20th Annual Seeley Topic Selected

The 20th Seeley Conference will be held at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, June 26-29, 2005. Continuing the theme from the 2004 Conference on “Understanding the Consumer: Is Floriculture Relevant?” the Seeley Conference Board of Directors has announced that the 2005 Seeley Conference topic is “Stayin’ Alive: Can We Captivate the Elusive Consumer?” The 2004 Seeley Conference established that floriculture is relevant to consumers. In 2005, the question is how can consumers be satisfied – what product, place, price/value, and promotion benefits can be conveyed to the consumer and yet remain consistent with industry goals? Or must we totally reinvent our industry’s offerings to relate to consumers?

After a brief summary of lessons learned from last year’s conference, 2005 participants will consider what consumers say about their needs/wants – across the purchasing spectrum as well as for specific products and services. The next day’s focus will shift to how companies who listen carefully to consumers make incremental changes that exponentially improve business performance. Cases from the green industries where companies are changing the experience of purchasing, changing consumer perceptions about environmental friendliness, refocusing on quality and authenticity of products, and getting the attention of consumers will be explored.

Seeley Conferences are think-tank explorations of a topic important to the future of the floral industry. The complete 2005 program will be available in early 2005. Those wishing to receive a program and registration information and those not on the current mailing list may contact Bill Miller or Mark Bridgen by E-mail at seeleyconference@cornell.edu or mail at Seeley Conference, 134A Plant Science Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; phone (607) 255-4568; or fax (607) 255-9998.  Also visit www.hort.cornell.edu/seeleyconference for further information on Seeley Conferences.