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| Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Columbus, OH |
Kennett Square, PA, USA (June 19, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — The American Public Gardens Association today opened its annual conference in Columbus, Ohio. Nearly 600 professionals from public gardens across the country are attending the conference June 19-22, 2012. The conference was last held in Columbus in 1992 to coincide with Ameriflora ’92, an international horticultural exhibition.
The APGA Conference is the networking arena for public garden professionals representing arboreta, botanical gardens, community and display gardens, conservatories, research and educational institutions, historic landscapes, and nature centers from North America and beyond.
“It is truly exciting for the conference to return to Columbus during this dynamic city’s bicentennial celebration,” said Dr. Casey Sclar, Executive Director of APGA. “Nearly 600 public garden professionals will attend to examine, define, and refocus their efforts on leadership, marketing, development, conservation, education, and community cultivation.”
“Success of this conference and the association would not be possible without the support of dedicated sponsors,” said Bruce A. Harkey, Executive Director of Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. “The Conservatory enjoys a long-term and multi-faceted partnership with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company and the Davis Foundation, and we are honored that they have extended their support to the annual conference in Columbus.”
The 2012 APGA conference sponsors include Rain Bird, Blackbaud, Rough Brothers’ Conservatories, W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Davis Foundation, Berends Hendricks Stuit, Bartlett Tree Experts, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Mt. Cuba Center, Applied Ecological Services, Chanticleer Foundation, Karen and Michael Fiorile, Nancy and Art Russo, The Longwood Graduate Program Alumni Association, The Longwood Graduate Program, Blooms of Bressingham, The Little Garden Club of Columbus, MKSK, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.
“We look forward to welcoming our peers to our community,” said Luke Messinger, Executive Director of Dawes Arboretum. “Hosting a national conference in our community is a significant driver of the economy and tourism. We know visitors will be excited by the impressive growth of Columbus, the fifteenth largest city in the United States.”
About the APGA
The mission of APGA is advancing Public Gardens as a force for positive change in their communities through national leadership, innovation and advocacy. For more information, visit www.publicgardens.org.
