It’s a Wrap!
Over 90 delegates from 40 gardens and 12 countries joined us in Victoria BC from 1-4 November to seize the moment. These gardens alone host more than 17 million (ticketed) visitors each year and growing. Thank you for your participation and inspiring stories, looking forward to the next conference in 2025!
This innovating event revolves around the theme “Seizing the Moment,” recognizing the abundant possibilities for gardens and the tourism sector to collaborate to enhance the appeal of gardens as well as destinations, especially post-pandemic, thereby attracting more visitors.
Speakers
We are delighted to announce the first line-up of speakers who will join our conference this fall. This list will be updated on a regular basis as we move closer to August when we finalise the detailed programme and topics. We expect to announce a total of 20 speakers from the Gardens and Tourism industry.
Wanda Heimbecker
Gerald Dieleman
Paul Nursey
Darren Heimbecker
Angela Cassie
Michelle Day
Dave Cowen
Cao Guangshu
Giuseppe Sigurtà
Jill Smillie
Richard Benfield
Felix Loh
Bill Hardy
Judith de Graaff
Robert Price
Paul Guthrie
Mary Pat Matheson
Jason Koo
Anders J. Lindstrom
Linda Hart
Gwen Auwerda
Jessica Boatright
Thomas Pintal
Michael Harvey
Schedule
This conference will be all about the destination development and promotion of your garden. The main topics and presentations titles are listed in the schedule below. More details will be added on a continuing basis towards July.
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11.00 - 13.00
Registration at Victoria Conference Centre
Please collect your conference badge and schedule at the conference desk at the Victoria Conference Centre
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14.00 - 20.00
Welcome to Victoria @Butchart Gardens!
Delegates are welcome to visit the famous Butchart Gardens for a tour and welcome reception & buffet. Departure from the Doubletree Hotel at 14:00
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20.30 - 22.00
Seizing the Moment Rendez Vous
Social gathering at Bartholomew’s (downstairs of the Doubletree Hotel)
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07:30 - 09:00
Conference Registration
Please collect your conference badge and schedule at the conference desk at the Victoria Convention Center
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09:00 - 09.45
Opening Speeches
Welcome and conference warm up speeches.
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09.45 - 10.45
What Makes a Garden a Destination?
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Dave Cowen
Robert Price
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10.45 - 11.15
Break
In the conference hall
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11.15 - 11.35
Trends in Garden Tourism
A key-note by Richard Benfield, acclaimed international researcher and author on Garden Tourism.
Speakers: Richard Benfield
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11.35 - 12.00
Gardens by the Bay: Where Innovation, Technology and Nature Meet
Speakers: Felix Loh
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12:00 - 13:30
Luncheon - Canadian Garden Tourism Awards
Lunch will be served at the conference center
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13:30 - 14.30
Knowing and delivering your tourist expectations
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Angela Cassie
Gerald Dieleman
Jason Koo
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14.30 - 15.30
The Pleasure Garden: the garden as a stage for cultural, art and social activities, exhibitions and events
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Anders J. Lindstrom
Michelle Day
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15:30 - 16.00
Coffee Break
Coffee and refreshments will be served in the lobby
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16.00 - 16.45
The Pleasure Garden: the garden as a stage for cultural, art and social activities, exhibitions and events
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Darren Heimbecker
Michael Harvey
Thomas Pintal
Wanda Heimbecker
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16.45 - 17.15
Keeping it real: garden identity and stories
Speakers: Mary Pat Matheson
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18.30 - 21.30
International Garden Tourism Awards Gala Dinner
Enjoy an evening with fine food, people and awards at Victoria's Union Club.
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21.30 - 22.30
Seizing the Moment Rendez Vous
Social gathering at Bartholomew’s (downstairs of the Doubletree Hotel)
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09:00 - 10:00
Creating Visibility and a Following
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Igor Josifovic-Kemper
Jessica Boatright
Judith de Graaff
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10:00 - 10:30
Emotional appeals of Gardens, Flowers and Food
Key Note Presentation
Speakers: Pascal Garbe
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10:30 - 11:00
Coffee Break
Served in the conference hall
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11:00 - 12:00
Working with Tour Operators
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Jill Smillie
Linda Hart
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12:00 - 13:30
North American Garden Tourism Award Luncheon
During this lunch we will recognise gardens across North America for their destination development and promotion accomplishments.
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14:30 - 15:30
Working with Online Travel Platforms
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Giuseppe Sigurtà
Paul Guthrie
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15:30 - 16:00
Coffee Break
Coffee and refreshments will be served in the lobby
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16:00 - 17:00
Festival/event appeal to tourists
Panel sessions consist of 2-3 speaker presentations followed by a discussion
Speakers: Gwen Auwerda
Treve Evans
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17:00 - 17:30
Conference wrap-up and closing remarks
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18:30 - 20:30
Victoria Dine Around
Explore Victoria's dining scene together with old and new friends from the international gardens. You can select any of these fine restaurants: 1) The Courtney Room - https://thecourtneyroom.com/menu 2) 10 Acres Restaurant (The Bistro) - https://10acres.ca/bistro-restaurant 3) Milestones - https://milestonesrestaurants.com/locations/victoria 4) Fathom (Hotel Grand Pacific) - https://www.fathomvictoria.com/dinner-menu 5) Bard and Banker - https://www.bardandbanker.com/dinner-menu
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09:00 - 12:00
Option 1) Victoria Garden City Walking Tour
From the conference hotel we will take a leisurely walk through several gardens in the nearby Parliamentary Precinct, then start wending our way through the James Bay neighbourhood, the oldest in the city. Here we will walk past well-preserved heritage houses on tree-lined streets (including the birthplace of Emily Carr). Along the way, we have made arrangements to visit some of the small private gardens that showcase many different styles of home gardens: a forest garden, a heritage garden, an urban farm, and a secluded, hidden shade garden (a true gem). On the return route to the hotel, our path will take us through the main garden features in Beacon Hill Park, with its artificial lakes, bridges and formal landscapes, as well as through the park's beautiful natural areas. The restored grounds of St. Ann's Academy, an 1871 convent now a National Historic Site, will be the last stop before we return to the hotel.
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09:00 - 14:00
Option 2) Vancouver Island Gardens Bus Tour
Stop 1 – Abkhazi Garden Website : https://www.abkhaziteahouse.com/abkhazi-garden The Abkhazi Garden is an exquisite heritage home and garden Prince and Princess Abkhazi began creating their garden in 1946. They immediately began to develop their one-acre property, and continued to maintain and improve the garden throughout their lives together. Stop 2 - Hatley Park Gardens Website : https://hatleypark.ca/visit-us/hatley-park-gardens The gardens at Hatley Park Historic Site, home to Royal Roads University, are among the finest Edwardian gardens in Canada. The extensive grounds include a magnificent forest of old growth Douglas Fir. The Japanese, Italian, and rose formal gardens have existed for more than a century on the shores of Esquimalt Lagoon. Stop 3 – Gardens at Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP) Website : https://hcp.ca/visit/gardens/ The Gardens at Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (HCP), home to the Pacific Horticulture College, presents a year-round garden experience that all can enjoy. The HCP is recognized as a welcoming place that inspires a love of gardens and nature, shares horticultural knowledge and experience with everyone, produces certified horticultural professionals, and demonstrates environmental stewardship fur future generations.
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15.00 - 16.00
Seizing the Moment Farewell Reception
Farewell reception at Bartholomew’s (downstairs of the Doubletree Hotel)
Partners
Event venue
- Victoria Conference Centre
- +1 6133014554
- registration@gardentourism.org