Green industry professionals flocked to Congress 2007, held Jan. 9-11 at the Toronto Congress Centre. With seven acres of exhibits, an extensive conference program and hundreds of new products, there was a lot to take in over the three-day show.
“This was by far one of our best shows yet, especially with the cooperation of the weather,” says Paul Day, show manager. “The feedback from the attendees indicates that there were more new products than ever, and the exhibitors remarked that the quality of the visitors was up substantially.”
Day says the 2007 show has raised the bar in terms of its overall look. “Exhibitor booths were required to have floor coverings, and there was a much more professional look to the front entrance and the awards areas,” he says.
Traffic flow
Exhibitor Caroline DeVries of TradeWinds International was pleased with the show, “as always,” she says. “Congress is well organized, represents the trade well, it has good traffic and the timing is great,” says DeVries. Winning combination of attendees, exhibitors
and good weather creates a successful show
Diana Cassidy-Bush of Connon Nurseries/CBV was also impressed with the show traffic. “The weather is really in our favour and we are seeing a lot of new clients here,” she says. The same sentiments were echoed by Rod Lewis of Brooklin Concrete. “We’ve been here for 15 years. The traffic, quality and value keep us coming back,” he says.
Tailgate party
The annual tailgate party is a draw for many exhibitors and attendees. This year, the party featured the LO Idol contest which showcased the vocal talents of several LO members and staff. “We plan to do that again in a couple of years,” says Day.
Things went smoothly on the show floor says Day. “The show committee was always around to help out and positive comments are pouring in from all areas.”
Special thanks to Fanshawe College, Humber College, Niagara College,
St. Clair College and Bendale Business and Technical Institute for building feature gardens at Congress 2007.
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s LO Idol contest, held at the Tailgate Party:
First place: Frank MacLennan(House of the Rising Sun)
Second place: Sonnie Bernardi (Flip, Flop, Fly)
Third place: Ken and Linda Parker (Just the Two of Us)
Thank you to the judging panel: Brian Lofgren, Barry Dickson and Claus Zander
