TPIE is moving to Tampa in 2021 & 2022

ORLANDO, USA: After the Tropical Plant International Expo in Fort Lauderdale on January 22-24, 2020, TPIE will be moving from the east side to the west side of the Sunshine State. TPIE’s backdrop for 2021 and 2022 will be the redeveloped waterfront of Tampa Bay, Florida as the show moves to the Tampa Convention Center.

“No matter where TPIE takes place, it will continue to be the best industry trade event focused on interior plants, tropical foliage, live décor and plant trends,” noted Marcella Lucio-Chinchilla, chairperson of TPIE and marketing director at Silver Vase, Inc. “We’ll continue to have the exciting exhibitor displays, cutting-edge presentations and an array of industry thought-leaders and influencers for which TPIE is so well-known. TPIE will continue as the best place to do business when it comes to the indoor tropical foliage and houseplant business.”

For nearly 30 years, TPIE’s participants have loved the “sunsational” offerings of Fort Lauderdale. In fact, because of the success of shows such as TPIE, Broward County officials have determined to significantly expand its convention center and add a long-promised, adjacent convention hotel. FNGLA and TPIE’s team fully support the expansion and the addition of the new hotel. However, the major construction phases during the next two to three years make it inadvisable and impossible to host the show in Fort Lauderdale.

“Fort Lauderdale has been the home to TPIE for so long it was strange to consider holding it anywhere else. Yet, when Broward County officials informed us that we needed to find a new facility during the major construction phases, we were very excited with what we discovered in Tampa,” explains Linda Adams, TPIE’s show manager. “We will all miss aspects of Fort Lauderdale, yet our TPIE attendees will love the welcoming and urban chic style of downtown Tampa. It’s walkable, it’s diverse, it’s hipster, it’s waterfront, it’s fun, it’s warm and it’s friendly.”

Named a Top 50 U.S. meeting destination by Cvent, Downtown Tampa is in a Renaissance. Tampa’s award-winning 2.4-mile River Walk along the Hillsborough River serves as the main connector to a vast selection of restaurants, waterfront bars, bistros and craft breweries. There are entertainment options as varied as hockey games, museums and even an amazing aquarium – all within three miles of the Tampa Convention Center. Added values are its close proximity to Tampa International, the Gulf Coast beaches and the iconic Cuban legacy of Ybor City. Ybor City is only a short and free streetcar ride away! With its cigar bars, plenty of live music and Ybor’s beloved mascots – colorful chickens who free-range in the neighborhood, it’s easy to see why TPIE’s leaders chose Tampa as TPIE’s new location.

Not only has the Tampa Bay convention district gone through big changes in the recent past, so have the hotels which will be part of the TPIE housing program. TPIE attendees will find host hotels up-to-date in style and amenities, with a variety of brands and price ranges all located within a convenient walk or streetcar ride to the Tampa Convention Center.

“Sometimes a little change is just what’s needed to keep things interesting,” notes TPIE Chairperson Marcella Lucio-Chinchilla. “We didn’t seek this situation. Yet when it came to us, we embraced it as an opportunity to bring new sights and perspectives for our TPIE participants. Tampa fits the bill for a change all will enjoy.”

Dates for TPIE in Fort Lauderdale are January 22-24, 2020.

Dates for TPIE in Tampa will be January 20-22, 2021 and January 19-21, 2022.

The FNGLA is the nation’s largest state nursery and landscape association, representing Florida’s environmental horticulture industry which generated $21 billion total output sales in 2015 and directly employed 232,000 people.

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