The Numbers Are in From TPIE 2024, and They Tell a Great Story
February 6, 2024 
The 2024 Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) brought nearly 8,000 growers, landscapers, retailers, and other stakeholders from all 50 states and 40 different countries to the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, from Jan. 17-19 to showcase the latest innovations and products in foliage, floral, and tropicals.
“As the number-one producer of indoor houseplants and tropical foliage in the country, Florida is the epicenter of the tropical plant industry and the perfect place to host TPIE,” says Tal Coley, chief executive officer of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA). “TPIE plays a crucial role in fostering collaboration, exchanging industry knowledge, and attracting vendors and buyers from around the world.”
TPIE allows buyers to browse all the latest wholesale offerings for foliage, florals, tropicals, and house plants, allied services and supplies, and initiate purchase orders. What was seen on the floor this year will appear in residential and commercial landscape spaces and store shelves in a matter of weeks or months.
“Horticulture industry professionals from 40 different countries gathered in one place to celebrate the beauty of our industry and to map the road forward,” says Erik Dietl-Friedli, TPIE committee chair. “After this year’s TPIE, one thing is absolutely clear – consumers have much to look forward to from the horticulture realm. Beautiful colors, unique shapes, and new textures will soon hit the shelves and fill landscapes and homes across the world.”
TPIE’s standing-room-only opening session, “Start with Wow,” featured award-winning storyteller and illusionist Harris III, who encouraged the audience to leverage awe, innovation, and curiosity to shift narratives and create the future.
The 2024 show saw 1,000 more attendees than the previous TPIE. And this year’s expo had more than 200 additional booths on the show floor, totaling more than 1,000 booths – nearly 200,000 square feet of show floor space.
Attendees also had access to valuable resources beyond the showroom booths. Throughout the expo, 16 education workshops took place targeting trends, business management and plant shipping information. Additionally, the American Institute of Floral Designers hosted several plant design presentations.
A TPIE Road Show Production Tour took attendees to five unique production facilities in south Florida, complete with a memorable lunch stop and views of an old Florida wood frame vernacular house at the historic Palm Lodge and Tropical Garden.
Want more? Check out this year’s Cool Product Award winners, presented by The Garden Center Group, here. Plus, Greenhouse Grower’s Senior Editor Julie Hullett, offers her own perspective here.
Next year’s show is scheduled to return to a newly renovated Broward County Convention Center on Jan. 22-24, 2025.
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