You’re invited to the 2024 symposium, September 26-28.

Watch this page for the 2024 America in Bloom Award Winners. Awards announced throughout the symposium, September 26-28

Best Volunteer Recognition Program: Calabasas, California
Community Champion Award: Wayne Dunker, Washington, Missouri
Protecting the Planet – Best Environmental Garden Program: Edmonston, Maryland
Economic Impact – Best Program for Local Business: Greenwood, South Carolina
Eye-Popping Pots – Best Use of Containers in the Landscape: Coshocton, Ohio
Best Youth Gardening Program: Brewton, Alabama
Coolest Downtown: Lakeside, Ohio
Coolest Place for Kids: Tavares, Florida
Youth Involvement: Waterford Township, Michigan
Flower Power – Best Hanging Basket Program: Coshocton, Ohio
Most Welcoming Community: Royal Oak, Michigan
What’s Old is New Again – Best Transformation Project: Highwood, Illinois
Alive with Flowers – Sunbeam Award: Castle Rock, Washington
YouTube Award: Orion Township, Michigan
YouTube People’s Choice Award: Brewton, Alabama
Community Vitality Outstanding Achievement Award: Greenwood, South Carolina
Environmental Initiatives Outstanding Achievement Award: Edmonston, Maryland
Floral Impact Outstanding Achievement Award: Castle Rock, Washington
Celebrating Heritage Outstanding Achievement Award: Lewisburg, West Virginia
Landscaped Areas Outstanding Achievement Award: Brewton, Alabama
Overall Impression Outstanding Achievement Award: Lakeside, Ohio
Urban Forestry Outstanding Achievement Award: Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
Community Involvement Outstanding Achievement Award: Castle Rock, Washington
Under 1,500 Population Category Award: Booneville, Kentucky
1,5000 – 3,500 Population Category Award: Castle Rock, Washington
3,500 – 4,000 Population Category Award: Lewisburg, West Virginia
4,000 – 9,000 Population Category Award: Brewton, Alabama
9,000 – 14,000 Population Category Award: Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
14,000 – 22,000 Population Category Award: Washington, Missouri
22,000 – 29,000 Population Category Award: Calabasas, California
29,000 – 60,000 Population Category Award: Orion Township, Michigan
Over 60,000 Population Category Award: Joliet, Illinois

Welcome to Columbus, Ohio
It’s “Homecoming” for this year’s America in Bloom Symposium and Awards Celebration in AIB’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio. As the 14th largest city in the country and the fastest-growing city in Ohio, Columbus offers incredible arts and entertainment, exciting collegiate and professional sports, and a spectacular downtown riverfront of sprawling greenspace.

Live for variety? Columbus has built an entire city around it. As a patchwork of communities, each with its own distinct character and offerings, Columbus’ style changes with a 15-minute walk. You can sample the historic, the artsy, the sports-oriented, the high fashion, and the college life, all in one very manageable, friendly city.

This year’s symposium theme is “Metamorphosis,” which reflects the transformation of Columbus, Ohio from a sleepy Midwestern community into a thriving capital city. It also reflects the transformation happening in Logan, Ohio, a community you will visit on Friday. A community dedicated to pollinators – butterflies, especially – the metamorphosis theme fits Logan perfectly. The theme of “Metamorphosis” likely reflects what you are trying to accomplish in your own community. Let’s celebrate the remarkable ways America in Bloom communities are becoming more beautiful and vibrant places.

Message from Logan, Ohio, This Year’s Host Community
Welcome to Logan, Ohio, gateway to the Hocking Hills. Our small town is big on charm. Take a stroll in our beautiful downtown lined with trees, flowers, and landscaping that celebrates the history of our region’s natural resources, quaint shops, charming lodging, and unique restaurants. We are excited to welcome you to our community, share the story of our community’s metamorphosis, and showcase the hospitality for which we are known. Welcome to Logan!

Register now for the 2024 AIB Symposium & Awards Celebration, September 26-28.

Thursday, September 26
9 AM – 2:30 PM Pre-Tour 1: Topiary Park, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Governor’s Mansion Gardens (Special Registration Required)
11 AM – 3:30 PM Pre-Tour 2: Adaptive Reuse: How It’s Transforming A Neighborhood (Special Registration Required)
11:00 AM Silent Auction Opens
3:30 – 5:30 PM Elected Leaders, Municipal Administrators, and Realtors Roundtable and Reception: Vacant Properties, Changing Storefront Uses, and Supporting Small Businesses
5:30 – 6:30 PM Opening Night Reception
6:30 – 9:30 PM Community Connections Celebration & Silent Auction
Friday, September 27
7:30 – 8 AM Morning Jolt: Caffeine and Conversation
8 – 8:45 AM Welcome & Keynote Presentation: Re-Imagining Urban Infrastructure – Unprecedented Call for Unprecedented Solutions
8:45 – 9: 15 AM Putting the FUN in FUNdraising
9:15 – 10 AM Getting Youth Involved: How We Do It
10 – 10:15 AM Showcase of Innovation & Conversation
10:15 – 11:30 AM Best Ideas Community Forum
11:30 – 11:45 AM Showcase of Innovation & Conversation
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM Lunch & Learn: Know Before You Go
12:30 PM Buses Depart for Logan, Ohio Adventure
Saturday, September 28
7:45 – 8:15 AM Morning Jolt: Caffeine and Conversation
8:15 – 8:30 AM State of the Organization
8:30 – 9:15 AM Keynote Presentation: Climate Change and Gardening
9:15 – 9:45 AM Hot Topics Deep Dive Breakout Sessions
9:45 – 10 AM Showcase of Innovation & Conversation
10 – 10:30 AM Hot Topics Deep Dive Breakout Sessions
11 AM – 12:30 PM Meet with the Advisors
Afternoon Lunch and Free Time On Your Own: Go Explore Columbus!
5:30 – 6:30 PM Closing Night Reception
6:30 – 9:30 PM Evening in Bloom: America in Bloom Awards Banquet

Registration Option 
Full conference registration – $425
Thursday AIB dinner and celebration ONLY – $175
Saturday AIB dinner and awards ONLY – $175

Pre-Tours: Enhance Your Experience
Pre-Tour 1: Topiary Park, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Governor’s Mansion Gardens (Thursday) – $89
Pre-Tour 2: Adaptive Reuse: How It’s Transforming a Neighborhood (Thursday) – $99

Register online HERE.

Save money by registering by September 6.

Cancellations made on our before September 6 will be refunded in full, minus a $25 processing fee.
Cancellations made after September 6 are non-refundable.
Cancellations for pre-tours are non-refundable after September 1.

Download the full conference brochure.

Hotel Reservations
Make your hotel reservations at The Plaza Columbus Hotel at Capital Square (formerly called Sheraton Capitol Square Columbus) by calling 614-365-4500. To receive the special AIB rate of $159/night plus tax for single or double occupancy, you must tell them you are with the America in Bloom group. You may also reserve your room online HERE.
Reservations must be made by September 1. 

The hotel, located at 75 East State Street in Columbus, Ohio, is approximately 15 minutes from the John Glenn Columbus International Airport. FlyColumbus.com has travel information to help plan your trip.

Download the full conference brochure

Thursday, September 26
9 AM – 2:30 PM         Pre-Tour 1: Topiary Park, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Governor’s Mansion Gardens (Special Registration Required)
Love flowers and beautiful landscapes? You’re in luck because this tour takes you to three Columbus locations that are sure to please any plant lover. The tour starts at the unique Topiary Park, a 9-acre public park and garden designed to depict figures from Georges Seurat’s painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” Then you will go to Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a world-famous site for exotic plant collections, gorgeous landscapes, and special exhibitions. The tour will end at the Ohio Governor’s Mansion where you will get to experience the Heritage Garden, a special place to view Ohio’s natural habitats. Different areas of the garden represent a physiographic region of the state and include native plants. The gardens give you a unique glimpse into the natural history and environmental landscape of Ohio. Lunch options are available for purchase at Franklin Park Conservatory. The cost is $89. Seating is limited so register early. 

11 AM – 3:30 PM         Pre-Tour 2: Adaptive Reuse: How It’s Transforming a Neighborhood (Special Registration Required)
Looking for ways to breathe new life into structures in your community? In a joint program with the Ohio REALTORS, this line-up will inspire you to think about how to repurpose existing structures into new uses, how mixed land use works, what compact building design looks like, and how walkable neighborhoods allow the community to thrive. You will also learn about the importance of public-private partnerships and how redevelopment is an integral part of the community development process. The day begins with an educational session on the importance of adaptive reuse to communities. A walking tour takes you to the nearby Franklinton neighborhood, a once-downtrodden community that is now the epicenter of young families and individuals looking to be close to downtown but far enough away to enjoy their own amenities. You will enjoy lunch at a local brewery, which has its own adaptive reuse history, followed by another walking tour to newer developments in the area. This tour includes lunch. The Ohio REALTORS sponsor this tour. The cost is $99. Seating is limited so register early. 

11 AM                                 Silent Auction Opens
The symposium kicks off with some competitive fun! Silent auction bidding will run through Saturday morning.

3:30 PM                             Elected Leaders, Municipal Administrators, and Realtors Roundtable and Reception: Vacant Properties, Changing Storefront Uses, and Supporting Small Businesses
America in Bloom is pleased to present an idea sharing and networking program and reception designed exclusively for elected leaders, municipal administrators, and Realtors. Through peer-to-peer discussion, learn about the solutions communities are using to solve some of today’s challenges facing municipalities of all sizes. Following the roundtable discussion there will be a reception so elected leaders, city administrators, and Realtors from across the nation can mingle and continue learning from one another.

5:30 PM                             Opening Night Reception
Catch up with old friends and make new ones during this informal cash bar event. Participate in the silent auction and help kick off the symposium.

6:30 PM                             Community Connections Dinner Celebration & Silent Auction
Now it’s time to celebrate your achievements. This is a time for food, fun, and awards! Each AIB community will be recognized for their efforts. This is where we celebrate YOU and what YOUR community is doing to make America bloom! All Dwight Lund Community Champion nominees will be honored and the winner announced. At the end of the festivities, enjoy dessert while networking with your peers and making your final bids on silent auction items.


Friday, September 27
7:30 AM                             Morning Jolt: Caffeine and Conversation
Caffeine + conversation = great start to the day. Grab some coffee and converse with other AIB attendees and the Showcase of Innovation companies. These companies feature innovative products and services relevant to your community. Breakfast is not provided but is available at the hotel restaurant, snack bar, and onsite coffee shop.

8 AM                                   Welcome & Keynote Presentation: Re-Imagining Urban Infrastructure – Unprecedented Call for Unprecedented Solutions
Joe Chambers, MKSK Studios
Nature, through millennia of trial and error, has evolved to be inherently efficient. We will all need to team with nature in everything we do to restore the balance of the systems that keep our environment clean and healthy. Communities are facing the urgent need for new, forward-thinking resilience tactics. Efforts to improve and beautify towns and cities are a great opportunity.  

8:45 AM                             Putting the FUN in FUNdraising
Joseph Pratt, Portsmouth, Ohio
Don’t get lost in the boring routine of fundraisers that leave your community wanting more. Don’t lose the mission for the sake of money. You will learn how to cater your fundraising efforts around programs that accomplish your mission while also building excitement with your donors and your community. Learn how to offer a great FUNdraising experience so your donors have a great time while making a tax deduction.

9:15 AM                             Getting Youth Involved: How We Do It
Julia Collins, Castle Rock, Washington; Rebecca Miller, Logan, Ohio
Your community’s young people have the ability and desire to be engaged in your community’s volunteer efforts. When youth start volunteering early, they are more likely to continue to volunteer into adulthood, strengthening the community for years to come. Learn from two America in Bloom communities how they have excelled in getting their youth engaged.

10 AM                                 Showcase of Innovation & Conversation
This networking break allows you to continue sharing ideas and meeting Showcase of Innovation companies.

10:15 AM                           Best Ideas Community Forum
Facilitator: Sue Amatangelo, AIB Advisor
This popular interactive session will be packed with ideas you can take home and implement. Through roundtable discussions you will hear about solutions – big and small – that can help to transform your community. Come with your own best ideas to share!

11:30 AM                           Showcase of Innovation & Conversation
This networking break allows you to continue sharing ideas and meeting Showcase of Innovation companies. 

11:45 AM                           Lunch & Learn: Know Before You Go
While enjoying lunch you will learn more about Logan, Ohio’s America in Bloom efforts. This lunch and learn program will help you understand how Logan has been transformed. You will see things during this presentation that you won’t get to experience during the tour to Logan.

12:30 PM                           Buses Depart for Logan, Ohio Adventure
You get to experience the beauty of Logan, Ohio, a community in the heart of the Hocking Hills region, a nationally-recognized outdoor adventure area. Today’s community tour will spotlight Logan’s rich history, its celebration and protection of pollinators, its award-winning beautification efforts, and the volunteer spirit that is woven into the culture and identity of the community. Following the tour there will be a reception and dinner at a local building that was once a car dealership but is now a thriving restaurant/brewery/winery/distillery. Cheers!

8 PM                                   Buses Depart for Return to Columbus


Saturday, September 28
7:45 AM                             Morning Jolt: Caffeine and Conversation
Caffeine + conversation = great start to the day. Grab some coffee and converse with other AIB attendees and the Showcase of Innovation companies. These companies feature innovative products and services relevant to your community. Breakfast is not provided but is available at the hotel restaurant, snack bar, and onsite coffee shop.

8:15 AM                             State of the Organization
Rod Barnes, AIB President and Laura Kunkle, AIB Executive Director
Learn about the organization’s current status and how AIB is striving to make even more of an impact in communities.

8:30 AM                             Keynote Presentation: Climate Change and Gardening
Dr. Aaron Wilson, The Ohio State University
How often do we find ourselves asking, “What’s up with the weather?” Weather is such a vital force in our lives and something we experience daily. Evidence clearly demonstrates that our weather patterns, or climate, are changing. But the changes we experience depend on where we live. Dr. Wilson, an atmospheric scientist, will discuss the observed changes in temperature and precipitation over recent decades, from a global overview to local changes. Learn the key impacts on our environment, from plants and animals to natural resources, gardening, and communities. Discover ways we can individually and collectively adapt to and mitigate future expected changes.

9:15 AM                             Hot Topics Deep Dive Breakout Sessions
We pick the topics, you pick where to go! Each breakout session will focus on a hot topic impacting communities. Be prepared to take lots of notes as you explore innovative solutions and best practices for tackling these issues.

9:45 AM                             Showcase of Innovation & Conversation
This networking break allows you to continue sharing ideas and meeting Showcase of Innovation companies.

10 AM                                Hot Topics Deep Dive Breakout Sessions
Because there are so many good topics in the 9:15 AM breakout sessions, we are repeating them so you can go to a second session.

10:30 AM                           Showcase of Innovation & Conversation
This networking break allows you to continue sharing ideas and meeting Showcase of Innovation companies.

11 AM                                  Meet with the Advisors
These sessions are set up so community members can meet with Advisors and delegates from other AIB communities. Get excellent insight into the ordinary and extraordinary things towns and cities are doing across America. AIB Advisors will share what they saw during their visits to communities and how to enhance your town’s participation in AIB.

Afternoon                          Lunch and Free Time On Your Own: Go Explore Columbus!
The afternoon is yours to explore. Within easy walking distance of the hotel are restaurants, breweries, the Scioto Riverfront, Statehouse gardens, and Columbus Commons, a park that features gardens, a performance stage, carousel, interactive playground, and more. A short Uber ride will take you to the historic German Village area; the artsy Short North district; or The Ohio State University campus. Whatever food – or mood – you’re searching for, you’ll find it in Columbus.

5:30 PM                             Closing Night Reception
This final night cash bar reception allows you to mingle with old and new friends, swap contact information, and make plans to stay in touch.

6:30 PM                             Evening in Bloom: America in Bloom Awards Program
The anticipation goes into high gear with a banquet, fun, and awards. This final-night event shines the spotlight on the transformative efforts by AIB communities.

2025: September 25-27. Orion Township and Rochester, Michigan. 

Interested in hosting a future symposium? Contact the America in Bloom office.

Sustained through Sponsorships

Through financial and in-kind sponsors, we can share the joy and importance of horticulture, community involvement, heritage preservation, and environmental efforts. Contributions support the annual National Awards Program, maintain our website, facilitate outreach activities, develop educational resources, host the Annual Educational Symposium and Awards, and send Advisors to all participating communities.