GCA Chairman, Will Blake and Chairman Elect for 2024-25, Ben Harrison.

The Garden Centre Association has revealed the overarching theme for its 2025 annual conference ahead of bookings opening for the event later this summer.

The conference, which takes place in Reading in January, has ‘The Unique Garden Centre Experience’ as its main topic.

GCA Chairman, Will Blake, who is organising the conference with GCA CEO Peter Burks, says: “We decided this year to make our members aware of our key theme earlier than normal and announced it during our four recent Area Award Meetings. We’re aiming to launch bookings at the end of the summer too, so people have more time to get booked up.

“Work started on our 2025 conference almost immediately after our 2024 one ended and, once again, we’re planning something more forward-thinking than ever this year. We’re putting together the final touches at the moment and hope to announce our informative, inspiring and motivational line-up of speakers soon too.

“As always, the conference will provide the opportunity for us all to socialise with our industry friends, colleagues and associates too.

“This year we’re also delighted to announce that our fancy dress theme is ‘London Underground’ – think stations, think history, think workers, think anything associated with the London Underground! We’re looking forward to seeing just how creative everyone will be and we’re hoping by giving people more time to thinking about it, they’ll come up with some amazing costumes.”

On the Sunday evening before conference, there will also be an optional self-guided London Retail Safari tour.

Chairman Elect for 2024/25, Ben Harrison, who is Operations Director of Haskins Garden Centres, explains: “This will be organised by Matthew Brown from Echochamber and will start with a trends’ presentation from Matthew in central London. We will organise transport to take any luggage you have with you from here directly back to the hotel.

“Attendees will be provided with some suggested routes to take to explore all that London has to offer. We will then meet at a venue near Battersea Power Station for drinks and nibbles before heading to the hotel in Reading on a coach. Any profits from this event will be donated to Charity.”

The 2025 GCA Conference takes place at De Vere Wokefield Park Reading from January 26 until 29.

Peter Burks, GCA CEO, adds: “Once booking is open via our members’ section on our website www.gca.org.uk we will let everyone know. In the meantime, sponsorship slots are already available, so if any companies are interested, please get in touch with me via peter@gca.org.uk.”