MARIETTA, GA. - After sampling the warm weather of Tampa, Fla., this year, the 2002 version of the Green Industry Expo (GIE) will be held a little further north -- Nashville, Tenn., to be exact. The show will be Nov. 14-16 at the Opryland Hotel Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Expectations for the event are high given the impressive turnout at this year's show. While many conferences and events held across the country following the events of Sept. 11 reported attendance down as much as 40 percent from last year, the GIE Show still drew nearly 6,000 attendees, which is comparable with last year's results.
"We had very strong representation from all over North America," confirmed Heath Moore, GIE sales and marketing manager. "It shows the importance industry professionals place on participating in GIE and an indication thta the green industry is maintaining its viability in the face of a questionable economic outlook."
Planning for the 2002 show is underway, and details will be available beginning in January, including news about the new show schedule that runs Wednesday through Saturday instead of the traditional Saturday through Tuesday. Future editions of the GIE Show will be held in St. Louis, Mo., from Nov. 6-8, 2003, and Charlotte, N.C., from Nov. 4-6, 2004.
In addition, the GIE announced the new officers charged with running the show. They are:
- Jon Cundiff, Weed Man, Lee's Summit, Mo., as president
- Ken Taylor, Husqvarna, Charlotte, N.C., vice president
- Tom Davis, Bozzuto Landscaping, Laurel, Md.
The rest of the GIE board for 2002 consists of: Roger Braswell, PowerHouse Equipment, Fort Hill, S.C.; Mike Dietrich, Lesco, Rocky River, Ohio; Jerry Grossi, ArborLawn, Lansing, Mich.; Kevin O'Donnell, Villanova University, Villanova, Pa.; Mike Rorie, Groundmasters, Cincinnati, Ohio; and James Turnbull, Landscape Concepts, North Platte, Neb.
