The Future’s in the Air — Strong Leaders Required

The first day of the Summit wrapped up with a reception where attendees had the chance to mingle and network.

It is an exciting time to be part of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA). Strong currents of change ripple through the industry, sweeping it toward new heights. Like the famous Scorpions rock group croons in “Winds of Change” — “The future’s in the air. Can feel it everywhere.” The future of the industry is at stake, and strong leadership is what will guide it in the right direction.

While there is no hard and fast playbook for CEA leaders who are steering their companies through this time of unrest and transformational change, there is GROW Executive Summit, a forum for executive-level business leaders to exchange ideas, talk business strategy, and gain insight and actionable ideas.Greenhouse Grower’s inaugural 2021 GROW Executive Summit gathered the industry’s best and brightest leaders to address economic and market trends, emerging technologies, and what’s ahead for modern-day greenhouses. The Summit took a deep dive into these areas from four perspectives:

The Immediate. You need to know what is happening now to determine what is happening next for your business. Upstream and downstream trends, supply chain management, talent acquisition, employee engagement, and more all play in to the here and now.

The Intermediate: A Five-Year Forecast. Next, you need to look further out, past today’s obstacles and beyond next year’s challenges to focus on making the best decisions now to successfully achieve your longer-term goals down the road.

The Ultimate: A Future Playbook for Future-Ready Leaders. Once you know where you are headed, you need to know how you will get there. Vision brings focus — but without action, vision is just a big idea.

The Emerging: Catalysts for a Technology-Driven Company. Technology drives progress, and companies that stay on the bleeding edge of digital, robotic, and tech advancements will position their organizations as market leaders.

“12 Actionable Business Insights for CEA Growers” is a collection of takeaways and business advice from the thought-leaders and presenters who gathered at the 2021 GROW Executive Summit. They were there to learn from each other, and now you, too, can learn how to propel your business forward from the top minds in horticulture.