Cultivate, AmericanHort’s yearly conference, promises to offer industry insiders a sneak peek into what’s trending in horticulture for 2015 and beyond.

Garden Media plans to add to that buzz when President Susan McCoy previews the firm’s 2016 Garden Trends Report at Cultivate ’15.

“Syncing with Nature” identifies seven new garden trends that will shake up the industry in the coming year.

The 2016 report concludes that consumers are “rewilding” themselves and gaining a newfound appreciation for both the earth’s precious resources and nature centers found in their own backyards.

Topics: trade show public relations, trends, SEO, social media

I recently sat down with Brooke Bates from Garden Center Magazine to talk about my social media presentation at Cultivate '15 in Columbus, Ohio next week.

Below is a snippet of our conversation. Read the full post here. And, come see the presentation in full on Monday, July 14 at 4:00 P.M. in Ballroom One.  

Q: What can attendees expect from your session at Cultivate?

A: I hope people learn new tips and tactics for the platforms they already have, to drive people back to their website, which in turn drives people into their store or toward their product. I like to use examples that are industry-specific, not just how anyone can do social media.

Topics: trade show public relations, gardening, social media

You have a year-round strategy in place to increase your presence on social networks such as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Pinterest.

And while digital is great, Facebook's influence is shrinking when it comes to audience engagement. You need to be just as thoughtful and persistent when in-person networking, too.

From the Garden Writer's Symposium to Cultivate and IGC, there are lots of trade shows, conferences and networking events to choose from in the garden industry.

Picking the right trade show instantly helps you form the right relationships with other industry leaders, reporters and consumers.  

Below are Garden Media's 4 networking tips for garden industry trade shows, conferences and events.

Topics: trade show public relations, garden trade show marketing, garden industry public relations, LinkedIn

This week, Garden Media joins BlogHer’s 10th anniversary #Selfiebration in San Jose, Ca. That's right, a selfiebration.

The selfie trend has continued to rise over the past year and both big and small brands are adding it to their marketing arsenals.

BlogHer makes the trend its own by utilizing selfies to acknowledge the growth of the internet and bloggers over the past 10 years and to generate internet excitement.

Check out these tips to learn how selfies can help bring exposure to your garden brand.

Topics: trade show public relations, branding, Trending Thursday, image building, Instagram, internet media, social media

Trade shows are one of the best places to garner new business, attract new customers and interact face-to-face with trade show attendees.

But, realistically, they also are a huge investment of money. Are you making the most out of every dollar that you're putting into garden industry trade shows?

Chances are, your garden business could be doing more. 

Read on to discover Garden Media's 6 tips for tip-top trade show performance. We guarantee you'll like what you see!

Topics: lawn and garden public relations, trade show public relations, branding, Garden Media Group

The branding article in print in Green Profit.

Topics: trade show public relations, branding, garden trade show marketing, gardening

I recently wrote an article about image building and rebranding for Green Profit magazine and wanted to share: 

"You know what they say about first impressions lasting a lifetime? Baloney! From people to brands and politicians, this country is all about second chances. You just have to know how to reintroduce yourself properly and to the right people.

Topics: trade show public relations, branding, garden trade show marketing, gardening

Happy New Year and cheers to 2013!  Let's make the year a BIG and successful one.  And let's start with the press release. 

We often hear, “Anyone can write a press release!”  And that may be true, writing a press release that is picked up by the lawn and garden media and shared by bloggers is another story. Here at Garden Media we try to make our news releases “news worthy” by following these 6 golden rules.

Topics: trade show public relations, garden PR consultant, garden trade show marketing

Topics: garden marketing, trade show public relations, Garden Media Group, garden industry public relations

Mastering the art of PR at a trade show is not easy.  You will have a lot of balls in the air if you're trying to both sell and market at the same time.

Topics: trade show public relations