For the sixth time Hortiflora Expo 2015 will be held as a biennial trade fair at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 25-27. The expo will serve as a platform for exhibiting national and international suppliers who want to meet Ethiopian growers and for Ethiopian growers who want to meet international floral buyers, according to a news release.

The Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Florists Association’s annual convention, under the banner “Fields of Green,” will be held at the Green Bay Radisson Hotel & Convention Center in Green Bay, WI, March 20-22, according to a news release.

WUMFA president Diane Schulte expressed the hope that members will “use this opportunity to build your success at home where your ‘fields of green’ flourish.”

The Tournament of Roses Parade is a yearly tradition that started 126 years ago as a way to showcase the beautiful weather and bountiful flowers grown in California during a time when much of the country is covered in snow. The irony of this year’s parade was that it was actually snowing in the region for the first time this winter and forecasters were predicting near freezing temperatures for the paradein Pasadena, CA..

The American Floral Endowment board of trustees met in Orlando, FL, Jan. 19-20, to review strategic goals for the funding of education, research, scholarships, internships and marketing initiatives for the entire floriculture industry, including growers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, allied organizations and consumers. Terril A. Nell, newly elected research coordinator for the AFE, organized the University of Florida visit.    

Floral industry members from across the country are expected to attend the 2015 Great Lakes Floral Expo at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel/DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, MI, March 6-8, according to a news release.

The three-day “Floral Fantasy” expo will feature design spectaculars, business sessions, hands-on workshops and the opportunity to network with industry professionals. New this year is the tablescape design contest “A Night of Fantasy” and the tablescapes will decorate the Pantlind Ballroom.

The DNA Green Group, a company formed by the merger of the Dummen Group and Agribio Group in 2013 headquartered in the Netherlands and a leader in advanced scientific breeding and selection techniques of flowers and plants, announced in a news release the acquisition of two additional companies.