A Really Big Show

Chris Beytes

Ed Sullivan would have enjoyed the 86th edition of the annual Ohio event now known as Cultivate: It was a really big show in many ways, not the least of which was attendance.

We hadn’t received a formal final tally as of press time, but were told attendance "ticked up" from last year's count of almost 10,000, which was the show’s biggest number in a decade. More than 20 countries were represented, making it a fairly global show. With many other long-running events struggling to maintain their numbers, that speaks volumes about the work that AmericanHort has done to expand and improve the event.

The organizers have given the industry a lot to see and do in four days, from tours and seminars to special events and displays throughout the convention center. You really have to plan your time wisely to see it all.

As for the trade show, it was mobbed at all times except during lunch and the last few hours on Tuesday. We didn’t hear a single exhibitor complain about traffic. One exhibitor told us that, while attendance was strong last year, they were looking, not buying. This year, they were placing orders.

Last year, Cultivate’s retail area was in a separate area on another level of the convention center; this year it was in the back left corner of the hall. While it was much more accessible to attendees, we still got some feedback from retailers that they weren't happy with the retail-oriented displays or amount of retail-oriented education. Like it or not, Cultivate is first and foremost a grower show that the entire industry attends.

Cultivate’16 is scheduled for July 9-12, 2016. GT