Join us for industry gatherings to make or renew business connections and get the most out of your Cultivate experience.
We hear the term “employee engagement” everywhere. We also hear that recognition, goal alignment, and a clear path to success are key drivers. But what truly shapes how employees feel about their work, their leaders, and their teams?
In this dynamic and highly entertaining keynote, professional speaker, Garrison Wynn, reveals a powerful, often overlooked truth: people perform at their best when they feel genuinely valued.
Blending sharp comedic timing with decades of business expertise, Garrison draws on research from Evolve Performance Group spanning 46 countries, along with more than 70 years of Gallup data, to deliver practical, real-world insights. Attendees will walk away with simple yet powerful communication tools they can use immediately. These tools are proven to reduce resistance to change, improve behavior, and strengthen retention.
More than just an inspiring start to the day, this keynote creates a meaningful emotional shift that drives immediate action and lasting impact across teams and organizations.
With talents that established him as a Fortune 500 leader and professional stand-up comedian, Garrison Wynn, CSP, fuses comic timing and research to deliver motivational business expertise. For over 25 years, he has presented at corporate and association events on five continents to clients such as Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, Walmart, the NFL, and NASA. He is also an Amazon #1 bestselling author, featured in Forbes and Inc. Magazines. In his teens, he helped debut the world’s first video console gaming system, the Odyssey. As a young man, he spent six years as a professional stand-up touring comedy clubs with the top names in the business. He became the youngest department head in the history of a Fortune 500 company, where he researched and designed processes for 38 company locations nationwide and developed and marketed products that are still being sold in 30 countries.
Learn where our industry stands today and what the future holds. Our experts will provide insights on how to plan and navigate the changing market climate driven by rising costs, while also managing business challenges like labor and product availability. The latest thoughts on the political climate and regulatory policy and opportunities will also be shared.
State of the Association – Lionel van der Walt, AmericanHort President & CEO
Inside Washington Perspective – Matt Mika, AmericanHort Vice President Advocacy & Government Affairs
Economic Update – Dr. Charlie Hall, AmericanHort Chief Economist
This is a ticketed event, $65/person, which includes lunch. You may register when you register for Cultivate. Deadline for ticket sales is July 3.
If anyone knows how to hold everything together with grace while feeling completely exhausted, it is the women in this industry. You lead teams. You solve problems. You manage details. You support everyone else. And somehow you are expected to stay positive while doing it all. This session feels less like a lecture and more like a deep exhale with a room full of women who get it.
Christine brings humor, real stories, and practical tools that speak directly to the experience of women who care deeply about their work and often put themselves last. Participants learn how to “compose and dispose” of worry so stress does not follow them from greenhouse to office to home. They uncover what truly restores their energy instead of relying on habits that simply keep them functioning.
Together, the room laughs, reflects, nods in recognition, and reconnects with the part of themselves that first loved this work. Christine shows how to use levity to strengthen relationships, how to flip the inner script when self-doubt creeps in, and how to choose an emotional state that supports both leadership and personal wellbeing.
This is uplifting without being fluffy. Practical without being heavy. Fun without being forgettable.
Read Her Full Bio
Cultivate Live! Stage on the trade show floor
AmericanHort is pleased to once again partner with The Garden Center Group to bring you the Retailers’ Choice Awards at Cultivate. These awards showcase the best new products to bring excitement and a high level of interest to garden retail stores in the coming season. Products are chosen by volunteer judges who search the Cultivate trade show floor for award winning products. Awards will be announced at this special program on Monday afternoon.
If are interested in being a judge for these awards, contact Danny Summers.
Click any photo to view all 24 photos.
Hosted by the AmericanHort GenNext Community, everyone is encouraged to make this THE networking event of their Cultivate experience. Come to Cultivate’s popular Unplugged event where you can relax, be yourself, and network with people with the same passion for plants, ambition for success, and hopes for the future of our industry.
The GrowerTalks/Ball Horticultural Company Young Grower Award and Green Profit/The Garden Center Group Young Retailer Award are presented to worthy candidates who demonstrate passion, creativity, leadership, and a desire to excel. Winners of the 2026 awards will be announced beginning at approximately 8:30 PM.
Awards brought to you by: GrowerTalks|Green Profit magazine, AmericanHort, Ball Horticultural Company, The Garden Center Group, and BASF.
Don’t miss this brilliant showcase of annual and perennial varieties on display at The Ohio State University Cultivar Trials. The trial gardens offer the opportunity to evaluate landscape and container performance in typical Central-Ohio conditions. Visitors will have the opportunity to take guided tours of the Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at plant conservation efforts. Enjoy light snacks and drinks while touring the gardens, talk to volunteers, and network with others.
Free shuttle rides from the Convention Center are available at the Transportation Desk beginning at 4:30 PM. Final departure from OSU back to downtown Columbus is at 7:00 PM. Open to all attendees.
If experiencing landscapes, botanic gardens, and conservatories makes your heart sing, you'll want to be sure to check out Columbus' own Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. You have our permission to get totally excited about an evening in the garden. Once onsite, there are two tour options available.
Free shuttle rides from the Convention Center are available at the Transportation Desk beginning at 5:00 PM. Final departure from Franklin Part back to downtown Columbus is at 7:30 PM. Open to all attendees. If you can’t join the tours on Monday, your registration pass will grant you free admission to Franklin Park Conservatory any time during Cultivate
The Conservatory’s extensive gardens and art collections pulse with life and bring the truly exotic wonders of nature right to you. Explore over 400 species of plants from around the world.
Featuring sixteen different interactive experiences celebrating the Ohio landscape, the Garden's focus is on introducing and connecting children to the natural world, as well as renewing that connection for their parents and caregivers.
This special reception recognizes Greenhouse Product News' (GPN's) annual 40 Under 40 honorees. The class is made up of 40 men and women in the horticulture industry who are trailblazers in their personal and professional lives.
Greenhouse Grower’s Evening of Excellence program honors the top greenhouse operations and growers in our industry. This is open to everyone with Cultivate credentials.
