TPIE moving to Tampa in 2021, 2022

Orlando, FL - The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) announced that the Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) will be moving from the east side to west side of the Sunshine State after the TPIE in Fort Lauderdale on January 22-24, 2020. TPIE’s backdrop for 2021 and 2022 will be the redeveloped waterfront and urban offerings of Tampa Bay, Florida, as the show moves to the Tampa Convention Center.

“No matter where TPIE takes place, it will continue to be the best industry trade event focused on interior plants, tropical foliage, live décor and plant trends,” Marcella Lucio-Chinchilla, chairperson of TPIE and marketing director at Silver Vase, Inc. says. “We’ll continue to have the exciting exhibitor displays, cutting-edge presentations and an array of industry thought-leaders and influencers for which TPIE is so well-known. TPIE will continue as the best place to do business when it comes to the indoor tropical foliage and houseplant business.”

For nearly 30 years, TPIE’s participants have enjoyed the “sunsational” offerings of Fort Lauderdale. In fact, because of the success of shows such as TPIE, Broward County officials have decided to significantly expand its convention center and add a long-promised, adjacent convention hotel. FNGLA and TPIE’s team fully support the expansion and the addition of the new hotel. However, the major construction phases during the next two to three years make it inadvisable and impossible to host the show in Fort Lauderdale.

“Fort Lauderdale has been the home to TPIE for so long it was strange to consider holding it anywhere else. Yet, when Broward County officials informed us that we needed to find a new facility during the major construction phases, we were very excited with what we discovered in Tampa,” Linda Adams, TPIE’s show manager says. “We will all miss aspects of Fort Lauderdale, yet our TPIE attendees will love the welcoming and urban chic style of downtown Tampa. It’s walkable, it’s diverse, it’s hipster, it’s waterfront, it’s fun, it’s warm and it’s friendly.”

Not only has the Tampa Bay convention district gone through big changes in recent, but so have the hotels which will be part of the TPIE housing program. TPIE attendees will find host hotels up-to-date in style and amenities, with brands and price ranges all located within a convenient walk or streetcar ride to the Tampa Convention Center.

“Sometimes a little change is just what’s needed to keep things interesting,” TPIE Chairperson Marcella Lucio-Chinchilla says. “We didn’t seek this situation. Yet when it came to us, we embraced it as an opportunity to bring new sights and perspectives for our TPIE participants. Tampa fits the bill for a change all will enjoy.”

To learn more about TPIE, visit their website here.

For more information on FNGLA, visit their website here.