Inaugural Plant Convention kicks off in Houston on Friday 19 May

With Heart Collective is proud to announce PlantCon International, an inaugural global plant convention taking place at NRG Center in Houston, Texas on May 19-20, 2023.

PlantCon International kicks off with a pre-party on May 18 for all visitors, vendors, and volunteers at Equal Parts Brewing and a closing reception on May 21 at the Houston Botanic Garden.

PlantCon aims to unite plant enthusiasts from all over the world for an immersive weekend experience, centralising the international plant community and facilitating connections between the many (sometimes distant) worlds that exist within the hobby. These include bonsai, native planting, carnivorous, aquatics, edible gardening, indoor houseplants, conservancy and more.

One highlight of PlantCon is the 100-vendor plant market and exhibition, featuring both national and local growers, offering a wide array of rare and hard to find plants for enthusiasts to indulge and delight in. PlantCon will also feature seminars and workshops from field experts on various topics ranging from foraging, mycology, land and nature conservancy, indoor plant care, native landscaping, and more.

PlantCon stands out for its unique non-profit mission to promote inclusivity and visibility for all national and international plant organisations, particularly those leading the way in sustainability and conservation efforts. PlantCon believes that the key to driving progress in the plant world and its community is by closing the divide between specialised plant organisations and the wider community of plant enthusiasts. By uniting these communities, PlantCon aims to foster connections, promote collaboration, and facilitate knowledge sharing among plant enthusiasts, organisations, and industry leaders.

PlantCon was founded by the same team that brought you Houston Plant Market (HPM), a locally cherished gathering that started as a way for local plant people to connect safely during the pandemic. Over the years, the gathering grew exponentially, expanding from coffee shop parking lots to botanic gardens and city-sponsored venues. HPM extended its work beyond the plant world alone by establishing With Heart, a collective of nonprofits supporting and uplifting all minority owned small businesses. Under With Heart Collective, HPM is amplifying this mission at an international and global scale through PlantCon, while promoting sustainability, conservancy, and eco-consciousness.

“It’s a bit of a shock how far we’ve come,” said Kenny Nguyen, Founder of With Heart Collective. “We’re just believers in community building and doing what we can to bring people together. We feel so grateful that others have found value in our work over the past three years leading up to this. We love what we get to do, so why not take it globally and share it with the world, right?”

PlantCon is open to plant enthusiasts of all levels, from beginners to seasoned plant collectors,

and offers an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. “We’re committed to making PlantCon accessible and inclusive to all, and we welcome everyone to join us in having good, unpretentious, and down-to-earth fun. Plants make people happy!” said Nguyen.

Event Details:

• What: PlantCon International 2023
• Where: NRG Center, Houston, TX
• When: May 19-20, 2023
• Website: https://www.plantcon.org/tickets
• Pre-party: May 18, Equal Parts Brewing
• Closing Reception: May 21, Houston Botanic Garden

With Heart Collective is a non-profit event and production team focused on creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for small, minority-owned businesses and their customers. Their mission is to provide educational resources and support in areas such as tax compliance, branding, marketing and more, while fostering connections and promoting diversity within the community. As a proud AAPI, BIPOC, and Queer-led organisation, With Heart Collective is dedicated to empowering underrepresented voices and promoting equity in entrepreneurship.