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pro landscaper magazine
HTA announces programme highlights for Horticulture, The Conference

HTA announces programme highlights for Horticulture, The Conference

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has announced programme highlights for Horticulture, The Conference, which includes a day of content designed to inform and support environmental horticulture businesses as they prepare for the future.

The event returns to London’s iconic Barbican Centre on Thursday 24 September 2026 for the second-year running.

Key highlights from the daytime programme

  • An in-depth look at the emerging sociological, technological, legal and environmental trends and what they mean for the future of UK environmental horticulture businesses.
  • The launch of the HTA’s new report on The Value of Green Spaces.
  • Climate insights and what we should be preparing for in future, followed by a panel of leading voices from politics, horticulture and meteorology as they explore how green infrastructure can help the UK adapt to a changing climate, build resilience and improve quality of life.
  • Dr Anthony Klotz, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the UCL School of Management in London, will explore the forces reshaping today’s workforce, from evolving employee expectations and engagement challenges to workplace culture and retention. This will be followed by a panel discussion.
  • Leading political figures, including Conservative MP Robbie Moore, will reflect on the value and importance of environmental horticulture, addressing delegates in a political update session.
  • And, wrapping up the conference day programme, Ben Hanlin, an award-winning speaker who specialises in creating engagement and connection to boost business performance, will deliver a keynote speech. Delegates will hear his thoughts on using communication to drive performance and culture and how storytelling can help environmental horticulture cut through.
2,216 Green Flags Awards fly across UK

2,216 Green Flags Awards fly across UK

A record number of 2,216 parks and green spaces throughout the UK have been awarded the Green Flag Award, the largest number since the scheme’s inception in 1996.

The international accreditation acknowledges and rewards well managed parks and green spaces, recognising the benchmark standard of recreational outdoor spaces, in the UK and around the world.

Since the accreditations inception 27 year ago, four parks have been received the Green Flag award annually, these are Cockington Country Park, Worden Park, Queen’s Park and Highgate Wood.

In alignment with the Green Flag Award, 135 winners also received a Green Heritage Site Accreditation, awarded in recognition of the management and preservation of the historic value and features on site, supported in England by Historic England. These include Rivington Terrace Gardens managed by Riving Heritage Trust with Groundwork and St James’s Park, managed by Southampton City Council.

Two NHS Trust hospitals, Doncaster and Bassetlaw have been awarded Green Flag Awards, recognising the health benefits of green spaces to staff, patients and visitors. It is estimated that £2bn are avoided in ill-health costs every year due to active park visits in England.

Green Flag Award Scheme manager Paul Todd MBE says: “All our winners provide vital green space for communities, bring people together and create opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. The staff and volunteers do so much to ensure these precious parks and green spaces maintain the high standards of the Green Flag Award and everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”

A full list of winners can be found here.

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