AIPH announces full speaker line-up for 2020 Spring Meeting

The 2020 Spring Meeting of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) will be March 1-4, in the National Hotel, Miami, Florida. The focus will be on growing critical trading opportunities in America.

A key event will be the AIPH Conference on Tuesday, March 3, which is titled: ‘Growing the industry.’ The following speakers will be presenting:

• Anna Ball, CEO of Ball Horticultural Company
• Ken Fisher, CEO of AmericanHort
• Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists (SAF)
• Christine Boldt, executive vice president of the Association of Floral Importers of Florida (AFIF)
• Dr. Hayk Khachitryan, associate professor in food and resource economics, University of Florida
• Dr. Charlie Hall, Ellison Chair in international floriculture, Texas A&M University

All speakers’ biographies and presentation topic details are available to view online here.

The full-day conference will focus on ornamental horticulture in America and consumer behavior. There will be discussions stemming from industry research and how to positively translate the findings to a community level.

The program includes presentations and panel discussions from growers and traders about the challenges and opportunities for ornamental horticulture producers and importers to the USA.

AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe, said, “Now is the time for this industry to work together and grow. This meeting will shape up strategies and solutions for its future.”

The four-day Spring Meeting will also include the AIPH Expo conference (Monday, March 2) and professional visits to Miami International Airport, Costa Farms (including Season Premier event) and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens on Wednesday, March 4.

The AIPH Expo Conference will consist of presentations from the organizers of AIPH approved events. Progress reports will concentrate on four forthcoming A1 category international expos: Expo 2021 Doha (Qatar), Expo 2022 Floriade Almere (the Netherlands), Expo Horticultural Łódź 2024 (Poland) and World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 (Japan).

There will also be progress reports concerning AIPH approved B, C and D category events. There will be a keynote from Dr. Tim Beatley of the University of Virginia. He will be discussing the development of biophilic cities. Following the keynote, AIPH members will report on green city activities in their respective countries.

The AIPH Spring Meeting program is open to anyone with a relevant interest or involvement in ornamental horticulture.

AIPH events provide a welcoming and invaluable opportunity for knowledge-sharing, idea-generation and networking for the horticulture industry worldwide. For program details and to book, visit: www.aiph.org. Prices cost $1,485 per person or $850 for the AIPH Conference only (including dinner in the evening).

The location for the Spring Meeting is in the National Hotel, which is just a short walk from Miami Beach. The deadline to secure accommodation is Friday, Jan. 24. The deadline to book your place at the Spring Meeting 2020 is Friday, Feb. 21. For more details, visit http://aiph.org/aiph-events/aiph_miami2020/