Massive MANTS

Jennifer Polanz

Photography by Larry Canner

It’s Baltimore. In January. That normally doesn’t sound like a recipe for success, but for MANTS, it truly has been for the past 36 years. This year marked the 46th year for the show overall, and it’s now firmly entrenched in the fair city the Ravens and Orioles call home, at the cavernous Baltimore Convention Center.

It’s a part of the city perched on the Inner Harbor of the Patapsco River, and in nice weather, an easily walkable area. This year, that weather was as best it could be the first week of January, which could have contributed to the attendance of 11,039 buyers and exhibitors.

Attendance has been steady over the years, too, making it one of the largest horticulture trade show in the United States in square footage, exhibitor numbers and attendees. The show sprawls over 300,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space and features 964 exhibiting companies, and a wait list for additional exhibitors hoping to get a space on the show floor.

“We’re just proud and humbled that we have 11,000 people who want to come to Baltimore each year,” says Vanessa Finney, executive vice president of MANTS (which stands for Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show).

If you missed it this year, you missed a lot. Exhibitors from all aspects of the industry, including plants, nursery stock, landscape equipment, hardgoods, media, tools, furniture and many other garden-related products were represented. Attendees and exhibitors come from 44 states and 13 countries, and at times, the floor was so packed it was difficult to get through. The mood on the show floor was exciting, as many were looking forward to spring and piggybacking on last year’s successes. There were new concepts introduced at the show (see the Front news section in Green Profit for details on the new Syn-RG grower consortium’s plant certification process announced there), as well as many new products. And while there’s no education at MANTS (it’s a straight up buying show), there were many meetings of state nursery and landscape associations, the Garden Writers Association and other industry organizations.

Really, MANTS is the first chance of the year, at least on the east side of the country, to get together with industry friends and associates to gauge just how 2016 will go. And judging by the vibe of this show, it’s off to a great start. GT

The Impact of MANTS
Total impact on Baltimore: $3,434,519
Room nights generated: 5,202
Jobs Supported Total: 1,151 (765 direct, 386 indirect)
Business Sales by Category
Lodging: $941,783
Transportation: $303,504
Food & Beverage: $764,866
Exhibitor Spending: $834,566
Attendee Spending: $1,921,970
Organizer Spending: $677,982