APGA 2015 Call For Sessions

WATERING OUR ROOTS

TO GROW OUR COMMUNITIES MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL

2015 APGA

CONFERENCE Watering Our Roots to Grow Our Communities June 22-26, 2015 Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Hosted by Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory Sponsored by Rain Bird

2015 CALL FOR SESSIONS

Botanic gardens and arboreta, historically and scientifically rooted in horticulture, are challenged to transform and stay relevant in a changing culture. Can gardens make a more meaningful impact on public life?

How do partnerships, collaborations and alliances strengthen collectively the future of a garden and the larger community? Explore your garden’s “cultural imprint.� What can gardens do to serve their community and earn their loyal support? What are the blueprints to such success?

Learn how gardens, museums and cultural attractions are forging powerful partnerships and collaborations to redefine what it means to be a significant attraction and institution in contemporary society. While each alliance is unique due to the nature of the relationship, the commitment to create a more engaged and relevant visitor experience has both short and longterm benefits. Be inspired by fellow professionals who are re-imagining how working with corporate and business leaders, as well as educational and local organizations across generations actively invites participation and grows the visitor experience. Share your experiences, makeovers large and small, and your journey to become a more relevant part of the community. Collaborate and network with your peers at the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) annual conference in Minnesota, June 22-26, 2015.

Welcome to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Area

Minneapolis, Saint Paul and our

The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis offers a

neighboring communities are collectively

contemporary design that pays tribute

referred to as the Twin Cities, and

to the unique culture of Minnesota with

are renowned for their cultural and

mid-century Scandinavian décor. Located

recreational opportunities and beautiful

along Nicollet Mall that offers unique

natural surroundings including those

shopping and dining opportunities, with

found at the Minnesota Landscape

no sales tax on clothes and shoes, the

Arboretum and Como Park Zoo and

savings here are unbeatable—and there

Conservatory. Minnesota, “the land

is no shortage of places to shop. With

of 10,000 lakes,” is best known for its

convenient transportation offerings, the

rich natural environment. Each season

Mall of America and its 520 stores are

offers ample opportunity to explore the

only a short ride away.

natural world in a variety of contexts. The

As we look forward to your visit and the

Minneapolis-Saint Paul area’s nationally renowned system of regional parks and lakes are extensive with nearly 140,000 acres of parkland and 950 lakes within the Twin Cities area.

2015 APGA Conference “Watering our Roots to Grow our Communities”, we take the time to reflect on the 75 years of our association, and its institutional importance in our community’s history.

With its one-of-a-kind attractions, 30

We encourage everyone to consider the

theater venues, 30 classical music groups

ways in which we can connect and grow

and nearly 60 museums, it’s no wonder

with one another, both pre-conference

we’ve been called the Midwest’s cultural

via social media, and at the conference.

capital. And it’s not just numbers that

We look forward to seeing you in

impress, but what’s inside. Find paintings

Minneapolis-Saint Paul at the 2015 APGA

by van Gogh at the Minneapolis Institute

conference!

of Arts, catch a show at the Orpheum Theatre, or enjoy the melodic sounds played at the newly renovated Orchestra Hall.

Host Garden |Minnesota Landscape Arboretum www.arboretum.umn.edu

Named “One of the Top 10 Places to Smell the Flowers” by USA Today, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum offers a unique connection to nature and the outdoors.

Open year-round, the Arboretum is a

developing cold-hardy apple varieties.

harbinger of seasons with its changing

Currently, 150 fruit and ornamental

gardens and landscapes, nature-inspired

plant introductions include the popular

exhibits, events and programs for all

Honeycrisp apples. The Arboretum was

ages. For garden lovers, its 1,200+ acres

founded in 1958 by Lake Minnetonka

include 32 display and specialty gardens,

Garden Club, Minneapolis Men’s Garden

48 plant collections, 5,000+ plant species

Club, Minnesota State Horticultural Society

and varieties. For nature explorers, more

and other community supporters as part of

than 12 miles of hiking trails and paved

the University of Minnesota.

walkways plus 16 miles of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails beckon. For outdoor enthusiasts, music to yoga to art crawls in the gardens plus 5k races, open-air tram and free visitor circulators. More to explore indoors: exhibits, horticultural library, gift store, restaurant, art and photo galleries, adult classes and family programs.

The Arboretum’s roots reach back to 1908, when the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center began

Host Garden |Como Park Zoo and Conservatory www.comozooconservatory.org

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is a community treasure that welcomes more than 2 million visitors every year Como is an urban oasis in the heart of the

be celebrating its 100th anniversary in

Twin Cities and the country’s last completely

2015. The Conservatory was added to the

free metro area zoo and botanical garden.

National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, with

Como Zoo is home to 9 of the 10 animal

its stunning 64-foot Victorian glass dome,

species visitors most want to see, and in

remains one of the few botanical gardens

habitats that allow visitors to observe them

with rotating exhibits, and home to a vast

at close proximity.

collection of plants from around the world.

Como has been one of Minnesota’s greatest

The Conservatory is widely considered the “Crown Jewel” of Saint Paul and will

assets for over 100 years and is the number one family destination in the state.

Tracks

Powerful Partnerships and Collaborations

Deeply Rooted Leadership and Development

Historic Horticulture

How do you forge powerful relationships with the community to build your shared future? What are you doing to re-imagine the community landscape as a more relevant and engaged garden with new audiences on a local and global basis?

What are you doing as a leader to change your garden’s culture and promote more engaged employees? Demonstrate your challenges and successes and show how your efforts are changing workflows and encouraging new rivers of advancement at your garden.

Go back to your roots and share the beauty of your garden’s features and plant collections. Are you looking to your past to make your gardens’ future better? Are you creating historic advances through the use of new technologies? Share the successes and struggles at the root of what you do each and every day.

Track Co-Chairs:

Track Co-Chairs:

Track Co-Chairs:

Michelle Conklin Executive Director Tucson Botanical Garden

Carmia Feldman Assistant Director UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

520.326.9686 execdirector@tucsonbotanical.org

530.752.4880 csfeldman@ucdavis.edu

Neil Gerlowski Executive Director Vallarta Botanical Garden

Dave Forehand VP of Gardens and Visitor Services Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

52.322.223.6182 neil@vbgardens.org

214.515.6607 dforehand@dallasarboretum.org

Casey Sharber Director of Horticulture Myriad Botanical Gardens 405.445.7080 csharber@myriadgardens.org Tom Smarr Director of Horticulture Friends of the Highline 646.774.2482 Thomas.Smarr@thehighline.org

Cultivating Conservation

Illuminating Education

How is your garden prioritizing conservation? Being a good steward entails protection and respect for something worth preserving. In your garden’s stewardship programming, what are the highquality experiences that make for a resilient and sustainable environment? What role does your garden play in maintaining and improving the quality of plant life in your community and abroad?

How is your education program moving across new boundaries?

Are you doing something innovative to reach out to new and diverse audiences? Whether it’s a new technique or visible program growth, talk about how you’ve ensured that your educational programs are absorbed throughout your garden and beyond.

Track Co-Chairs: Sarada Krishnan Director of Horticulture Denver Botanic Gardens 720.865.3601 krishnas@botanicgardens.org Melissa Burdick Director of Horticulture Lauritzen Gardens 402.346.4002 ext. 206 m.burdick@omahabotanicalgardens.org

Track Co-Chairs: Tim Kenny Director of Education Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 952.443.1448, kenny003@umn.edu Susan Wagner VP of Education and Information The Morton Arboretum 630.719.2407 swagner@mortonarb.org

Core Marketing and Media Relations In today’s world every business relies upon successful communication in order to grow and prosper.

How have you tied productive marketing practices throughout the core of what you do? Are you reaching beyond your typical audience and evolving your program to stay relevant in today’s ever-changing world of technology?

Track Co-Chairs: Andrew Krebbs Director of Marketing and Communications Birmingham Botanical Gardens 205.414.3959, akrebbs@bbgardens.org Erin McKeon Public Programs Manager Chanticleer Garden 610.687.4163 x 115 emckeon@chanticleergarden.org

Enriching Art and Exhibitions Your garden’s displays can be watershed events in visitor experiences. What new partnerships flow from your exhibits? Whether your garden is a veteran with exhibits or is just in the exploratory phase, what you have to teach could be a valuable inspiration to other gardens.

Track Co-Chairs: Karen Daubmann Vice President of Exhibitions and Public Engagement New York Botanical Garden 718.817.8535, kdaubmann@nybg.org Rodney Eason Director of Horticulture and Plant Curator Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 207.633.4333 ext. 142 reason@mainegardens.org

Call for Sessions and Proposals Opens:

The following information is needed for all moderators:

July 1, 2014, 11:00 a.m. ET

Name

http://apga2015.abstractcentral.com

Title, Institution

Submission Deadline: October 1, 2014, 11:59 p.m. PT

Address, City, State, Zip/Postal Code, Country

Instructions for Submitting Your Proposal The online submission process is easy and allows you to compose abstracts securely and collaboratively with colleagues throughout the world, thus simplifying the authoring and submission process.

Moderator/Workshop Leader Information Moderators will be expected to: • Coordinate logistical details • Organize the session including presenters, focus, format, and handouts • For workshops, work with APGA on food, audiovisual, and other costs

Phone, Fax, Email Moderator/Workshop Leader Qualifications/Biography (50 words or fewer) Presenter/Panelist Information Proposals are evaluated partly on the strength of the presenters, and their participation must be confirmed. The following information is needed for all presenters: Name Confirmed: Yes/No Title, Institution Address, City, State, Zip/Postal Code, Country Phone, Fax, Email

• Notify speakers when proposal is accepted

Presenter Qualifications/ Biography (50 words or fewer)

• Specify room/site setup and audiovisual needs

Major Points to Be Covered (or contribution to be made to a panel

• Ensure you and all speakers register for the conference

discussion)

• Develop session content

Budget

• Introduce session and presenter and provide summary remarks

• APGA has a limited speaker and workshop budget. Speakers from

• Ensure the electronic capture of session and workshop information

within public horticulture do not receive honoraria or travel reimbursements. Cash support for presentations is awarded only in exceptional circumstances. If your session or workshop has any associated costs or requires financial support, you must complete the budget form (provided by APGA). Requests for support submitted after a proposal is accepted will not be considered.

• Requests for funding will be strengthened by demonstrated efforts to help cover costs including:

- Asking outside speakers to waive their fees or partially cover their expenses.

- Encouraging your institution or speaker to sponsor your ses-

90-Minute Multi-Speaker Session or Panel Discussion The moderator gives an overview of the session and introduces one to three consecutive speakers. Presentations are generally fifteen to twenty minutes long and include PowerPoint presentations and other audiovisuals. Multiple speakers can provide a diversity of perspectives

sion or workshop in exchange for recognition as a Session

or feature different aspects of a topic.

Sponsor.

Workshop (Full- or Half-day)

• Please indicate what the audio/visual needs will be. Please be spe-

The perfect venue for experienced workshop leaders to pass on their

cific, indicating number of microphones, whether you need audio or

knowledge in a targeted learning opportunity. Typically these work-

Internet access, and any other A/V requirements you have to ensure

shops have an interactive, hands-on component. Please note that

a successful program. This will help us understand how much this work-

proposals for workshops must include a complete budget.

shop will cost to run, as each of these items has an associated cost.

Proposals must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. PT, October 1, 2014

Poster Displayed throughout the conference, posters showcase a single program or special project in a graphic format using photographs,

Presentation Formats

diagrams, plans, sketches, or charts with limited text on a bi-fold or

15- or 30-Minute Individual Presentations

tri-fold presentation board. Poster presenters have a specific time to

Structured discussions or presentations based on a single, focused topic. Only one author (on multi-author papers) will present at the meeting. Two to six individual presentations will be grouped per time slot.

60-Minute Multi-Speaker Session or Panel Discussion Three to five panelists provide brief introductions; a moderator poses prepared questions to the panelists followed by questions from the audience. The talk-show format allows for an in-depth focus on a single topic, offers multiple points of view, and allows panelists, moderator, and audience to interact..

discuss their projects and answer questions. Posters are an excellent way to present new ideas, concepts, and programs.

Evaluation and Notification

Developing a Strong Proposal

How are proposals evaluated?

• APGA’s conferences are recognized for leading the field of public

During the peer-review process, members of the Program Selection Committee evaluate proposals using the following criteria: 1. Topic, intent, and learning outcomes (for workshops and organized sessions) that are focused, well presented, and thoughtfully articulated 2. A clear and convincing presentation of ideas, organization and rationale for choosing speakers/presenters 3. Confirmed speakers/presenters 4. A diverse selection of speakers/presenters who represent a wide range of perspectives, regions, garden size/budget/mission (speakers from outside public horticulture are welcome.)

5. An appropriate format that contributes to the exploration of the topic 6. Important or timely topic

horticulture. We are looking for the best and most motivating, inspiring, and innovative educational content.

• APGA annual conference registrants have often said that they are not looking for “show-and-tell” sessions but rather for information explaining “how-tos” and “whys” that they can take back to their respective public gardens and implement.

• APGA conference registrants are diverse. Your audience potentially includes Institutional Members representing botanical gardens, arboreta, cemeteries, zoos and university campuses as well as Individual Members—volunteers, students, retirees, and corporate members from a variety of industries. Please be clear about your intended audience when developing your proposal.

• When recruiting speakers for your session, please keep in mind the diversity of APGA members. Member gardens vary in terms of size

7. Realistic and affordable budget (if any) with funding sources identified

of budget, staff, and acreage. If applicable, please ensure that your

8. Relevance to conference theme

can take advantage of the valuable information you are presenting.

Notification

speakers are representative of the membership so that all gardens

• The 2014 theme for the APGA annual conference is Watering Our

By late December 2014, you will receive notification of the status of

Roots to Grow Our Communities, and submissions should address

your proposal. If acceptance is contingent on changes, you will have

the theme. The event is in Minneapolis, Minnesota from June 22 to

two weeks to make those changes and get the amended proposal

26, 2015.

back to the Program Selection Committee. Punctuality and cooperation are appreciated. APGA will determine the specific timeslots for sessions.

Questions?

Who should present at APGA? Anyone with an interest in public horticulture is welcome to participate in the program. Presenters from disciplines or organizations outside public horticulture are strongly encouraged to participate.

Membership in APGA is not a prerequisite.

Can I make changes to my abstract with the online submission?

Full instructions for submitting abstracts online will be available in a step-by-step process within the online submission system. In addition to these instructions, you will be provided with online support pages and phone support through ScholarOne, Inc.’s AbstractŽ Central customer support team. You will have the ability to update or make changes to your abstract until the abstract submission deadline.

For More Information: Program Selection Committee Chair: Cynthia Druckenbrod Director of Horticulture, Cleveland Botanical Garden 216.707.2824, cdruckenbrod@cbgarden.org Program Selection Committee Co-Chair: Susan Wagner VP of Education and Information, The Morton Arboretum, 630.719.2407, swagner@mortonarb.org Submit Proposals Here: http://apga2015.abstractcentral.com