This week, I had the pleasure of attending the British Ornamental Association Conference, and wow – what a day! MorePeople were sponsoring the event, so it was a great excuse to soak up some serious horticultural knowledge and, of course, support Sarah, who absolutely smashed it chairing the morning session and speaking on behalf of the YPHA later on in the day.
The day kicked off with a welcome from Derek Jarman and then our first session was packed with technical deep dives, I won’t lie – it was overwhelming but in a good way! It was fascinating to hear from Martin Emmett about the challenges horticulture is facing, followed by Dr Sam Wilkinson getting into the science of jasmonates. Annelies Bayens stole the show for me with her talk on resilient growing which was super practical and forward-thinking.
After a much-needed caffeine boost, the second session, chaired by Simon Crawford, shifted focus to growing media. Marco Zevenhoven shared insight into the RHP and how they ensure quality throughout the supply chain, and then Prof Alistair Griffiths from the RHS talked about the push towards peat-free growing – a massive topic in the industry right now. Neil Bragg wrapped things up with a super detailed look at nutritional considerations for peat-free substrates. It was all very technical, but you could tell how passionate everyone was about making real changes in the sector. As we know, the peat-free debate is definitely one of the biggest talking points in horticulture at the moment, with many growers still figuring out how to make the transition without compromising on quality and cost. There’s a real mix of excitement and concern, as businesses know they need to adapt, but finding the right solutions isn't always straightforward. Watching the conversations play out from some of the industry leaders at the conference was eye-opening.
Lunch was a brilliant chance to finally put faces to names! It’s so easy to spend all your time in recruitment communicating with candidates and clients on the phone and through email, so actually meeting them in person was one of the highlights of the day for me. Plus, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good conference lunch?
The afternoon kicked off with Chris Need who led a session covering everything from biological spray solutions to data management. Sean Loakes explained sprayable biologicals with some exceptional usage of a Mentimeter interactive quiz, and Malcolm Smith took us on a journey from spreadsheets to high-tech data solutions – which I think a lot of people in the room could relate to! Islam Abdel-Aziz then tackled carbon accounting in ornamental crop production, another hot topic as businesses focus more on sustainability.
The final session, chaired by Robin Squance, had a different vibe – a bit more feel-good and big-picture. David Domoney gave an inspiring talk on the positive power of plants, which was a refreshing way to wrap up a very science-heavy day. Then, Sarah was back on stage with an update on the YPHA launch success challenge (spoiler: it’s been a huge success). Finally, Michael Smith gave us the latest on the Floral Fantasia project before Derek closed the day.
Sarah said: “Being on the organising committee for this year’s BOA Conference was an absolute pleasure. We wanted to make it accessible, informative, and, most importantly, leave people feeling positive with some great takeaways. I think, and hope we achieved that!"
"A big highlight for me was introducing the £35 ticket for under-35s. It was the first time we’d done it, and seeing young professionals in the room, eager to get involved, was fantastic. Ensuring information reaches the next generation in the industry is so important, and this felt like a real step in the right direction.
It goes without saying, that horticulture is facing some big challenges, but the conference proved it’s not all doom and gloom. Being surrounded by passionate, driven people reminded me why this industry is so special. One of the standout talks for me was from Marco Zevenhoven—his insights into peat-free operations were fascinating and could offer some real solutions moving forward.
I left the conference feeling optimistic. There’s work to be done, but with collaboration, innovation, and the next generation coming through, the future of horticulture is looking bright.”
Overall, the conference was a whirlwind of technical talks, new ideas, and great conversations. It was amazing to learn so much, even if some of it was a bit above my recruiter-level expertise! All of this incredible insight helps me to help my clients and candidates better! A huge shoutout to Sarah for doing an incredible job – she really made MorePeople proud. Looking forward to the next one already!
As specialists in Horticulture recruitment, Sarah, Kieran and I are always around for a chat to discuss how we can help you. Whether you're considering a career move, looking to expand your business, or want a hand navigating the horticultural sector, reach out to us!
You can read more horticulture blogs from us here!
Emily | emily@morepeople.co.uk
Sarah | sarah@morepeople.co.uk
Kieran | kieran@morepeople.co.uk
Call us | 01780 480 530
