Greenhouse and nursery crops are this year’s top agricultural crop in Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Association of Nurseries, which represents nearly 700 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers statewide, announced Wednesday it will host a virtual marketplace event in February.

The event, called Nursery Guide LIVE, will take place online Feb. 17 to 18.

“Nursery Guide LIVE is designed to provide nursery industry professionals with sales and buying opportunities just as the spring shipping season kicks off,” Allan Niemi, the association’s director of events, said in a statement.

The virtual event, Niemi said, is intended to complement rather than replace the annual in-person Farwest Show, which is still tentatively planned for Aug. 18 to 20 if the pandemic is under control by then.

At the Nursery Guide LIVE event, association member exhibitors will have the opportunity to showcase their plant offerings, services and supplies.

Many nursery owners are already part of a printed guide published annually called the Nursery Guide book, which typically has 300 pages of listings and content about Oregon nurseries. February’s virtual event was inspired by the Nursery Guide, but will push the concept further by giving customers the opportunity to interact in the virtual marketplace rather than simply read listings in a catalog.

The marketplace platform, according to the association, will have a simple setup and layout, allow unlimited product listings, permit multiple images and videos for each product and offer customers live video chat features.

The platform will also allow nurseries that want to give product demonstrations or talks to give presentations for up to 30 attendees at a time.

The event, the association says, presents an excellent networking and marketing opportunity for the state’s growing ornamental horticulture industry, worth over $1 billion in annual sales.

For more information or to be an exhibitor, go to www.NurseryGuideLive.com or call Niemi at 503-582-2005.