Members of the Garden Centre Association are being invited to put their marketing campaigns to the test as part of the organisation’s annual Worrall Cup competition.

The Association will be awarding a cup to the garden centre with the best marketing initiative during its annual conference at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Lancashire (January 22 until 25, 2023).

Tammy Woodhouse, GCA Chairman, says: “Our member garden centres are a creative bunch and we run our Worrall Cup competition annually to decide who has the most flair and creativity when it comes to their marketing campaigns and initiatives.

“Our judges are always astounded by the amount of effort that goes into the campaigns and always look for those that are inspirational to other members too.

“If any of our members think they’ve got what it takes to win the cup, they should submit their entries before the deadline of Thursday, January 12, 2023.

“The entries will be judged by an independent panel with marketing expertise. As this award is not influenced by our annual inspections, all entries have an equal chance of winning in January when the judging panel meets to assess the merits of each submission and decide the winner.”

Members are asked to submit an entry by completing a short form, which can be downloaded via the member section of the GCA website or requested by email from info@gca.org.uk.

The submission of supporting material, such as photographs, print examples and web-links is encouraged. An additional sheet of written detail is acceptable along with the entry form, if required. Entries can be sent electronically via info@gca.org.uk.

Tammy added: “The winner will be announced during our Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony at our conference on the evening of Tuesday, January 24. The event takes place at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa in Blackburn, Lancashire from January 22 until 25, 2023 and places can be booked via www.gca.org.uk.”

The conference pages on the website will be updated with speaker announcements and full listings as the programme develops and exact timings are confirmed. There is also a dedicated email for any queries members, and those wishing to book for the event, may have: conference@gca.org.uk.

“As always our conference will provide attendees with pertinent information on key aspects of the garden centre industry to assist members in achieving their business goals.

“The information shared will focus on a wide range of topics, including merchandising, marketing and management. There will also be plenty of opportunities for delegates to network and socialise.”

Pictured: 2020 Worrall Cup winners, Squires Garden Centres.