2024 Farwest keynote to address the value of curiosity

Do you even know James Robilotta? If you attend the 2024 Farwest Show, you’ll get to know him better. Not only that, but you’ll probably walk away having laughed and learned.

The nationally known leadership author, motivational speaker, emcee and trained improv comedian is giving the show’s keynote address, entitled “Do You Even Know Me? How Curiosity Creates Community in the Workplace.” The keynote is free to all registered Farwest participants.

“We’re thrilled to host James at Farwest,” said Jamie Moore, events and education coordinator for the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which produces the Farwest Show. “He’s going to share key insights on adopting a mindset of curiosity. We all can benefit by asking better questions of others, and changing how we listen to people so we understand their stories and insights. The nursery industry is built on connections, and so is Farwest. This keynote will really set the tone for a productive show that offers lasting take-home value and impact.”

Farwest takes place August 21–23, 2024 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Registration is now open and Early Bird rates on expo and seminar passes are available until July 31 at FarwestShow.com/Register, as are special Farwest room block rates on hotels.

“This year, we’ve put together a fun show where green industry professionals can connect, grow and thrive with others just like them,” Show Director Allan Niemi said. “Connections drive our industry. At Farwest, folks can meet fellow nursery and greenhouse growers, lawn and garden center retailers, landscaping professionals and designers, plant breeders, suppliers, service providers, students, researchers, managers, leaders and others with industry ties.”

Oregon is a nationwide nursery industry leader, with more than $1.2 billion in sales during the most recent year tallied. It’s the leading state for coniferous evergreens, deciduous shade trees, deciduous flowering trees, bareroot nursery products, B&B nursery products and cut Christmas trees.

Two all-day tours of local nurseries and retail garden centers precede the show, starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20. The trade show floor will be open August 21–23, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Friday. Educational seminars will take place all three of those days.

The seminar schedule is designed around the green industry professional. The mission is to help them power up their businesses and careers with engaging seminars on the cutting edge of thought leadership, so they can take home actionable, game-changing ideas and put them to work immediately. For Spanish speakers, several seminars will either be translated into Spanish or presented in Spanish.

The show floor will be packed with more than 300 exhibiting companies, including wholesale growers, re-wholesalers, garden centers, landscape designers and service providers, allied service providers and suppliers, and more. An estimated 4,000+ attendees and guests will browse the latest plants, products and services available to horticultural businesses.

One of the absolute highlights is the Show’s New Varieties Showcase and the New Products Showcase that will preview the best new genetic discoveries and hard goods coming to the marketplace in 2024 and 2025. A panel of professionals and engaged attendees will issue awards and accolades to the top product entries and exhibiting companies across the show.

The Farwest Show’s educational programme is jam-packed. Experts from all segments of the industry will deliver more than 45 educational seminars throughout the event, including free mini-sessions that take place at the Solution Center right on the trade show floor. Attendees can earn continuing education credits, including 10 hours of pesticide recertification credit. The keynote address on Wednesday will be free to all registrants. A discounted student and teacher education pass is available for attendees who provide identification from their institution.

Networking opportunities galore at the Farwest Show. The NexGen networking event invites those who are new to the industry and future leaders in horticulture to meet and discuss their career goals at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. All attendees and exhibitors are welcome to join the traditional Happy Hour event starting at 5 p.m. on the same day. On Thursday, Women in Horticulture gather at 3:30 p.m. to share their experiences, build connections and support each other’s career growth. The Pub Crawl begins soon after at 5 p.m. at Spirit of 77, across the street from the Oregon Convention Center, then moving along from there to another location. The fun will last into the evening.

The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents more than 700 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers, and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is one of the state’s largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $1.22 billion. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; more than 75 per cent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org

The Farwest Show, the biggest green industry trade show in the West, is produced by the OAN, a nonprofit organization that represents and serves the interests of Oregon’s nursery, retail, and greenhouse industry. The show was founded in 1973, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and is now poised to help green industry professionals “Meet the Future.” Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations.

For more information visit www.FarwestShow.com