ESSEN, Germany: Anticipation is building now that preparations for Jungle Talks’ third Pro Manager Mastercourse Floriculture are well underway. The Pro Manager Mastercourse is a 14-day programme from 24 January until 4 February 2022, which will see 18 horticultural entrepreneurs from ten countries touring industry leaders in the Netherlands and Germany. An absolute first for the 2022 Mastercourse is the AIPH International Young Grower of the Year Awards, celebrating on 25 January 2022, at the Atlantic Hotel in Essen, alongside IPM Essen in Germany, the industry’s largest international trade fair.
The Pro Manager Mastercourse is a programme created by webinar organiser, radio broadcaster, content marketing specialist and network event organiser Jungle Talks. The fortnight schedule includes educational farm tours, meetings and inspirational sessions from lead strategic partners, including Koppert Biological Systems, Ridder Growing Solutions, Hortilux Schrèder, Logiqs, Horticoop, Dümmen Orange, Horti XS, Letsgrow, Van Krimpen and Van der Valk Horti Systems.
In addition, Jungle Talks teams up with the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) and media partner FloraCulture International (FCI) magazine for the inaugural award ‘Young International Grower of the Year’. Participants will have a chance to pitch to the International Grower of the Year jury at the event during IPM Essen – the world’s leading trade fair for horticultural professionals. Eight young growers will battle it out to participate. One of the selected candidates for this Pro Manager Mastercourse will receive the first-ever AIPH ‘Young International Grower of the Year Award.’
Jungle Talks’ Ed Smit is delighted participants, and business partners are ready to reconnect face to face to learn from each other. He says, “This year’s selection procedures took longer than expected and was rather tough because of the high quality; we were spoilt for choice. We also saw an increasing interest from Asia, but strict Covid-19 restrictions are impeding candidates from Asia to travel to Europe.”
Participants in the 2022 Mastercourse include horticultural entrepreneurs from all corners of the world: Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, USA, Kenya, Uganda, Ukraine, Belgium and the Netherlands. The group represents global floriculture at its best, both in terms of geography and product range. Ed emphasises, “Our participants grow cut flowers, foliage and flowering houseplants, bedding plants and cuttings.”
The Mastercourse guarantees a high-level visit programme and gives participants ample opportunity to network with horticultural leaders at the CEO level. In addition, participants will need to work out their vision on the future of horticulture and the role of their own company during this course. Based on the visits, meetings, inspirational sessions and feedback of peers and leading floricultural CEO’s, they return to their own country and company, ready to make a difference.
Jungle Talks is also very appreciative of its partnership with AIPH and FCI which adds credibility and global exposure to the event. A total of eight young growers will battle it out to win the first-ever AIPH ‘Young International Grower of the Year Award.’
“We are very proud these leading companies and organisations are working together to support and inspire this international group,” says Ed Smit. “Jungle Talks will maintain and foster the contacts between participants, partners and supporters also after the Pro Manager Mastercourse, to make sure that all parties will make the most of this valuable cooperation.”
