset.

IGC Show runs from August 15-17 at Navy Pier, Chicago. In addition to Tuesday morning’s IGC Retailer Conference Sampler, the trade show, three keynotes and the concert with Blue Öyster Cult are all free of charge if you register now at www.IGCChicago.com.