In tihe most recent Green Lodging News (www.greenlodgingnews.com), it was reported that "Florida Governor Charlie Crist-a potential running mate for Sen John McCain-issued an Executive Order requiring all state agencies and departments to do business only with Florida Green Lodging Program participants.  The executive order went into effect Jan. 1 of this year and eventually will become a law.  Faster than you can say "Go Gators", hundreds of hotels got moving."

The article goes on to quote Karen Moore, Program director for the Florida Green Lodging Program . The guesstimate is that  500 properties  will be part of the Program. by 2009.  This means that 10% of all lodging properties and 12% of all rooms will be "green". 

An opportunity for the smart interiorscaper?  I think so and, up the road, will this be the template for other states?  Probably.  To learn more about the criteria, check out the green lodging news web site to get a sneek peek at the future.

Just spent a few days at the Hospitality and Design Show in Las Vegas.  Huge show  completely geared toward the specifier, designer, architect, and owners and operators of Hotels and resort properties from all over the world.  I met architects from Dubuque and I met them from Dubaii.  From Paris, Kentucky and from Paris, France.  It was a Plantscapers dream but, in reality, we are so small we would have gotten lost in the shuffle plus this is global and we are local.  Anyway, it was a heck of an experience.

The first day was Green Day with seminars all focusing on GREEN.  The seminars were packed.  In fact, I was told that the attendance for the GREEN Day was double that for last year.  Another indication how Green is the new Red, White and Blue. Everypne there agreed that Green construction and operation is here and now. 

So, I give you a repeat warning that you must look at your plantscaping business and decide how you will meet this challenge as well as how you are going to incorporate this into your Sales presentation.  My suggestion is that you join whichever chapter of LEED or the USGBC that is in your area.  And, after joining, attend and meet specifiers and so on.  Folks, the train is at the station.  Its time to climb aboard. 

One ’scaper I know is speaking before his BOMA group on Green Roofs.  Another company just did a Lunch and Learn for a large archtectural firm in their city.  Another participated in a local "Green" mini trade show.  However and wherever you do it, the goal should be to set your company up as the Green experts of interiorscaping in your city.  And one head of Marketing and Sales for one of our premier suppliers just had a phone call from an architect doing a huge project.  He has been trying to see her for months but to no avail.  Then he let her know how GREEN his product line is and she called him to set up an appointment.  Imagine his surprise!  Now go out there and get ‘em. Tiger.

From plantscapers all over the country I hear that business is tough and getting tougher.  New jobs are fewer and with fewer plants, clients are cutting back, competitors are going in to accounts and offerring to do the work for less and, to top it all off, your costs, particularly fuel, just keep rising. 

What to do??  Well, it doesn’t help if you just keep doing business as usual.  Nope, extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures.  You’ve got to focus on two solutions.  First, you need to be increasingly attentive to your existing client base and, second, you’ve got to go out there and get more Sales.  Now I know you’ve been doing this all along, so what is new or different?  What more can you do? 

Start by drawing up a Game Plan for existing client relations.  If you are covered up with work and time is critical, look around and see if one of your supervisors or other sales persons can help.  The two of you can divide and conquer.  Draw up a list of clients and put them in order of desirability.  The ones that pay the most, the ones that are the most profitable, and the ones you just like the best.  Divide the list between you and take one day a week to "do the list".  Keep notes and get ready for some extra work as the clients will use this opportunity to not only ask that a plant or two be replaced but, also, add a few.  As for Sales, you have to shake things up, try something new.  If you have been thinking about joining a new Leads group or the LEED group, stop thinking and just do it.  Or, if you’ve been thinking about approaching the tenants in that new office park, just do it.  One ’scaper told me that he has been thinking about doing this in his city but the property managers of the buildings will not permit solicitors.  OK, figure out a way around that.  Get creative.  Walk into the lobby of each building, look on the directory and copy down all the names thereon.  Then go back to your office and look up these names either in the phone boales ok or on the web and get the phone numbers and do a phone sales blitz.  Will you get some appointments?  Probably.  Will you get appointments if you do nothing?  Nope. 

For most of us Sales is the part of the business we like the least.  Many of you woukld much prefer just being with the plants.  I know, but in todays world you just have to take the bull by the horns.  Jobs are just not going to come in over the transom.  You MUST get out there….on the firing line.  Now go out there and get ‘em, Tiger. 

I know it is just May, but time slips by quickly so I thought I’d give you a heads up.  This year’s Calscape  Expo is Sept.17-19 in Palm Springs, CA.  This Conference and Trade Show gives you the opportunity to learn from the experts, see new, exciting products, and network with fellow interiorscapers. 

For more information about seminars and Hotel accomodations, call PIA at 707-462-2276 or go to the PIA website, www.piagrows.org.   Whether a newbie or an old hand, this is where you want to be.  TOPsiders will have a booth and we’ll be showing the new Joey Pouches then.  It is a great time and a tremedous resource for all of us.

Another educational opportunity is the OFA Short Course, July 12-15 in Columbus, OH.  There is an entire day dedicated to the Interiorscaper, Sat. July 12th.  To find out more, log on to www.ofa.org or call 800-521-60

And of course , there is always the Big Daddy Seminar and Trade Show, TPIE held each year in Jan. in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  More on that later.

Meanwhile, make your plans now.

A Hospital that is your client wants to know what you can use as a topdressing, either inside or out, that has flame retardant properties.  An airport demands the same.  What do you do?  What product works in this way? 

Protoast.  This product is both recyled and is impregnated with fire retardant.  Made of wood chips that come from toasted old beer barrels, Protoast is available in large bags from Primescape Products.  It is not cheap but it fills the bill and when the client and the Fire Department says they must have, budgets go out the window.  Meanwhile, it is a toasty medium brown in color and relatively lighter weight than you might imagine.

The other product I suggest, also made from recycled materials (old plastic bottles) is Poly Pebbles.  These artificial "rocks" of Polypropolene, simulate Mexican Beach Pebbles.  They come in Black, White, Grey, or Tan.  Each bag of Poly Pebbles will cover approximately 4 square feet and costs $18.80.  Guesstimate shipping at about 20-25%.  They are only 25% as heavy as the real thing and come in 5 different shapes per bag.  They have UVA inhibitors in them so they are good to go either inside or out and I love them.  When a match or flame is touched to them they just seem to melt a bit, not flare up.  Available from TOPsiders (800)533-7661. 

Both of these products avoid the Spanish Moss, excelseior, other topdressing problems.  Last but not least, underplanting with live 6" foliage will also hide the "mechanics" of nursery pots to give a great look and still be greenery and not a flammable topdressing.  Now, go out there and get ‘em, Tigers.

Because of the emphasis on "Green", related and extended issues have come up and it is in these related issues that I believe the future for Interiorscaping lies.  In a soon to be published white paper, a group of Danish, French, and Canadian researchers argue that environmental focus in workplace design is too limiting.  They say to support effectiveness and efficiency in the office workspace, "we must understand that financial, social, and environmental issues are interdependent..  It’s not sufficient to consider the physical building and its entire interior; we have to understand the activity and behaviors of people," and that requires a holistic view of the organization.

Toward that viewpoint, a triple bottom line approach, or "people, planet, profit," has been adopted by many organizations.  And, I believe, given time, will become the prevailing approach and not just "Green".

What does that mean for interiorscapers?  A lot.  If you are only using energy and water savings and carbon footprint criteria to  evaluate a product or service, interiorscaping loses out.  It is hard to make a case for a service that eats up gas for transport and so on.  BUT, if you are looking at the benefits of live greenery in the workplace, then we can point to increases in productivity, reduced absenteeism, cleaner air, and an increased feeling of wellbeing. 

So, while being "Green " is important for today business, I predict that in the future much more emphasis will be placed on the "triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit.  In the meantime, go out there and get ‘em, Tiger.