CEO’S MESSAGE

Craig Taberner

CEO, NGIV

I have high hopes that by the time you’re reading this our November Trade Day went ahead and was enjoyed by many. Trade Day is an event that the team at NGIV look forward to each month and is a chance to connect with our members; it’s something we’ve all missed and hope to bring it back bigger and better than before. We’d like to thank all our Trade Day buyers and stand holders for making the event what it is, the largest horticultural trade market in the southern hemisphere, and call on your continued support to make sure it goes from strength to strength in 2021.

Speaking of outstanding events, I have been regularly engaging with the directors and event manager of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS). Talks are ongoing about the delivery of MIFGS 2021 and the event manager have presented some exciting strategies for the MIFGS Board to consider to ensure that MIFGS can operate in 2021 under a covid safe environment. I look forward to sharing those plans with you all in due course, subject to government health directions.

Whilst the continuing decline of COVID positive case numbers within Victoria is hugely heartening, our thoughts have been with our metropolitan retail members throughout what has been an extremely difficult time. The work we’ve done in previous years to engage with government and shine a light on our industry has given us a voice that we’ve used to advocate for the safe and early reopening of retail garden centres in metropolitan Melbourne. It is with regret that the Victorian Government have not saw fit to ease their approach towards early reopening for any industry to date. The difficulties of 2020 have led many people to discover the joys of gardening and plantlife for the first time, and whilst nobody would have wished for a year like we’ve had, this new appreciation of gardening will bolster our industry for many years to come. We have no doubt that when your doors do open, the customers will come flooding in and the plants will fly out.

We continue to work closely with our members to deliver an uplifting horticultural bushfire recovery project that will benefit one of the effected communities. We believe in the power of plantlife to help heal and inspire new growth and hope, in what was a tragic event.

I look forward to seeing many of you at what will be a thriving December market.

Craig Taberner

CEO, NGIV