Membership
Individual membership of IGCA is normally through a national Garden Centre Association. Only one such association in each country can be a member of the IGCA.
In countries where there is no formal national trade group, individual Garden Centre operators can apply for individual membership until such time as their country forms a national group and then they are required to join their national group.
Aims of IGCA
The International Garden Centre Association exists to provide a forum for the mutual exchange of information and benefit of similar minded independent garden retailers on a world-wide basis.
The objective is achieved through:
An Annual Congress held for one week in the fall, each year in a different host country.
This comprises of a business meeting, which elects officals and administers the affairs of the Association, a concentrated business study tour and an excellent social programme.
Individual Study Tours organised on an ad hoc basis by national groups which have special learning requirements.
The IGCA office
The IGCA office is located within the office of the South African Nursery Association, in Midrand, South Africa and it is under the direction of Ms Gerdie Olivier.
You may reach the office by phone at +27 87 945 4621.
You may also contact Ms Olivier by email at gerdie@sana.co.za
The International Garden Centre Association is committed to improve the state of the art of the Garden Centre Industry.
To improve this, IGCA is:
- organising annual congresses, offering Garden Centre visits, workshops, lectures, experience exchange platforms and social events
- networking with National Garden Centre Associations to exchange best practices, ideas, methods and experience in order to offer added value to the individual Garden Centres
- offering a communication platform for the young generation to establish them in the Garden Centre business and to take advantage of the IGCA network
- offering a contact platform to the green industry, the trade press to exchange information and experience
- establishing contacts to similar branch associations and/or horticultural institutions