Wow, what a great time I had at the clinic. It was fantastic to meet many of the people I have only known from the virtual world. So much happened my head is spinning. There is much to discuss, but it's going to take some time for me to get all my thoughts together. Since this was the first time I had gone, there was nothing for me to relate it to. I asked lot's of people who told me the clinic had dramatically changed from prior years. The ANLA took a look around and realized the world had changed, and they felt it was time for them to change.That was the theme of the clinic, Managing Change. Here is the problem, you cannot manage change, you can only manage your response to change. Change happens no matter what we do. The question is, how quickly can you change? The ANLA (American Nursery & Landscpe Association) is a huge association. It's like the battleship of nursery associations. When it's time to make a turn it takes a bit to get the big ship turned around. These day's what we need is to be more like a PT boat. Small and turning on a dime. Things change so quickly these days if you don't move quickly someone else will. The ANLA asked me to give some reports about my experience at the clinic. I intend to honor their request, because I respect the people who asked me to attend. They would not have asked me to go if they wanted a watered down, don't offend anyone type of report. I have no axes to grind with The Association, and they we're gracious hosts. As a matter of fact I came away with a new respect for the organization and the people behind it. The organization finds itself in a new world and desperately want's to help it's membership to adjust and prosper in this new world.

The problem is the time to have talked about this new medium was five years ago (the links at that old post don't work anymore). We waited until the economy tanked and nurseries are dropping like flies before we realized it was a viable medium. Oh well, that's the past and it looks like some in The Association have seen the light. I want to thank Kellee Magee who was the person at the ANLA who reached out, and took a chance on inviting me. One would imagine she and some others in The Association saw that the old ways were not working, and bold action was need to keep our trade relevant in the publics mind. Not sure when I'll do the posting, but over the upcoming days and weeks I hope to touch on some of the stuff I saw at the clinic.  That's what the asked me to do.  Somethings I saw there don't sit well with me. I also saw stuff that indicates The Association may be "getting it". There was also stuff that "blew me away" in a positive way! Can't wait to tell you.