Seminar Knowledge for Trade and Producers

Sales system in the green industry

What factors determine whether a customer buys a particular plant today? How are the expectations of new generations changing, what role do landscape architects play in the purchasing process, and how can garden centres sell more effectively in the age of social media? Answers to these questions will be provided by the Seminar Knowledge for Trade and Producers, which will take place on 3 September during the 33rd International GREEN IS LIFE Fair.

The seminar will demonstrate that successful sales in the green sector are not based solely on the quality of plants. An understanding of consumer behaviour, effective communication and the ability to build value around products are becoming increasingly important. It is precisely these competencies that are now becoming one of the most important elements of competitive advantage for producers and the horticultural trade.

Programme

11:00 – 11:10   Opening

Module I: The Customer and Purchasing Decisions

11:10 – 11:40 Generation Z: what they’ll buy, even if it’s ugly. How perceptions of plants and gardens are changing – from aesthetics to meaning – Michael Perry, Mr Plant Geek

11:40 – 12:10 How do landscape architects influence plant sales today? Oktawia Wasielewska, Stowarzyszenie Architektury Krajobrazu

12:10 – 12:30 A list of 500 woody plants for urban areas, recommended by the Polish Nurserymen Association –
Grzegorz Falkowski, Polish Nurserymen Association

12:30 – 13:30    Break 

Module II: Sales and Marketing

13:30 – 14:00 From social media post to receipt. How to build an effective marketing strategy for a garden centre today – Marek Bartosiewicz, Hortorus Garden Centre

14:00 – 14:30 From plants to lifestyle – how to create shopping plans for your patio, balcony and garden – Hubert Lamański, Flower Land Floral Studio

14:30 – 15:10 Panel discussion (details to follow)

Honorary patron:

Industry patron:

Media patron:

Speakers

Mr Plant Geek – Michael Perry

Mr Plant Geek is a funny and feisty character created by Michael Perry, who has been involved in gardening and plants since the age of five.

Mr Plant Geek is a figure known both online and on television. He appears regularly on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ and has also featured on Channel 4’s ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’. He runs a popular blog and has created a unique range of clothing and accessories for ‘Plant Geeks’ – plant lovers.

Michael Perry appeals to a diverse audience. There’s something for everyone in the world of Mr Plant Geek!

Grzegorz Falkowski

A specialist in ornamental plant nursery management and plant breeding. A graduate of the Faculty of Horticulture at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), and a student at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete in Heraklion. He spent seven years conducting research at the Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice, now the Institute of Horticulture – National Research Institute. He has undertaken numerous professional and research placements, including at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, and at a research unit of the US Department of Agriculture (the Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory in Corvallis, USA). For six years, he was a lecturer at the University of Economics and Humanities in Skierniewice. He has delivered lectures and led practical sessions on botany, ornamental plant cultivation, nursery management and modern technologies in landscape architecture, as well as workshops on plant identification and recognition. He is the author of academic publications and press articles popularising knowledge about plants, and the editor of the online plant encyclopaedia www.e-katalogroslin.pl. He creates and publishes material promoting knowledge about plants and their impact on human health and wellbeing in the magazines ‘Zieleń Miejska’, ‘Gardener’s World’ and ‘Lider Biznesu’. Editor-in-chief of *Biuletyn Szkółkarski*. He serves as secretary of the European Nurserystock Association. He is interested in nature conservation and climate change. Co-author of the new national curriculum for the vocational qualifications of agricultural horticulturist, agricultural horticulture technician and horticultural assistant. Member of the national team of industry consultants on occupations and qualifications relevant to higher education programmes, appointed in 2025 by the Minister of National Education. Employed at the office of the Polish Nurserymen Association since 2012.
In his spare time, he is interested in psychology.

Marek Bartosiewicz

A landscape architect with a passion for new technologies, content creation and process optimisation. Co-owner of the family-run Hortorus garden centre in Warsaw. On a day-to-day basis, he is responsible for marketing strategy, brand communication and digital content creation, combining business experience with the practicalities of running a garden centre. In his work, he focuses on crafting messages that not only grab attention but, above all, translate into tangible sales results.