OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals and The American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) are scheduled to announce the development of a new, joint event on Monday, July 16 at the OFA Short Course. The new event, named "Next Level," will be held January 31 – February 2, 2013 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. According to OFA CEO Michael Geary, "Every individual, every organization has a next level, the next dimension of performance and results to realize. The Next Level event is designed to help participants clarify their own next level, expose them to the ideas and insights to help bridge that gap, and connect them to like-minded colleagues who can support their journey." The Next Level event will be unique in its focus on education that focuses attendees on working on their business, not just in their business.
ANLA and OFA have retained the services of nationally-recognized educational event designer Jeffrey Cufaude to help plan this meeting. He will work with a planning committee made up of members from both organizations. With direction from volunteer leaders, an initial meeting with the staffs of OFA and ANLA, held in June, defined the goals for the conference. Bob Dolibois, ANLA's Executive Vice President stated, "Our industry faces a new normal in terms of the economy, our customers and our competitors. The top industry firms of the next 20 years need to identify how their businesses have to change in order to enjoy continued success. This meeting is the place where that will happen."
The educational program is currently under development. Further details will be available at the end of September. For more information on the partnership between OFA and ANLA and the Next Level event visit www.onevoiceoneindustry.com.
ANLA, a Washington, DC-based trade association, represents green industry business professionals seeking market leadership through advocacy with our nation’s government, a community of industry innovators and experts, and unique, profitability-focused programming, products and services. Through the Lighthouse Program, a partnership with green industry state and regional associations, ANLA represents more than 22,000 businesses before Congress and to the White House.
OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals is the leading horticulture educational association in the United States. It is a non-profit, all-industry, educational organization and its core purpose/mission is “to support and advance professional horticulture.” Industry segments served include: garden centers, greenhouses, nurseries, retail and wholesale florists, and interior plantscapers. OFA is especially known for its outstanding publications and its annual OFA Short Course, U.S. horticulture’s premier convention and marketplace. The next Short Course will take place on July 14-17, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio USA.
Source: OFA – The Association of Horticulture Professionals and The American Nursery and Landscape Association