What are the prospects for Hawaii’s Floriculture Industry of over the next 10 years? That will be the topic theme discussed by three nationally known flower and foliage experts at the HAWAII FLORICULTURE INDUSTRY SEMINAR to be held Friday, October 27 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

In Hawaii we are blessed with ideal growing conditions for our tropical cut flower anthurium, orchids and protea. We can produce a wide variety blooming potted orchid plants and export quality foliage plants. Our disadvantage has always been distance to the mainland market and the time and cost it takes to get there. And as imported product from off shore producers continues to erode Hawaii’s market share, how do we survive? Guest speakers for eh seminar will address these issues.

Tom Lavaghetto President of Floral Consulting Group, came from a family of flower growers. He is a tough minded, profit motivated, problem solver with a clear vision of potential. He possesses front line knowledge of international marketing and management in the floral industry. Throughout his career, he has dedicated 14 years as mass marketer, 8 years as an importer and 9 years as a grower. His successes won him the prestigious “Floral Marketer of the Year” award in 1995. He will talk on what is right and what is wrong about Hawaii’s export floral crops, and how to niche our potted orchids, cut flowers and potted foliage to high value, prompt paying customers.

Bob Ludhultz is President of Pittsburgh Cut Flowers and current President of Society of American Florists (SAF) and is affiliated with Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association (WF&FSA) and International Floral Distributors (IFD). Bob will discuss the trends of flower and foliage consumption in the U. S. from the perspective of his background as a traditional wholesale floral distributor. Bob will share his ideas on how Hawaii’s growers, shippers and retailers can maintain their quality, be profitable and price competitive. He will discuss how National Floral organizations such as SAF and WF&FSA can work with Hawaii’s growers and shippers to create demand for Hawaii’s high value floral crops.

Joe Cialone has over 40 years experience in the Nursery Industry starting as plant physiologist at Virginia Tech University and a professor of Weed Science at Rutgers University. In 1971 partnered with his brothers and launched Tropical Ornamentals, Inc. In 1995 he partnered with his son, Joe Jr., growing foliage nursery and interiorscape plants. Currently he is co-owner of Tropical Computers that specializes in images of plants and plant related info on CD-Rom for the landscape industry. Joe was the former President of Interior Plantscape Industry and the Florida Nurseryman and Growers Association and is currently President of the National Foliage Foundation for the third time. Joe will discuss what it takes to bring Hawaii’s Floriculture Industry together forming  a consolidated, well financed statewide Floral and Foliage Association. This association will maintain paid staff, create co-funding relationships with state, federal Dept. of Agriculture, promote tradeshows, develop marketing concepts and partner with groups like Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Tourism Authority to create a unified approach in growing and marketing of Hawaii’s Floral and Foliage products. He will also discuss how our potted tropical flowers and foliage plants can take advantage of current landscaping trends to open new market opportunities.

Also on the program Hawaii’s top agricultural researchers from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources will present their findings on the plant development, disease control, plant nutrition and coqui frog control.

The Hawaii Floriculture Seminar will be held in conjunction with Ag 2006 on Thursday October 26. There is a registration discount available if attending both the Hawaii Floriculture Industry Seminar on October 27 and Ag 2006 on October 26. Special room rates have been arranged for attendees at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Go to www.agconference.org for more details and to register for these events. Call 808 947-2914 for questions about registration or 808 965-9570 for questions about the seminar speakers or topics.