Initiatives that support local communities; including working with schools, offering community services and acting as a meeting place, not only provide genuine local benefits but in today’s tough economic conditions make business sense. The workshops ‘Engaging Communities & Growing Business – Locally & Online’ will feature case studies from garden centres across the country demonstrating the importance of local engagement. At the same time communities in the virtual world of social media increasingly represent more and more of the population. The latest Future Foundation research shows that six out of ten people regularly use Facebook via their computer with a quarter regularly using it on their mobile phone. It is not just the younger generation who are using Facebook with 38% of those over 65 using the service. The workshops will show how garden centres are using social media to engage with their customers.
Alongside the case studies from garden centres HTA’s Director of Business Development, Tim Briercliffe will provide an overview of the consumer research demonstrating the importance of local engagement and HTA Market Information Manager, David Denny, will share an overview of the latest HTA research into who the next generation of gardeners are and how to reach them. He will also provide an outline of the new consumer segmentation tools, target marketing solutions available and how consumers are using social media.
Tim Briercliffe, HTA Director of Business Development, comments, ”The HTA Retail Strategy identifies community engagement and the use of social media as two key areas that today’s garden centre should focus on. This series of regional seminars will help to show how to use them, through showcasing a number of inspirational case studies, to business advantage.”
Date and venues
Tuesday 31 January
Dobbies Garden Centre, Peterborough
With case studies from host centre, Scotsdales Garden Centres (Cambridge) and Planters Garden Centres (Tamworth).
Wednesday 1 February
Coolings Garden Centre, Sevenoaks
With case studies from the host centre, Woodcote Green Garden Centre (Surrey) and Perrywood Nurseries (Colchester).
Tuesday 21 February, Grosvenor Garden Centre, Chester
With case studies from the host centre, Dobbies Garden Centre (tbc) and Moota Garden Centre (Cumbria).
Tuesday 28 February, Cadbury Garden & Leisure, Bristol
With case studies from the host centre, Fermoys Garden Centre (Newton Abbott) and Cleeve Nursery (near Bristol).
The workshops each run from 10 am - 3 pm and cost £25 for HTA members which includes lunch and refreshments.
For more information or to book visit www.the-hta.org.uk/events or email events@the-hta.org.uk
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