Delegates to next week’s HTA Seasonal Plants Focus conference at Stratford Upon Avon will hear about lobbying work aimed at limiting the impact of proposed EU Legislation that could require all plants on sale to carry individual botanical descriptions.

Raoul Curtis-Machin (left), HTA Head of Horticulture, will ask ‘What’s in a name?’ at the conference, which takes place on Thursday 21 November at Young Plants Ltd.

The proposals could potentially cost the industry hundreds of millions of pounds. Curtis-Machin will give an insight into industry lobbying work on the subject and the HTA’s efforts to ensure a common sense approach.

Other conference speakers including Graham Dunn, MD of Cresco Horticulture; Nigel Judd, head of wholesale at Thompson & Morgan; Steve Jones, executive director at ReSharpen and Nicky Roeber, The Garden Centre Group’s plant buyer.

The conference theme is ‘Collaborate, innovate and succeed’. The event brings a wealth of industry experts together to discuss and debate the latest issues affecting seasonal and bedding plant growers and retailers.

Delegates can also take advantage of a networking dinner that will take place the night before (Wednesday 20 November) at the Alveston Manor Hotel in Stratford, and features an after-dinner talk on how the industry’s golden age is yet to come by Boyd Douglas-Davies, chief executive of the Hillview Group.

Further information: www.seasonalplantsfocus.co.uk