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INTERIOR
PLANTSCAPE IN AMERICA
As the NIPA
Executive Officer I have recently investigated the various trends
occurring in the Interior Plantscape Associations in America,
Canada and the United Kingdom, to see if new trends were
occurring, the following was discovered. The Associated Landscape
Contractors of America (ALCA), who is by far the most active along
with the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), have
included the Interior Landscape sector as part of their overall
responsibility similar to your association NIPA.
NIPA however remains independent, unlike the ALCA, even
though there's an alliance and memorandum of understanding in
place with the Queensland Association of Landscape Industries and
recognition that the term "Landscape Industries" covers
both interior and exterior. The
main point of interest was that the ALCA have developed what they
call a service mark (we call it a slogan) for the Interior
Industry Growth Initiative undertaken recently, namely
" Plants At Work".
The
initiative was developed by a task force of interiorscape industry
professionals who recognized that the sector, whilst experiencing
growth, could potentially see sharp turns in the near future, as
the industry required and undertook change.
Their initial views were based on an ALCA member survey in
1998 which showed the majority of interiorscape members of the
association felt the industry had reached a critical plateau.
The task force had the mission of identifying strategies to
expand the size and profitability of the interior landscape
services market in the USA. This
mission is not unlike that of NIPA here in Australia.
The
findings of the task force indicated that the they needed
independent research on the perceptions of their target audiences
to truly understand how to strategically market the interior
plantscape industry as a whole.
This research was sponsored jointly by government and ALCA.
Corporate and facility managers responded to the survey
from across the country. The top three reasons cited for using
plants were 1. Color, 2. Employee attitude and retention, and 3.
Making an environmental statement.
Interestingly almost 50 % of the facility managers said
that they use interior plants in 75 to 100% of the buildings.
The level of use was not surveyed.
50% cited "cost", followed by
"maintenance" and "lack of knowledge"
regarding interior plants, as the primary reasons for not using
plants inside their business or facility.
This points to both a communication and an education issue
for NIPA through both awareness and knowledge.
In Australia we still require specific research to be
undertaken on local plants x state.
As an example, research is needed in Qld. on use and
benefit of local tropical and sub tropical plants, the advantages
and disadvantages of various species in the internal environment
in NSW or Victoria.
In
America the ALCA is to fund a three to five-year national
marketing campaign to educate corporate and facility managers
about the benefits of the interior plantscape industry in the USA.
They have identified a critical need to teach the value and
professionalism of the industry through their association members.
The targeted result of this initiative will be to achieve
wide exposure through the message of the value and benefits of
interior plants and the professional care and maintenance that is
supplied by association members ie. "PLANTS AT
WORK". They
hope to accomplish this through a comprehensive schedule of public
relations and direct marketing and communication
efforts. The ALCA stresses that it is important for all
members to realize that in an initiative of this scope, requires
the development of a complete infrastructure for handling all
contacts and reporting/follow-up to all parties.
It is expected and normal that the first year, while
producing many tangible results, will be a "building"
year requiring considerable effort and resource, leading to a much
wider exposure during the subsequent years.
The
ALCA have developed four (4) concepts for consideration, they are;
1.
They spend a fluid of their lives in an office,
At home more than two thirds of them love the garden.
Think they'd like more plants at work?
2.
You've thought of everything your office employees might need,
Except
a reason to stay past 5.00.
Plants help.
3.
In the crush of today's offices, people need an oasis.
Plants help.
4.
Today's professionals are driven, very mobile, and their picky
about where they work.
Plants help.
It
is through alliances such as these and research, that your
National Interior Plantscape Association (NIPA) can assist you the
members, and the industry in general, in developing a more
professional approach to industry standards, that intern will
obtain the recognition necessary to ensure sustainability of the
sector and those businesses operating within it.
Globally, similar problems to that which is experienced
here in Australia, are obviously being felt and actions taken to
arrest any fall that may be occurring.
Change in our life is a constant these days and we must all
be prepared to adapt and monitor the necessary changes to position
our businesses correctly for future growth.
The
writer has been able to obtain a copy of an article
(MAR.2000) entitled " Reported Impacts of Interior
Plantscaping in Office Environments" with the following
summary. A condensed
version of this five page document will appear in the next
"IN FOCUS" newsletter (Apr.2002).
SUMMARY:
"Interiorscaping
has been prevalent in office environments in Germany, Scandinavia,
Europe and England since 1950's.
The United States entered the market in 1960's.
Historically, proponents of interior plantings have cited
numerous benefits, including improved employee morale, increased
productivity, and reduced absenteeism when plants are added to the
workplace, despite little scientific research to support these
claims. Contemporary
research is beginning to document some of these purported benefits
of interior plantings on human comfort, well-being, and
productivity. If
researchers continue to provide concrete evidence that interaction
with plants is directly linked to improved human health and
well-being, this information will provide further justification
for the use of interior plants in a variety of indoor work
settings. With an
ever-increasing emphasis by business managers on minimizing costs,
it is important for industry professionals to provide quantifiable
justification for the inclusion of plants in modern work
environments".
J
Vaughan
Executive
Officer |
