The World Floral Expo returns to New York for its second straight year. In early December, the show had booked 35 exhibitors from about a dozen countries.

The show will run at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 13-15, according to Jasper van Dijk, marketing manager for the sponsor, HPP Exhibitions in Holland. The Javits Center has about 48,000 square feet of exhibit area.

Excitement builds every January as the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association races toward the year’s kick-off premiere show — its Tropical Plant Industry Exposition. We anticipate a strong spring market for tropical and foliage plants. The tropical eye candy that fills the entire Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL, for TPIE attracts tropical and foliage plant buyers from throughout the United States and nearly 50 countries.

“Our crop was pretty similar to the rest of New York state,” Lee Peters, vice president of sales and marketing for Fowler Bros. Inc., in Wolcott, NY, told The Produce News. “There is no question that we are down in crop size, but despite the rumors in the marketplace, we are definitely doing business. At the end of the day, it’s going to be an OK year. It is absolutely not true that New York does not have apples.”

Columbia Marketing International, headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, hit a home run with the introduction of new, exciting bag and bin options for retailers this apple season. A new two-pound standup pouch bag is available for the company’s line of organic apples marketed under the “Daisy Girl” label.

Celebrations to ring in the Chinese New Year will begin in earnest on Feb. 10. Drawing upon the Chinese zodiac, 2013 is the Year of the Snake. According to Chinese wisdom, a snake in the house is regarded as a sign that a family will not starve. And people born in the Year of the Snake are regarded as keen, intelligent, wise and skilled at business. Festivities during the Year of the Snake will conclude Feb. 24.

The Southeast Produce Council will honor Paul J. DiMare Sr. with its 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award during the council's annual convention and trade show later this winter in Florida.

The convention, known as Southern Exposure, will take place from Feb. 28 to March 2 at the Caribe Royale Resort & Conference Center in Orlando, FL. This will be the 10th convention and trade show for the council, which was formed in 1999 and which has grown steadily ever since.