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The Queen City Set to Provide the Royal Treatment to TOCA Members in 2018

By Den Gardner, Executive Director

In our last issue of TOCA Talk, I reminisced about the wonderful fictitious television series from Cincinnati — “WKRP in Cincinnati” from the late 1970s and early 1980s. My favorite actor in that series was farm director Les Nessman. Well, after many comments from TOCA members, I promise that this article will be a lot MORE about TOCA and a lot LESS about LES. Regardless, Cincinnati here we come!

Les always told his viewers to have the good news with them. And we have plenty of good news as the annual meeting agenda is pulling together nicely. Our third trip to Ohio for a TOCA meeting in 29 years (Cleveland and Columbus were the other two) is less than five months away.

The Queen City promises to give TOCA members the royal treatment. First, mark May 1-3 on your calendar. TOCA members will be at the historic Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza.

Thanks to program committee members Lacy Ravencraft, Marisa Palmieri and Joe Shooner for their great work on the Cincy program. They and TOCA staff are developing a first-class program.

Our keynote speaker this year is Ren LaForme, digital tools reporter, the Poynter Institute. He manages the program “Try This! – Tools for Journalism,” which is an effort to find, share and provide training around the best digital tools for journalists.

Ren LaForme, Digital Tools Reporter, Poynter Institute

Ren is one-half of the duo responsible for “40 Better Hours,” a project to improve the workweek. He is also the cofounder of ONA’s Tampa Bay chapter and cofounder of Tampa Bay Media & Digital, a meetup group for locals who work in news media or on the internet.

Ren frequently goes by his vanity title – “Executive Director of Awesome.” Ren comes with rave reviews and, as many TOCA members know, the keynote speakers we’ve used from the Poynter Institute in years past have been outstanding. We look forward to his presentation.

Other key highlights of this year’s meeting include:

  • A Content Marketing Panel (discussing Green Industry trends) will feature media, agency, association and supplier experts in a re-boot of the very successful program delivered by TOCA at the Irrigation Show in November. Many of the panel participants will return.
  • Peer Roundtables on eight compelling subjects for Green Industry Communicators – Project management to data & analytics, digital assets, employee retention, productivity tools and hacks, Being “green” in the Green Industry, evaluating marketing campaigns and best practices for PR pros and trade editors. Attendees will select a couple of subjects.
  • Wednesday afternoon tours of Great American Ballpark (home of the Reds) and Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum (the fourth largest cemetery in the United States and recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark). Says TOCA program committee member Joe Shooner of Focal Point Communications in Cincinnati: “It sounds odd, but it’s actually a really popular spot. The area is beautiful.”
  • Golfers will play at Devou Park Golf and Event Center, just minutes from the hotel across the river in Covington, Kentucky.
  • The Thursday morning TOCA Run/Walk 5K (or so) may include an optional photography walking tour. Details to come.

TOCA thanks Global Prairie for handling the 2018 logo and awards program for 2018, for taking on the commitment of creating a theme for the annual get-together and staging/managing the award program.

The overall meeting format will take on a familiar look for members. There is the traditional board meeting on Tuesday, May 1, in the afternoon. An optional meet and greet reception will be held Tuesday evening and first-timers to the TOCA meeting will be treated to an evening dinner, courtesy of Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply and Focal Point Communications. The format following Tuesday evening is:

Ewing runners at the 2017 TOCA Run.

  • Wednesday morning – meeting begins, recognition of scholarship, internship, Plant Health Writer of the Year, Environmental Communicator of the Year. and educational program
  • Wednesday afternoon – tour or golf
  • Wednesday evening – opening night reception, silent auction
  • Thursday all day – run/walk, workshops, seminars, business meeting
  • Thursday evening – Award reception/dinner
  • Friday – Home at leisure

    Frank Wong, Bayer, receives the 2017 Environmental Communicator of the Year award from Cindy Code, Project EverGreen

The Wednesday night reception will feature our second annual TOCA Foundation Silent Auction. After the great success in our first year in Tampa, we are excited to offer this great event again. Last year’s auction brought in more than $2,000. All members are encouraged to donate an item for the auction. Contact Kyle Wieskus at kylewieskus@gandgcomm.com for more information. Pat Morrow of Bayer (patricia.morrow@bayer.com) is the volunteer chair. Or go to the TOCA website at www.toca.org and link to the silent auction forms.

See you in Cincinnati!