Hotel
The INN at the Forks
Guests can use the link to our website to make reservations online, provided they only need the nights on the contract. If they need to arrive and/or stay later, they must call the phone number (204-942-6555) to reserve or email info@innfoks.com. Please ensure they request the group rate by name, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, or by group reservation number, #666147.
Air Canada Promotion Code: U43QV331
INDUSTRY PANEL
It is time to ask the tough questions and engage owners and operators who have contributed to the retail garden centre profession.
Ashleigh Munro - Industry Expert | You’re Here, Now What?
Join Ashleigh as she shares how to make the most of visiting other garden centers. Learn what to look for, how to borrow fresh ideas, and evaluate what works—and what doesn’t. She’ll challenge you to think critically: What would you change if you had only $10,000 to improve each stop? Gain insights on spotting trends, refining your business, and maximizing every visit. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to garden retail, this session will help you turn inspiration into action. Don’t just visit—analyze, adapt, and grow!
Ashleigh has worked in garden centers for 15 years and is passionate about business and horticulture. She has travelled the world with the International Garden Center Congress, visiting industry leaders in Italy, Prague, the UK, Quebec, and Amsterdam. In 2022, she won the Young Retailer of the Year award. This year, she is taking time off to travel across Canada and the U.S., exploring garden centers and gaining new insights. With a keen eye for innovation and strategy, Ashleigh is always looking for fresh ideas to bring back to the industry.
Jeff O’Brien & Jon Morrison - Brands in Bloom | The 5-Star Customer Experience: Winning the Hearts of the Next Generation
The secret to delivering a 5-star customer experience? It starts with a 5-star employee experience. In this transformative session, Jeff O’Brien and Jon Morrison will hand you the ultimate playbook to create an unmatched garden center experience that captivates Millennials and Gen Z, turns first-time visitors into loyal customers, and builds a thriving, experience-driven business. At this session's heart is storytelling's power—a proven framework to guide your customer journey, simplify your message, and create deeper connections. Jeff and Jon will show you how to break down the most significant barriers keeping the next generation from engaging with gardening: “no time, no space, and no knowledge.
You'll walk away with strategies to flip these challenges into opportunities that inspire confidence and long-term commitment. But great customer experiences don’t happen accidentally—they start with your team. You’ll learn how to cultivate a culture of excellence through training, leadership, and engagement, ensuring that every employee is equipped to deliver exceptional service. This isn’t just another session. It’s a game plan for winning the future of retail. If you’re ready to elevate your garden center, empower your team, and create lifelong gardeners, this is the must-attend talk of the year!
Jon Morrison helps garden centres engage younger audiences through marketing. As a StoryBrand Guide and TEDx Speaker, he has helped businesses across North America grow through storytelling. He is the author of Now Start With Who holds an MBA, and studied at Oxford University. Based in Vancouver, BC, Jon is the Co-Founder of Brands in Blooms and lives with his wife and three daughters.
Jeff O’Brien, President of Brands in Blooms, is revolutionizing garden centre marketing to connect with today’s consumers. As the founder of The Brand Bloom Community, he has built a network of 170+ garden centres and trained 300+ professionals through the Next-Gen Masterclass. A sought-after keynote speaker, Jeff will headline The Garden Center Show in Illinois and contribute regularly to Lawn & Garden Retailer. Formerly leading Bloomin’ Easy at Van Belle Nursery, he tripled unit sales and doubled revenue in five years. He holds an Executive MBA (2024) with a dissertation on consumer behaviour in garden centres. Through Brands in Blooms, Jeff empowers garden centres with innovative tools like the 5-Star Garden Center Experience Package to attract and retain the next generation of gardeners.
Art Vanden Enden - Industry Expert | Secrets of Success
Art will highlight how training and development lead to business success. That’s 44 years of experience rolled into one hour!
What are the secret ingredients to success?
- Team Building
- Motivation and Discipline
- Numbers and Metrics
- Your niche, your brand
Art Vanden Enden loved every minute of his 44-year garden centre career with Weall & Cullen and Sheridan Nurseries.
Jason Taylor | Let’s Think Differently: The Self-Aware Leader and How It Drives Growth in Our Company
In this 75 to 90-minute session, I take them on a journey that leaders are all built differently. Knowing who we are helps us drive our bottom line while increasing our teams' productivity, engagement, and culture.
- Understanding Data and Behavioral Needs: Exploring how data can inform our understanding of individual and team dynamics.
- Effective Communication involves tailoring messages based on team members' unique needs and preferences to enhance understanding and engagement. More importantly, how do we have and become comfortable with direct conversations to move forward quicker and more easily?
- Team Dynamics: Identifying and leveraging team strengths while recognizing blind spots that can hinder cultural growth and performance.
- How can we build our team better so we become a stronger team? Who will add what??
- Enhancing Time Management: Learning how self-awareness can lead to better time management and adaptation to evolving team needs.
This session is VERY engaging and gets the owners and leaders thinking differently.
Jason is an entrepreneurial, results-driven, seasoned executive with a 22-year successful track record. With extensive experience in sales, marketing, operations, franchising, and business development, Jason consistently earned top performance recognition in sales leadership. Accomplished in turning mediocre business units into high-performing profit-generating centers.
Bill Hardy, CLHM - If Plants Could Talk—They Would Sell Themselves
Plants play a vital role in our world, yet many people overlook them—a phenomenon known as "plant blindness."
While governments are beginning to emphasize biodiversity, soil health, and water conservation, the essential role of plants in these areas is still underestimated.
The UN Biodiversity program affirms that “plants are life,” highlighting their fundamental role in sustaining ecosystems through photosynthesis. The air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink are all caused by plants.
As horticulturists and garden centre professionals, we are on the front lines of this awareness. Our responsibility is to educate, advocate, and be ambassadors for plants—if they could talk, they certainly would.
Bill is a CNLA Past President and a highly qualified management professional with over forty years of experience in retail and management environments.
TOUR
Stay tuned for tour destinations!
We have a great lineup of tour destinations and yummy places to eat!
ITINERARY
Stay tuned for more!
We have a fantastic schedule of engaging events with industry professionals sharing their knowledge and insight.
DEADLINE TO REGISTER
June 13, 2025 - 11:59 pm PST
No exceptions
"We can't wait to see you in Winnipeg this summer!"
Robin Godfrey - Garden Centres Canada Chair & CNLA Treasurer
Stay tuned for more!
Contact Anne Kadwell for any questions!
anne@cnla-acpp.ca