Members of the Garden Centre Association are being invited to put their marketing and community 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 and community initiative during its 2024 annual conference in the Cotswolds next month (January 28 until 31, 2024).
GCA CEO, Peter Burks 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. This year we’ve extended the entry parameters to include community initiatives too.
“Our judges are continually astounded by the 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 11, 2024.
“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 on 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.
Peter adds: “The winner will be announced during our Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony at our conference on the evening of Tuesday, January 30. The event takes place at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire from January 28 until 31, 2024 and places can still be booked via www.gca.org.uk.”
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 sector and assist members in achieving their business goals.
“The information shared will focus on a wide range of topics. Our overarching theme is something that every member can relate to: ‘The Future of Garden Retailing’. Our sub-themes are also highly pertinent. They are Environment & Sustainability, Trends & Insights and Health & Wellbeing. There will also be plenty of opportunities for delegates to network and socialise.”
