MANTS Kicks Off 2023 Growing Season on a High Note

By Brian D. Sparks|January 22, 2023

“A welcome return normal” has been a common saying over the past few months, and that sentiment certainly held true at MANTS, the early season trade show that serves as the unofficial kickoff to the new year for many in the greenhouse and nursery industry.

Two years ago, amidst the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, MANTS as an in-person event was cancelled and replaced with an online platform where buyers and sellers could conduct business. Last year’s MANTS was back live, but a winter storm that hit the day the conference started (along with lingering pandemic-related concerns) resulted in limited attendance.

Following the conclusion of MANTS 2023, show organizers said the number of visitors topped 11,000 attendees. It’s a number I would not question, considering the logjams in the trade show aisles and the near-constant buzz of conversations and deal making.

“The energy on the trade show floor was electric this year as our exhibitors and attendees reconnected with one another,” said MANTS Executive Vice President Vanessa A. Finney. “Business was booming, and it was easy to see that all in attendance were excited to be back full force. This show was established 53 years ago to encourage the development and cultivation of partnerships, and from what we saw on the show floor this year, we successfully met that goal.”

With a heavy regional nursery focus and limits on the size of vendor booths, MANTS is perhaps not best suited to launching new products. It’s more about starting and strengthening relationships, and learning more about what’s to come in the year ahead. As I talked to growers and suppliers on the trade show floor, I felt the usual concerns about labor and supply chain headaches. But when I asked about whether the consumers we gained as an industry over the last few years will stick around, the strong consensus was “yes!”