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Resource · trade-show calendar

US green-industry trade shows at a glance

Who runs the big nursery, greenhouse, garden-retail and landscape shows, when in the year they fall, and where they meet.

The US green industry covers nursery growers, greenhouse and floriculture producers, independent garden centers, landscapers and equipment makers. It meets at a handful of large trade shows spread through the year. The table below lists six that are widely covered by the trade press. For each one we give the organizer, the month the show usually falls in and the host city, using the organizers’ own pages wherever possible. Dates change, so always check the official site before making plans.

The shows

Show Organizer Typical month City / venue Recent or next dates cited
MANTS (Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show) Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show, Inc., sponsored equally by the Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia nursery and landscape associations1 January Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Convention Center Jan. 13–15, 20272
TPIE (Tropical Plant International Expo) Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA)3 January Fort Lauderdale, FL – Broward County Convention Center Jan. 20–22, 20273
Cultivate AmericanHort5 July Columbus, OH – Greater Columbus Convention Center (2017 edition)6 July 10–13, 20275
IGC Show Co-founded by Jeff Morey (as reported in 2017)7 August Chicago, IL – Navy Pier Aug. 14–16, 2018 (last date in our sources)7
Farwest Show Oregon Association of Nurseries8 August Portland, OR – Oregon Convention Center Aug. 21–23, 20248
Equip Exposition (formerly GIE+EXPO) Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI)9 October Louisville, KY Oct. 20–23, 20269
Months of the year when six major US green-industry trade shows are typically held A twelve-month strip from January to December. January has two markers, MANTS and TPIE. July has Cultivate. August has the IGC Show and Farwest Show. October has Equip Exposition. The other months are empty. JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec MANTSTPIECultivateIGCFarwestEquip Winter nursery shows · summer grower/retail shows · autumn equipment show
Drawing by this site, based on the cited sources.
  • January: MANTS (Baltimore), TPIE (Fort Lauderdale)
  • July: Cultivate (Columbus)
  • August: IGC Show (Chicago), Farwest Show (Portland)
  • October: Equip Exposition (Louisville)

Notes on each show

MANTS. The Maryland and Virginia nurserymen’s associations founded MANTS in 1970. West Virginia joined as a third partner in 1972. The first show, in Williamsburg, Virginia, in January 1971, had 64 exhibitors. The winter show has been held at the Baltimore Convention Center since 1980. Over a five-year average (leaving out 2021 and 2022), the show reports close to 940 exhibiting companies in more than 1,530 booths and more than 11,000 paid registrants.1 Future January dates are already published through 2030.2

TPIE. The Tropical Plant International Expo focuses on tropical plants, foliage and florals. It had been held in Fort Lauderdale for nearly 30 years when FNGLA moved it to the Tampa Convention Center for 2021 and 2022.4 It is now back in Fort Lauderdale. The 2026 edition drew 470 exhibitors and almost 7,500 attendees from more than 40 countries.3

Cultivate. AmericanHort’s show brings together growers, retailers, breeders, suppliers, landscapers, educators and researchers.10 In 2017 it reported a record 10,016 attendees and nearly 700 exhibitors in Columbus.6 See the Cultivate’17 hub for that year in detail.

IGC Show. In 2017 Garden Center magazine described the IGC Show at Chicago’s Navy Pier as the largest trade show and conference “dedicated exclusively to independent garden centers.” It was the show’s 11th year, and the next edition was set for August 2018.7 We did not find a current official page for it, so check before relying on these details.

Farwest Show. The Oregon Association of Nurseries runs this West Coast nursery show at the Oregon Convention Center. The 2024 show floor ran August 21–23, with nursery tours beforehand.8

Equip Exposition. OPEI’s outdoor power equipment and landscape show was known as GIE+EXPO until it was rebranded in 2022. It has more than 1,000 exhibits and more than 20 acres of outdoor demonstration areas, and runs alongside Hardscape North America. In 2019 it reported more than 20,000 attendees.9

Choosing a show

These shows reach different audiences. MANTS, TPIE and Farwest are nursery and plant-sourcing markets. Cultivate mixes a broad trade floor with a large education program. The IGC Show was aimed at garden retailers. Equip is about machinery and landscape contracting. Students can also use show education programs and young-professional events, such as CareerUP at Cultivate’17, as a way into the industry. See horticulture careers.

Sources

  1. MANTS – About MANTS (official)
  2. MANTS – MANTS home page (official)
  3. The Produce News – TPIE 2026 showcases the global marketplace for tropical plants, foliage and florals (Feb. 5, 2026)
  4. Nursery Management – TPIE to move to Tampa Bay
  5. Cultivate event site – cultivateevent.org (official)
  6. Garden Center – Cultivate’17 record numbers
  7. Garden Center – IGC Show 2017
  8. Lawn & Garden Retailer – 2024 Farwest Show registration opens
  9. Equip Exposition – Equip Exposition launches (official)
  10. AmericanHort – Cultivate event page (official)