Attendance at Western increases by 17 percent

The 2017 Western saw an attendance increase of 17 percent over last year's event, while attracting a broad range of upcoming and established industry leaders.

At the 2017 Western, emerging leaders met to discuss tips and ideas to help manage staff, as well as ideas for the ever-important "managing up." An upcoming gathering of the Kansas City area Emerging Leaders at Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters is also in the works.

The WNLA Student Advisory Committee, composed of 10 top students from colleges in the 5-state region, met and had the opportunity to have lunch with the Western Nursery & Landscape Association Board of Directors.

Three talented young girls from Eisenhower High School, Goddard, KS shared how their on-campus O.W.L.S. space has become a "living legacy for learning" through the development of the site and hands-on activities that engage and stimulate student learning.

A young 16-year-old girl from Central Illinois discovered the Western online and convinced her parents to drive her to Kansas City. Beth got involved with growing plants through FFA. Now she has a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), essentially her own small business growing annual flowers and vegetables. She emailed after returning home and said "The Western conference opened doors for me to expand my business and learn so much about the industry.”

And last but not least 6-year-old Lily (pictured above) volunteered to be a model in the Fashion Show of Plants to do her part to “help the butterflies”!