CHICAGO—The Mid America Horticultural Trade Show (Mid Am) Board of Directors has unveiled a complete redesign of the show’s floor plan for Mid Am 2013, and plans are under way to include the underserved outdoor living market segment. These changes were prompted by direct feedback from past exhibitors and attendees.“Reports from members in the field are indicating that our industry is beginning to rebound, including information on where future opportunities lay. These changes became must-do, and must-do now to meet evolving needs,” says Joe Khayyat, Mid Am executive director. “The changes to the trade show floor are meant to create a more meaningful discovery experience for buyers looking to jumpstart their spring buying season, and for exhibitors looking to spend meaningful time with serious buyers.”
Mid Am 2013 will showcase, brand-new, attendee requested features, including:
A product-segmented floor plan
An education theater right on the show floor
Access to outdoor living vendors
This enhanced experience is designed to better facilitate the ability for buyers to find solutions faster, to access tactics and techniques that ensure their customers’ satisfaction and loyalty and to make lasting business connections easily and enjoyably.
Mid Am’s embracing of the outdoor living market is prompted not only by requests both from landscape architects who view this addition as an opportunity to grow and diversify their revenue, but also by suppliers in this space that are seeking a target-rich environment to teach and tell their story.
“As a landscape architect my clients look to me for recommendations for creating not only green aesthetics but an overall ambience that integrates a variety of products into their outdoor living space including furniture, fabrics, four-season containers, fire and water elements, lighting, etc.,” says Tony LoBello, Mariani Landscape. “Mid Am is now the one place where I can see trees and plant material while also experiencing the newest, hottest outdoor living styles and fashion trends. These enhancements help me convert my clients’ visions into reality and help increase my bottom line.”
