Garden Writers Association - GWA Annual Symposium

Mark your calendars. September 18-21, 2015, the 67th Annual GWA Symposium is coming to Pasadena, California.
Our Mediterranean climate, our soils, our horticultural history cultivated a demand for regionally unique plants and landscaping solutions. Come. We promise you will be thrilled with stunning local settings. Whatever your specialization or level of expertise, you will return home pleased for time well spent in a land known for abundance in horticultural pleasures.
Through networking, programs and presentations, the event is a celebration of California’s year-round growing opportunities. It is your opportunity to hone communication skills and grow business contacts for individual success in an incomparably diverse setting.
On behalf of the Local Area Committee, we look forward to welcoming you to the heart of Los Angeles County, Pasadena. Courtesy of Lydia Plunk
Learn from Experts
Our Symposium Program Chair for this year is GWA Vice President Kirk Brown who is putting together a program that will best address our objectives. We invite all garden communicators to take advantage of everything this meeting and its host city have to offer. If you have a program topic you wish to present, visit our Call for Presentations page.
Gather Story Ideas?
The Local Arrangements Committee is working to establish the best possible story tour schedule. You will be delighted with the beautiful public and private gardens of Pasadena.
Stay for Optional Tours?
Those of you interested in more garden tour opportunities are invited to attend the optional tours on Tuesday morning, September 22nd. There is much to do and learn; so, sign up early and make sure you take advantage of everything this year’s meeting offers.

The exhibit hall is open for several hours over two days at the beginning of the symposium to visit with suppliers and manufacturers of consumer lawn & garden products or services. Usually it takes the better part of the exhibit opening hours to see it all and talk to exhibitors about their wares. Often exhibitors will have samples that they are distributing and some may have door prize draws. This is an excellent opportunity to see what’s new, network with new contacts and pick up some story ideas. During the exhibition, refreshments and light finger foods are often served.

Who Will Be Exhibiting
The exhibition is open to qualified suppliers or manufacturers of consumer lawn & garden products or services:• indoor gardening and lighting
• irrigation systems
• publishers
• education/information resources
• plant foods & fertilizers
• power tools
• plant seeds & green goods
• garden tools
• agrochemical manufacturers
• and any other product or process designed for consumer gardening use.

The GWA is comprised of garden communications professionals including book authors, staff editors, newspaper columnists, magazine writers, syndicated columnists, freelance writers, photographers, landscape designers, TV and radio personalities, consultants, catalog publishers, Internet hosts and extension service agents.