The Penn Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (PANTS) is moving to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia next year after being held in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center located in Oak, Pa.
Scheduled from July 31 through Aug. 1, 2013, the 40-year-old tradeshow for designing, constructing and maintaining outdoor spaces already is the biggest summer event for retail garden-center owners, nursery stock growers and landscaping professionals from Massachusetts to Virginia. Its new location at the downtown venue next year gives the event a prominent place.
“I’ve set a goal for our city to become the greenest, most sustainable city in America,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Welcoming PANTS establishes Philadelphia as a destination for people interested in all things green and growing. I look forward to visiting the show next year and, hopefully, for many more years to come.”
Earlier this summer, MAC Events of Spring Lake, N.J., assumed responsibility for producing the show in a partnership agreement with the show’s founder, the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association (PLNA). The change in venue affirms MAC Events’ commitment to revitalizing PANTS as a catalyst for the region’s multi-billion dollar green industry.
“We want to put the sizzle back in this show and make it an event that no one in the green trades will want to miss,” said Kevin McLaughlin, partner, MAC Events. “Attendees who come to PANTS will not only find new ideas, products and educational programs on the show floor, but they also will be able to plug into resources that have made the city a hot spot for horticultural innovation for more than 250 years.”
PANTS has seen steady growth since 1973, moving six times to accommodate expanding attendance. With the move to Philadelphia, the show is more centrally located in its prime market area with easy highway access and other mass-transit options for attendees.
“Moving PANTS to Philadelphia will be a key to making the show a must-see event,” said Gregg Robertson, president, PLNA. “Philadelphia is the horticultural center of the United States with more than 40,000 green industry companies in the mid-Atlantic region alone.”
