Dive Deep Into Career Development, Customer Service, and More During Cultivate Workshops
March 22, 2019 
CareerUP is a day-long workshop designed to teach emerging professionals the more soft or intangible skills needed to be successful and progress in your career.
The workshops presented by AmericanHort at Cultivate are a great way for attendees to go more in-depth on topics that might be critical to the success of their business. Here is a closer look at the workshops slated for Cultivate’19. With one exception noted below, all workshops will be held on Saturday, July 13, and have a separate registration fee to participate.
Biocontrols: The How-to’s of Quality Control and Application Methods
Have you ever wondered how many mites are really in that bottle? Do you wonder if those nematodes can really kill fly larva? Come learn how to count, test, determine sex, and many other useful skills in this biocontrol workshop. Attendees will learn skills in a classroom setting that can be used back at the greenhouse, making their biocontrol programs stronger. Kits will be provided with the tools needed to do the testing. Attendees will also head off-site to a greenhouse to learn more about applying beneficials and other real-world skills.
Creating A Modern Garden Center
What makes a garden center modern? How do you keep up with new trends and the ever-changing customer? Join a panel of creative and ambitious leaders in the garden retail industry, who will share their tips for getting inspired and staying innovative when it comes to creating the modern garden center. During this full-day, peer-to-peer workshop, top retail experts from around the world will share their inspiration, plans, hurdles, and how they stay relevant to today’s consumer. You will leave with the plans and inspiration to implement similar ideas in your own garden center and will also have the opportunity to share your ideas with other attendees. The workshop will conclude with a networking session (with a mini mixology class) in the gardens at Franklin Park Conservatory.
CareerUP – Setting You UP for Future Success
CareerUP is a day-long workshop designed to teach emerging professionals the more soft or intangible skills needed to be successful and progress in your career. This year’s speakers will focus on improving team dynamics and communication, the skills needed to resolve conflict and have tough conversations, and how you can better deal with change and let go of the fears that may be holding you back. The event provides an invaluable opportunity to network with horticulture industry peers who are also trying to figure out how to navigate and develop their career in an industry where career progression isn’t always obvious. Meet people in the industry who face the same challenges you might face and come share your experiences.
The Art of Giving Great Service
Zingerman’s has set the standard for great customer service in the specialty foods industry. This success has come from combining an innovative service philosophy with practical working systems, all of which ZingTrain will share in this garden retailer facing workshop. Zingerman’s approach has been successfully applied in a wide variety of businesses and non-profits that are committed to improving the quality of their customer service. This seminar teaches you the steps to giving great service and steps to effectively handling customer complaints. It also teaches you how to create a culture of great service and why it’s crucial to treat your staff with as much care as you treat your customers. You will leave with all the tools (workbook/customer service manual) to implement the art of great service. Note: This workshop will be held Monday, July 15.
It’s All About the Workforce!
Do you source, recruit, onboard, or train employees for your company? If so, you need to attend this workshop. Designed for horticulture human resources, safety professionals, and green business owners, leaders of the workshop will discuss H-2A reform, recruiting and engaging seasonal labor, and creating a culture of safety in the workplace. This session will be highly interactive and will promote sharing of lessons learned and successes in attracting and keeping a well-trained labor force. Guest speakers include Patrick Berschauer, Safety and Wellness Manager at Smith Gardens, Inc., and a panel discussion on immigration labor with expert attorney Chris Schulte of CJ Lake LLC, a leading firm and long-time partner of AmericanHort, and Ann Margaret Pointer and Josh Viau, attorneys with Fisher Phillips, another leading firm specializing in human resource and labor relation issues. The workshop provides a key opportunity to meet and share with other industry professionals on these important challenges.
Sign up for any of these workshops at Cultivate19.org/experiences.
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