2002 Reports Record Registrations
Southern California Plant Tour Days once again proved to be an excellent opportunity for buyers from across the country, Canada and even Vietnam who visited participating nurseries to discover new sources of quality plant material to help fill their stores in the coming months. While the events of this past fall had an effect on travel plans it did not seem to deter buyers from visiting the Golden State in late February. Plant Tour Days 2002 had over 500 qualified buyers registered for the three-day event -- a 33% increase over last year!
Several new features were added to the 2002 event to help visitors plan their time more efficiently and to give the nursery profile guide an even greater value. During the Wednesday evening reception and showcase, buyers were able to view product displays from each company in a social atmosphere that allowed them a chance to 'share and compare' product available from each of the growers. Prior to the actual tour dates, registrants were again sent a Nursery Guide that listed the host nurseries and a brief description of each operation. Additionally, the back of the Nursery Guide now includes a product index that lists many of the plant varieties available from the host nurseries creating a valuable buyers guide. In the after event survey, 79% of buyers said they would use this book as a resource for new material in the coming year.
Following the continued success of this event, the Plant Tour Days Steering Committee is pleased to announce the tour dates for the next three years. Participating nurseries will be available to tour: February 26 - March 1, 2003, February 25-27, 2004 and February 23-25, 2005. Information on the current and upcoming events can be found on the website at www.PlantTourDays.org. Additional information is available by contacting the event administrator, Alissa Adams at (760) 431-2572.
