For grower-retailers, Garden Center Conference & Expo is the place to be

Photos © Joe Szurszewski

Wednesday, Aug. 6

From Trend to Transaction: Capitalize on 2026 Garden Trends

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Ready to boost sales and connect with today’s customers? Join this interactive session and learn how to transform Garden Media Group’s 2026 Garden Trends into concrete sales strategies. Garden Media’s president and trendspotter, Katie Dubow, will dissect three to four of the company’s key trends and provide actionable advice on product selection, irresistible visual merchandising tips, effective cross-merchandising ideas and targeted marketing strategies. Whether you’re aiming for a store refresh or simply want to stay ahead of the curve, this session will give you the insights you need to thrive in 2026.

Speaker: Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group

The Future of Garden Center Retail: What Consumers Really Want (Sponsored by Square)

Time: 12:30 - 1:15 p.m.

Today’s customers want more from their shopping experience — are you ready to deliver? Square’s annual Future of Retail report is based on insights from 4,000 consumers, revealing trends in evolving shopping preferences and actionable tips you can implement in your garden center today. Claire Allen, retail product marketing manager at Square, will unpack this year’s key trends, and you’ll hear from a panel of experts as they share examples of how they’re using these insights to grow their businesses. Join us for actionable strategies to boost sales, strengthen loyalty and fuel growth this year and beyond.

Speaker: Claire Allen, product marketing manager at Square

Financial KPIs that Drive Retail Profitability

Time: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

In this session, Tim Quebedeaux from The Garden Center Group will detail what he’s tracking in the Group’s Weekly Department Review — which includes insights from more than 110 member garden centers, including transaction counts, average sales, inventory levels, general trends and other KPIs, as well as key insights from the 2024 Profit & Loss Study. This session will help garden centers benchmark their businesses and provide attendees with the opportunity to get advice on the biggest financial questions and challenges facing IGCs today.

Speaker: Tim Quebedeaux, service provider at The Garden Center Group

Lessons from a Decade-Long Journey of Succession Planning, a Sale Leaseback and Relocation

Time: 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

The idea that a family business “will take care of us” is a common one — but it only becomes true if you plan for it. All leaders need to formalize a plan to exit the business or role, and it’s important that the transition of a company you’ve devoted your life to is strategic and not left up to chance. In this session, we’ll dive into how Reems Creek Nursery navigated not only succession planning, but also a sale leaseback and business relocation. Susan Reavis and her son-in-law David Williams will share the challenges and triumphs of developing a succession plan to transition the company from Susan to David by executing a sale-leaseback strategy and what factors led them to decide to move their business to a new location, with moderation by Chris Cimaglio, a certified exit plan adviser and succession planning expert. Attendees will walk away with best practices and tips for building a solid succession plan that ensures business continuity.

Speakers: Chris Cimaglio, managing partner at BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group and PivotPoint Business Solutions; Susan Reavis, former owner, consultant and board of directors-treasurer at Reems Creek Nursery; David Williams, vice president of operations and co-owner of Reems Creek Nursery

Thursday, Aug. 7

Managing & Motivating the Multi-Generational Green Industry

Time: 9 - 10 a.m.

For the first time in history, five generations collide in the workforce: The Silent Generation, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z. However, the workforce faces mass retirements from the baby boomer generation every day. Gen Z is quickly infiltrating the industry, and millennials are stepping up to take over leadership positions, bringing new ideas about technology, management and communication styles, company culture, and personal and professional values and expectations. This session will share various perspectives inspired by professionals across the prominent generations in the workforce today, providing insight into what once was versus today’s reality.

Speaker: Paige Franks, senior executive search adviser at BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group

How to Leverage AI To Gain a Competitive Advantage

Time: 9 - 10 a.m.

The spotlight is on AI and how businesses can use this technology to increase efficiency. IGCs that take time to learn more about it and use it as a tool are going to win. This session will break down both the capabilities and limitations of AI and how retailers can use the technology to support everything from customer service and education to email marketing and automating recurring tasks. Knowledge has always been a key differentiator for IGCs, and this talk will break down how businesses can retain that advantage while enhancing other aspects of their stores.

Speaker: Rob Sproule, co-owner and marketing director at Salisbury Greenhouse

Expanding with Experience: Petitti’s Lessons from a Complex Build

Time: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Cleveland-based Petitti Garden Centers opened its 10th retail location this spring. President AJ Petitti says he’s been hoping to open a store in Bath Township, Ohio, for two decades. The process to purchase the building started in May 2023, and after a lengthy rezoning process, construction began in March 2024, with the former office building transforming into a light-filled 30,000-square-foot garden center. Two greenhouses for Petitti’s live plant material are also on the property, which happens to be right next door to a Lowe’s. In this session, Petitti will share lessons learned from the process, which was more expensive and complicated than when the company built three garden centers in 2018. He’ll share how the building process evolved, why the location was right despite a big box being next door and what other owners should consider when expanding.

Speaker: AJ Petitti, president of Petitti Garden Centers

How to Create a Third Place: Cafes, meaningful experiences, zoning considerations and more

Time: 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Independent garden centers have long offered more than plants and have created experiences and offerings that set them apart from big-box competitors. In this panel discussion, leaders from exceptional Kansas City-area garden centers will dive into the various ways they’ve created a “third place” and ideas that have helped make their companies destinations. Each speaker will share key lessons and takeaways on how they’ve built and created these additional revenue streams and branding opportunities that complement their garden centers and have helped transform their businesses.

Speakers: Paul Abugattas, executive director at Colonial Gardens; Jonah Nelson, CEO and third-generation owner at Family Tree Nursery; Matt Stueck, owner of Suburban Lawn & Garden

Lauren Cohen is the GIE Media Horticulture Group editorial intern.