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The Independent Garden Center Show (IGC Show) is held every year in Chicago, IL, in the United States. It was created by husband-and-wife founders and producers Jeff and Cheryl Morey, who are also co-directors of Garden Centers of America (GCA) and Publishers of IGC Magazine. The IGC Show is the world’s largest trade show, conference and networking event for independent garden center owners, managers and buyers. It is geared toward independents only - no big-box stores are represented or allowed into the event. It is not open to the public.
Contents
The IGC Show presents an expansive and carefully selected showcase of garden center products available at wholesale from around the world. It is a juried show - this means that every exhibiting company has been meticulously screened to ensure the products offered for sale are relevant to independent garden centers.
In addition to the trade show, the IGC Show features an educational conference on topics relevant to garden centers, such as customer service, inventory, signage, social media, store design, advertising and more. Each day before the trade show opens, a keynote speaker, who is a prominent figure in the garden center industry or an expert in business or a related field, starts the day with inspirational insights. A party and concert is also part of the IGC Show experience as a way for retailers to network with their peers in a fun, casual atmosphere.
History
The first IGC Show was held on August 21–23, 2007, at Chicago’s Navy Pier, and IGC Show continues to convene at this waterfront venue each year. The mission of the IGC Show is “to further the success and profitability of the independent garden retail sector.”
In 2014, the show organizers started hosting the IGC Show at a second location for the industry’s Eastern market. In 2014, IGC East convened August 5–7 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. In 2015, IGC East relocated to the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. In 2016, the East Coast event will relocate to the Valley Forge Casino Resort August 2–4 following a sufficient level of concern from attendees and exhibitors about ongoing tensions in Baltimore. It featured a new format targeting the special interests of Eastern IGC retailers with regionally focused keynotes, educational conference sessions and networking opportunities, including Tuesday evening’s concert. To more precisely convey this Eastern niche focus, the event took on a new name: EIGC – The Eastern Show for IGCs. Gloria Gaynor was the featured performer in a special retro disco live concert on Tuesday night at EIGC.
IGC Show marked its 10th anniversary celebration at Navy Pier, August 16–18, 2016. REO Speedwagon was the featured live concert on Tuesday.
IGC Show reconvenes at Chicago's Navy Pier, August 15–17, 2017.
Dates & Locations
Concerts
Founders
Jeff Morey, along with his wife, Cheryl, is the Founder and Producer of the IGC Show, entering its 10th year, with annual events in Chicago and in the East. Jeff is the Co-director, with Cheryl, of Garden Centers of America, the nation’s only association focused exclusively on the needs of independent garden centers. As the hands-on second-generation CEO and Publisher of IGC Magazine, the garden center industry's leading B-2-B publication, Jeff carries on the tradition of editorial excellence founded by his late father, Richard Morey. He draws upon 40-plus years of experience, which includes business development, marketing and editorial direction, to inspire the IGC industry to think outside the box. Jeff is known for his targeted on-stage interviews with today’s thought-leaders, including Martha Stewart, Greenpeace Co-founder Dr. Patrick Moore, best-selling author and retail visionary Paco Underhill, and lifestyle celebrities such as P. Allen Smith, Jamie Durie and U.K. garden design genius Diarmuid Gavin. He has appeared on BBC television in the U.K.
IGC Magazine
IGC Magazine, the garden center industry's leading business-to-business publication for more than 60 years, is known for its coverage of the important business issues impacting garden centers nationwide. From what’s hot now to the trends on the horizon, the real-world editorial focus gives independent garden center owners the tools they need to help them increase profits in their stores. The magazine is published bi-monthly.
Garden Centers of America (GCA)
Garden Centers of America (GCA) is the nation’s only association focused exclusively on the needs of independent garden centers. The association provides means of networking, touring other garden center facilities, monthly e-newsletters, member profiles, and coverage of the horticulture and floriculture industry nationwide to ensure its members have all the tools necessary to run a successful garden center business.