The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
AIPH hosts several conferences, webinars and events such as the International Grower of the Year award throughout the year. Read about these along with the latest news about the association’s activities.
AIPH’s key aim is to stimulate demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. We are committed to supporting growers in achieving this by protecting and promoting the interests of the industry.
28 September 2022, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm CEST - Floriade Expo 2022, Almere, The Netherlands
Influencing Change in a Digital World
The second World Ornamental Horticulture Summit will take place on 28th September 2022 in Almere, The Netherlands, as part of the 74th AIPH Annual Congress.
Following the success of the inaugural World Ornamental Horticulture Summit in 2019 in Beijing, the second Summit invites professionals from around the world to the AIPH-approved Expo 2022 Floriade Amsterdam Almere to discover the future of horticulture in the digital age.
With a theme of ‘Influencing change in a digital world’, the 2022 Summit will bring together experts from the horticultural industry to discuss: how new media and digital marketing can be utilised to drive sales; how social media can influence the supply chain; and how the industry can prepare for a new world of consumer power.
“With this summit we are attempting to see how the digital world is going to change the ornamental horticulture industry. How will we market our products in 2032, how will we interact with customer and what can we do now to make sure our products have their rightful place in the lives of the customers of tomorrow,” said Tim Briercliffe, AIPH Secretary General.
Programme
09:00 Arrival and registration
09:30 Welcome from Conference Chair and AIPH President
09:45 – Speaker Presentations
‘Marketing in the digital era’ – Keynote presentation from Domingo Iudice, CEO of BrainPull digital agency, Italy
Domingo will explore how digital communications and technology can be used to create value and increase profitability, finding new ways to sell B2B and new ways to influence the end consumer. This dynamic and interactive presentation will inspire the industry with a glimpse of the future.
‘Connecting the dots between breeders, growers, retailers, and home gardeners’ – Justin Hancock, Brand Marketing, Costa Farms, USA
Justin will share his experience on how the role of digital media and influencers is leading key production and sales decisions and processes in Costa Farms, one of the world’s largest ornamental plant growers, and how this will change the industry forever.
‘Why people listen to me’ – Darryl Cheng, @HousePlantJournal, USA
Darryl will explain how he keeps the attention of over half a million followers and why growers will benefit from working more closely with people like him.
12:30 Lunch
13:30 –Speaker Presentations and Panels
‘Connecting the industry to the consumer’ – Michael Perry, @mr_plantgeek, UK
Michael will use his experience both inside the industry and talking with consumers, to highlight the power of social media and how this can be used to cross over to real life events.
Panel – Our Future in a Digital World
Leading industry figures will explain how they see the role of the online world in shaping the future of the industry:
Steven van Schilfgaarde, CEO of Royal FloraHolland, the Netherlands
Jan van Dam, CEO of Dutch Flower Group, the Netherlands
‘Preparing the industry for the future’ – Dr. Tosca Ferber-Koevoets, Research Director at Dümmen Orange, the Netherlands
Tosca will explain how breeders are responding to consumer demands and how developing techniques will enable them to meet those demands even more quickly.
Panel – The customer is King
The panel will discuss the changing consumer, their expectations and how the B2C world needs to respond.
Marco van der Sar, Chairman of the Flower Council, Netherlands
17:20 Conference Close
Summit Speakers and Panellists
Domingo Iudice
Together with four friends, Domingo founded BrainPull – a digital marketing agency based in Italy – in 2012. He now serves as the company’s Director. Domingo graduated from the University of Bari with a doctorate in Marketing, specialising in applied statistical techniques.
Darryl Cheng
Darryl Cheng is the author of ‘The New Plant Parent’ and creator of House Plant Journal. Darryl’s passion for plants and engineering approach to plant care have turned him into one of the most trusted houseplant resources on the internet! What was initially a hobby Tumblr page has turned into an Instagram account with over half a million followers, a go-to website for anything houseplant related, his very own houseplant care book, and plant time-lapse videos that have gone viral around the world.
Michael Perry
Michael Perry goes by the moniker Mr Plant Geek in the UK. Growing plants, loving plants, and sharing his experiences with plants on television, radio, podcasts, and social media has led to him holding the crown of Influencer of the Year bestowed by the UK’s Garden Media Guild. He began as a product developer for Thompson Morgan for 18-years, after which he switched to pursuing his garden personality career. This belief in plants shows he is comfortable working with industry professionals and is authentic with followers.
Floriade Expo 2022
With a theme of ‘Growing Green Cities’, Floriade Expo 2022 shows how horticulture can be used to provide green solutions and offer citizens a more sustainable way of life. More than 400 national and international participants showcase their latest green innovations, solutions and applications at their pavilions.
The initiatives are divided into the Expo’s four themes: Greening the City, Feeding the City, Healthying the City, and Energising the City.
To cement the Expo’s commitment to sustainability and beneficial legacy, the Arboretum area of the site will be converted into accommodation for citizens of Almere after the Expo closes. This new city district will be named Hortus.
CIOPORA is the International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Varieties.
Breeders of such varieties account for two-thirds of all Plant Variety Right (PVR) titles in the world. For more than 50 years, CIOPORA has been representing these breeders in all matters of Intellectual Property (IP) Protection, aiming to foster an environment in which the innovation of these breeders can flourish. The main priority of CIOPORA is the constant development and enhancement of systems of Intellectual Property Protection for plant innovation. CIOPORA enjoys the observer status at the Administrative Council of CPVO and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). CIOPORA unites breeders of all asexually reproduced horticultural plants with a broad portfolio of species and varieties on the market. CIOPORA is a member-based, non-profit organisation with currently 125 members from over 20 countries on five continents.
The Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) is a market-driven initiative that brings together members of the international floriculture sector. Towards 2025, FSI members will continue to build on the progress made on transparency, responsible production and trade, positive impact and improvement in the floriculture supply chain.
FloraCulture International (FCI), your gateway to global ornamental horticulture is the only international trade magazine in the worldwide ornamental sector. FCI shares knowledge, inspires, and strengthens the special and necessary cooperation within the ornamental sector by bringing people, markets and cultures together in the themes and articles.
Host City is the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events. It connects cities, rights holders, organising committees and other stakeholders in their quest for best practice in hosting major events. As a conference, exhibition, magazine and website, Host City brings together the international community of international sports, business and cultural events.
Whether you represent a city, a rights holder, organiser or other stakeholders, Host City presents opportunities to get involved in staging upcoming major events. Speakers of the very highest level discuss hosting in the new normal, environmental and social governance, digital transformation and international collaboration. VIP keynotes, panels, Q&A, presentations and interactive workshops will run alongside structured networking and exhibition activities.
Darryl Cheng is the author of ‘The New Plant Parent’ and creator of House Plant Journal. Darryl’s passion for plants and engineering approach to plant care have turned him into one of the most trusted houseplant resources on the internet! What was initially a hobby Tumblr page has turned into an 
