2011 Mid-Am Trade Show Successful February 10, 2011

Wauconda, IL -- More than 7,100 green industry professionals gathered in Chicago last January to attend the 2011 Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show (Mid-Am) at Navy Pier. The show, which was held January 19 through 21, 2011, registered 7,136 horticulture professionals to attend the three-day event that featured exhibits from 300 industry companies, filling 56,600 square feet of space.

The Mid-Am educational conferences presented by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) and the Illinois Green Industry Association (IGIA) were very popular with 840 combined registrants for the Midwinter Conference and Pre-Conference Workshops. An additional 67 registrants participated in the Cup of Success Mentoring Roundtables, presented by the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation (WGIF), which provided a forum for industry business owners and managers to discuss timely business topics with experts and veterans in the green industry. Mid-Am's education partner classes attracted another 73 registrants, which included ILCA’s Latino Track that offered a one-day session covering education, networking and a tour of the show floor presented entirely in Spanish, and Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ Green Roofs accreditation program courses.

Mid-Am drew attendees from 42 states and Canada. This year's Mid-Am revealed that 30 percent of those registered were owners or corporate officials and 27 percent were managers or foremen. Nearly 42 percent of those registered provided landscape services, while 8 percent were retailers and 13 percent were growers.

The Student Career Center registered nearly 380 students from 23 colleges and universities from around the Midwest who visited with 18 employers offering information about their companies and employment opportunities. The Career Center creates an informative and casual atmosphere bringing together students studying horticulture and industry employers to exchange information. Employers and students alike found the event productive and beneficial.

In addition, Mid-Am’s three sponsor organizations, IGIA, ILCA, and the WGIF hosted hundreds of horticultural industry professionals for the popular networking event, the Mid-Am Mixer, on Thursday evening, January 20.

The Mid-Am website at www.midam.org includes the names and contact information for all exhibitors that participated in the show in January. Visit the site regularly for information as it becomes available regarding details on the 2012 Mid-Am Trade Show.

Mid-Am, America’s premier horticultural trade show, is sponsored by the Illinois Green Industry Association (IGIA), the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), and the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation (WGIF) and is governed by a Board of Directors, which directs the show, its programs, and activities. Mid-Am was developed by green industry professionals, for green industry professionals. Unlike for-profit trade shows, proceeds from the show go back to IGIA, ILCA, and WGIF to support a sustainable green industry. For more information, contact Mid-Am at 1000 N. Rand Road, Suite 214, Wauconda, Illinois 60084 USA. Phone: 847/526-2010; fax: 847/526-3993; mail@midam.org; www.midam.org.

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Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show	Media Contact:
1000 N. Rand Rd.	Nancy Molenda, Communications Manager
Suite 214	E-mail: nmolenda@tso.net
Wauconda, IL  60051	Phone: 847.526.2010 ext. 227
www.midam.org	Fax: 847.526.3993