Interiorscape Industry Coalition executes strategic plan

Interiorscape Industry Coalition executes strategic plan

The Interiorscape Industry Coalition (IIC) met at the Tropical Plant Industry Exposition (TPIE) in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 19, 2012, to discuss and plan the execution of its three-year strategic plan. The initial strategic planning session commenced in Columbus, Ohio, July 10 in conjunction with the 2011 OFA Short Course. The day-long session, sponsored by Hortica and OFA — the Association of Horticulture Professionals, was led by Dr. Bernie Erven, Professor Emeritus Ohio State University and founder of Erven HR Services, LLC.

The session began with a review of the IIC's current mission statement, followed by a SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and ended with the establishment of five primary goals:
1. Develop a communications plan for the IIC, for internal IIC members, interiorscape industry, and general public, and create a future that includes plants in every room.
2. Create a collaborative clearinghouse for the interiorscape industry.
3. Identify and communicate needed research on a continuous basis.
4. Deliver a relevant certification program.
5. Develop a worldwide unified voice for the industry.

In the immediate future, the IIC will launch a webpage that will feature the member organizations of the IIC, information related to the progress of executing the strategic plan, and a listing of interiorscape industry events. In addition, the IIC plans to have a strong presence in March at the upcoming Student Career Days event where it will launch a video geared toward promoting careers in the interiorscape industry. The PLANET Interior Plantscape Specialty Group will once again cosponsor the plant identification competition at Student Career Days.