TPIE 2020 was a success!

By Ben Bolusky

WOW! Just WOW! Last week’s Tropical Plant International Expo was an exciting, hugely successful, upbeat, marketing showcase! For those of you who like numbers, here are a few: With 6,853 TPIE attendees, TPIE registration increased by 400 -- a solid six percent over last year! Attendees flocked to Fort Lauderdale from no less than 47 states, 6 Canadian provinces and 37 different countries! Interiorscape buyers jumped up by eight percent over last year. Landscape buyers catapulted up by an astounding 24 percent! And, ready for this? The number of retail buyers at TPIE 2020 absolutely exploded by 41 percent! Another phenomenal indicator as to how strong houseplants are as a retail product category throughout the United States.

More big TPIE news: A brand new FNGLA record was set with 729 registrations for the TPIE Road Show and educational workshops! This is a mind-blowing 182 percent increase over last year! More than 600 people packed into the TPIE Opening Session with Max Luthy of TrendWatching reporting on the key trends for 2020 -- and what they mean for interior foliage sales. More than $28,000 was raised for research and scholarships at the National Horticulture Foundation’s annual TPIE reception!

Some 400 exhibitors took 850 exhibit booth spaces showcasing houseplants, indoor foliage, tropicals, products and services. Eye-catching merchandise displays and clever marketing ideas were abundant throughout the nearly five-acre TPIE show floor! A BIG tip of FNGLA’s cap goes to our TPIE exhibitors, sponsors, attendees and TPIE Planning Committee for such a truly outstanding show. Mark your calendars for next year’s TPIE- January 20-22, 2021 when TPIE will be in Tampa during the multi-year Broward County Convention Center's expansion construction project.