Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General of the AIPH (International Association of Horticultural Producers), is the latest name to be added to the HTA’s Contact Conference next month.

Tim, a familiar face to those in the industry, will speak after the conference dinner to an audience of growers and nurserymen at the biennial event which takes place on 14 and 15 January at JCB World Headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire.

Other new names joining the impressive line up of speakers include Caroline Jones of Pershore College who will provide an overview of the courses and learning methods available including apprenticeships and on-the-job training.

The event also welcomes Sarah Mayne of ADAS who will provide an update on the MOPS project findings and highlight some of the key control options that have the potential to asset growers with managing their crops sustainably.

Other speakers include Guy Moreton from MorePeople and David Frost from Produce World who will give advice on recruitment in the first session entitled ‘People’.

Graham Spencer of Plants for Europe will talk on how growers exploit the opportunities that new plant varieties represent, whilst David Denny of the HTAwill lead a session on how to develop trade based on the findings of the HDC project to export plants to 25 countries.

There will be a supplier and buyer discussion hosted by Wayne Eady from Delamore Young Plants, Tim Clapp, former head of horticulture at The Garden Centre Group, Adam Dunnett  of  Wyevale Plants, Charles Carr, Lowaters and Marcus Cousins of Aylett Nurseries where delegates will be able to pose their questions to industry experts.

David Green from Chapel Cottage Plants, Chris James, Wyeplants and Lewis Normand from Coblands Nurseries have been confirmed as session chairs, whilst Amanda Sizer Barrett and Charlie Parker and from Gardenex will also speak.

The conference dinner takes place on the evening of 14 January at the Radisson Blu Hotel at East Midlands Airport, and will feature some charity fundraising for Perennial.

Day two of the event will include a tour of the JCB factory and JCB Story where delegates will see the process of how a machine is built from the delivery of the sheet steel to the finished product, with workshops on topics including “Making Horticulture Attractive”, “Understanding the Value of Research” and “Using Market Trends to Develop Plant Promotions”.