NextGen

September 2015

Kelly Jean Kerr, 2013 winner of the Young Achiever and Young Horticulturist of the Year Awards, has recently returned from the International Garden Centre Congress Study Tour in Denmark. Here is her report:

"I was awarded the Trevor Davies International Fellowship from the Sir Victor Davis Trust to help with costs to attend the 2015 International Garden Centre Congress Study Tour, in Odense Denmark from 9-14 August. The Fellowship helps fund overseas work experience or study that will contribute to the NZ ornamental horticulture industry.

It was a week cram packed with visits to 11 different garden centres, suppliers, giftware trade shows and examples of excellence in other areas of retail. The study tour, which is for under 40's in management positions, analysed each business and discussed the positive and negative aspects to the businesses and possible improvements. There was also much discussion around our own businesses and and sharing  of ideas on how we did things. The networking was particularly valuable in terms of garnering ideas and making contacts around the world. There were 13 different nationalities represented on the Study Tour which gave us a wide range of opinions and experiences.

I had a week in Germany on the way to Congress where I visited some German garden centres and some of their parks and gardens and a very short stopover in Singapore which enabled me to see Gardens by the Bay which were incredible and I highly recommend anyone to go and see them.

It was an amazing experience and I would recommend anyone who is involved in garden retail to attend. Next year Congress is in Switzerland.The timing isn't great for us in the Southern Hemisphere as they tend to hold it in their Autumn which is of course our Spring but if you can make it work, go!

I couldn't have gone without the financial help from the Sir Victor Davies Trust so a big thank you to them!"

You can check out all the places visited on the IGCA tour on their Facebook page - facebook.com/IGCAssociation

August 2015

Be a guest at Young Horticulturist of the Year Awards Dinner

Countdown supermarkets would like to extend an invitation to host two or three potential 2016 Young Achiever entrants, to give you a preview of what it’s like to be a Young Achiever candidate. If you are interested in entering next year and are available to attend the dinner on November 12 – we need you! Please email Frances Palmer (NGINZ membership manager) on frances@nginz.co.nz or call 04 918 3511.

We congratulate Tom Ferguson of Southern Woods Nursery who won the 2015 Young Achiever Award. See more here Tom will represent the nursery and garden industry, competing against other horticultural candidates at the Young Horticulturist of the Year competition November 11-12 in Auckland. More info...

NextGen Facebook page is live!

We have created a public NextGen page which anyone can find and follow the group’s activities.

Please visit www.facebook.com/NextGenNZ and like the page to keep up to date with latest news, events and idea sharing.

Need to develop Future Leaders Identified

A common discussion point at the Towards 2025 roadshows has been the need to develop the “Next Generation of Nursery and Garden Industry leaders and business owners”.  Members have expressed concerns about the lack of youth coming through and are keen to help develop people but to do that you need to put your hand up and take an active part in the NextGen group.

Are any of your employees/workmates aged 35 and under? If so encourage them to join NextGen. The NextGen group is about developing the industry’s next generation of successful horticulturists and industry leaders. The group provides a unique networking and career development opportunity for Nursery and Garden Industry workers aged 35 and under. Best of all membership is free.

New look – Same great support

We are pleased to ‘release’ the new NextGen logo which has been designed to be in keeping with NGINZ other brands – Go Gardening, Greenlife Matters and of course NGINZ. Thanks to those of you who provided feedback and input on the logo redesign.

Why is NextGen important to You?

In September we’ll be updating the NextGen brochure and page on the NGINZ website. Please let us know why you joined NextGen and what you have found useful. Your comments will help recruit more NextGen members making the group stronger. Please email your comments to frances@nginz.co.nz or call 04 918 3511 and talk to Frances.

July 2014

Hopefully most of you will have heard about NextGen and what we do, but it’s time to step out of the shadows and raise the profile of the NextGen group and its members.

NextGen is about developing the industry’s next generation of successful horticulturists and industry leaders. The group provides a unique networking and career development opportunity for Nursery and Garden Industry workers aged 35 and under. Membership is free, your company just has to be a NGINZ member.

The group met up at conference and will work with Steve (NGINZ Marketing & Communications Manager) to develop a battle plan to recruit more members and keep you informed of what NextGen has been up to. Speaking of which…

We are delighted to congratulate Jacqui Jones of Evandale Gardens on taking out the NGINZ HortFert Plus Young Achiever Award for 2014. She faced stiff competition from Amy Redmond of Wairere Nursery and Hamish McLean of Grower Technology. Hopefully Jacqui will repeat the feat of Kelly Jean Kerr and go on to take out the Young Horticulturist of the Year Award

To find out more about becoming a NextGen member contact Pip McVicar at Cedar Lodge Nurseries office@conifers.co.nz or 027 387 9127/06 755 0369

Kelly Jean Kerr