TOCA Professional Communication Standards

The Professional Communication Standards (Standards) outlined in this document apply to members of the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA).  These Standards are designed to serve as a guide for TOCA members as they carry out their daily jobs in communications – in all media formats – with and to the greater Green Industry and […]

Pointers from Poynter – Engaging with Your Audience

By Jill Odom, Total Landscape Care Ren LaForme, Digital Tools Reporter, Poynter Institute Ren LaForme, from the Poynter Institute, shared pointers on the digital tools for connecting with reader audiences at the 2018 TOCA Annual Meeting in May in Cincinnati. LaForme also presented information on improving modern storytelling and transitioned to his new topic by […]

First Time Attendee

Lessons Learned at TOCA 2018 (Note: As a first time attendee to an annual TOCA meeting, we asked Courtney Mullen to give us her impressions of the Cincinnati meeting and the impact it had upon her. This is what she had to say.) First Time Attendee By Courtney Mullen, Xylem Marketing To quote Rick Blaine […]

Lessons in Content Marketing

Lessons Learned at TOCA 2018 Lessons in Content Marketing By Dawn Rigby, Managing Director, Xylem Marketing During the content marketing panel discussion at the annual TOCA meeting in Cincinnati in May, experts representing the green industry media, agency, and manufacturer perspectives shared the latest trends in content marketing. Bethany Chambers, director of audience engagement at North Coast […]

Ren LaForme of Poynter Institute on Digital Toolbox and Tools To Connect with Audiences

Lessons Learned at TOCA 2018 (Note:  Ren LaForme, from the Poynter Institute, gave a two-part presentation at the 2018 TOCA Annual Meeting. Scott Covelli recaps through his observations the first part –Digital Tools for Modern Storytelling — while Jill Odom summarizes the second part — Tools for Connecting with Audiences.)  Filling Your Digital Toolbox: Poynter Keynote Presentation […]

Roundtable Roundup

By Britney Riggs, Digital Marketing Specialist, Xylem Marketing The TOCA roundtables were a great way for us all to share and learn best practices and tips from each other. Below is information from two roundtables: Measurement + Evaluation; and Productivity + Hacks to help make your job easier. Roundtables:  Measurement and Evaluation Measurements of which to […]

Summer 2018 Running Column

By Dan Gardner, TOCA Special Running Correspondent Thanks to everyone who participated in the TOCA Run/Walk at the annual meeting in May in beautiful Cincinnati. . We appreciate the great turnout and look forward to similar numbers next year in Charlotte. It was also great to see so many of you at the TOCA annual […]

TOCA Welcomes Newbies

By Debbie Clayton, Clayton Communications For the first time in 2018, TOCA welcomed “Newbies” — or first-time attendees to the annual meeting — with a sponsored dinner the night before the meeting officially began. An idea spawned by the TOCA Professional Development Committee, the dinner served two purposes:  introducing Newbies to each other and other […]

LESSONS LEARNED AT TOCA 2018

Lessons Learned at TOCA 2018 The following articles contain valuable professional development tips and education, as presented at the 2018 TOCA annual meeting. Read on to learn more! Roundtable Roundup By Britney Riggs, Digital Marketing Specialist, Xylem Marketing The TOCA roundtables were a great way for us all to share and learn best practices and tips […]

My TOCA Experience, From Across the Pond

By Ella Boyden, PR and Communications Officer, Ransomes Jacobsen I was recently lucky enough to be chosen as the international recipient of the TOCA stipend to attend the 2018 annual meeting in Cincinnati. I was thrilled when I received the email, and soon looked into booking flights to The Queen City! I arrived in Cincinnati […]

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Named the 2018 TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year

By Cindy Code, Project EverGreen   The Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) and Project EverGreen named Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan as the recipient of the 2018 TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year Award. The award, which recognizes individuals for outstanding communications efforts pertaining to green spaces and environmental issues, was presented during the TOCA […]

Felicia Gillham Inducted into TOCA Hall of Fame

Felicia Gillham, longtime TOCA member and one of the organization’s early leaders, was inducted into the TOCA Hall of Fame at the TOCA Annual Meeting in Cincinnati. Felicia and her husband Frank Standfuss attended the conference, and were lauded in a presentation honoring Felicia’s contributions to TOCA and the entire green industry. Join us in […]

2018 TOCA Communications Awards Announced

By Kristy Mach At the 29th annual meeting in May, TOCA named the winners of the communications contest for marketing and publishing. There were more than 416 domestic and international entries in this year’s contest. TOCA recognizes members for excellence in writing, design, photography/AV, new media and special projects. The top winners from the marketing and publishing categories […]

TOCA Silent Auction a Success

By Kyle Wieskus, TOCA Membership Director The TOCA Silent Auction at this year’s Annual Meeting Ag Media Summit raised $5,000! We are thrilled, as this total beats the 2017 Auction!  All proceeds go to the TOCA Foundation.  In total, 28 generous items were donated. Thank-you to our 2018 TOCA Auction Donors: Pat Morrow Landscape Management […]

TOCA Sees “Good News” in its Future as Cincy Meeting Celebrates 29 Years

By Den Gardner, Executive Director As TOCA members filed out of the ballroom of the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza following the awards ceremony on Thursday night, I could only recall the famous sign-off by Les Nessman, farm/news director of the fictional WKRP radio station in downtown Cincinnati. Those words pretty well summed up the great three days […]