Flower show bringing blooms and bucks to Philadelphia

The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show has the theme "Springtime in Paris," and it will feature a million blooms, a 37-foot-tall Eiffel Tower, and a lush park that will consume 10 acres of exhibit space at the Convention Center.

But the extravaganza is as much about dollars as dahlias.

The show, in its 182d year, generates breathtaking numbers over an eight-day run:

An economic impact of $61 million on the Greater Philadelphia region.

More than 250,000 attendees.

The equivalent of 637 full-time jobs.

About $8 million in city, state, and federal tax revenue.

The $8.1 million production, put on by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, will take place March 6 to 13.

More than 170 vendors will be in "the Marketplace," in the main exhibition halls selling cut flowers, potted plants, jewelry, art, and books - anything gardening- and horticulture-related.

"An investment in the flower show is an investment in the city's future," said Drew Becher, president of the 17,000-member Horticultural Society, who appeared alongside Mayor Nutter, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer Rob Wonderling, and others Friday at the Rittenhouse Hotel. "It's the flower show, but it is about a whole lot more than that."

Becher announced the findings of a report by the tax and audit firm KPMG L.L.P. that cited the show's economic impact on the Philadelphia region, including South Jersey. That figure includes direct and indirect spending, such as restaurant, parking, and hotel-room receipts.

KPMG said the show has a national impact of $100 million, with volunteers from 41 states and exhibitors from 26 states coming to town, spending money to get here, and spending it while here.

"The better Philadelphia looks, the better my company does," said J. William Mills 3d, regional president of PNC Bank, which has sponsored the flower show for 20 years, as he praised ticket proceeds going toward year-round greening programs.

About $1 million is raised each year for such programs, including growing community gardens, reclaiming vacant lots, and beautifying parks.

"I look at the flower show as the official start of spring," said Nutter, who added Phillies spring training in Clearwater, Fla., as the other sign.

Reflective of the show's growing commercial appeal, QVC Inc., of West Chester, is scheduled to broadcast live from the show floor for the first time this year.

Ads are up at Penn Station in New York City by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp., teasing the show's arrival next month as part of the "With Love, Philadelphia" campaign. One reads: "Dear Stuck Indoors, Us Too. But We Have Flowers."

"The flower show has always been what we call a 'destination definer'," said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of the tourism agency. "The pairing of Paris and Philadelphia in all their marketing materials, and execution of the show itself, are exciting and romantic - two qualities very important to attracting visitors from the region and the world."

The first Philadelphia Flower Show, in 1829, marked the debut of two flowers in the United States: the poinsettia and the bird of paradise.

Those working not far from the leaves and petals have been looking forward to it for months.

"As far as customer traffic, the flower show is bigger than Thanksgiving, it's bigger than Christmas," said Paul Steinke, manager of the Reading Terminal Market.

On top of the 10 acres of floral exhibits, the show will cover an additional 23 acres at the Convention Center for a preview dinner in the Grand Ballroom, a store in the Grand Hall for free wine and liquor tastings, and other activities.

Sam Lemheney, in his seventh year as director of design for the show, said he began working on this year's production 18 months ago. He picked the theme almost three years ago.

As this year's centerpiece, a 37-foot-tall and 75-foot-wide Eiffel Tower will appear to ascend into the rafters of the Convention Center. It will be lit by 1,000 lights and set to music every hour.

The show always angles for a "wow" factor in an effort to attract the largest crowds. This year it's the Eiffel Tower. Last year, 231,922 attended the show, down about 8 percent from 251,505 in 2009.

Underneath and in front of the faux tower will be 25,000 tulips in shades of pink, lavender, yellow, and white, to create a Parisian park scene. Carousel animals, bedecked with flowers, will be displayed throughout the park.

"It's designed to make you feel like you actually stepped into the room and were transported to Paris," Lemheney said.

The stars of the show are the blooms - a million this year.

"Forcing the plants," or as described by Lemheney, "basically tricking a plant to bloom out of its normal season," begins in the fall. Plants are taken out of nurseries in September, placed in coolers or chillers, and "tricked" to sense it is winter.

He said depending on the type of plant, some are put in greenhouses in December or January. They are warmed gradually in a simulation of spring, and the blooming period is timed perfectly to the show.

"There's a lot of science and art to get the timing down perfectly," Lemheney said. "All growers involved in the show do this."

Walt Off, co-owner of Waldor Orchids in Linwood, N.J., has been preparing his showpiece all summer and fall - a 1,300-square-foot, walk-through exhibit that includes an orchid-cloning lab and greenhouse.

"We're showing the process of multiplying orchids by taking the mother plant and turning it into a thousand plants," said Off, who owns the Linwood shop with his brother, William.

Waldor Orchids, started by Off's father in the 1930s, has been in the flower show for more than 80 years as the oldest continuing exhibitor.

The show is a business-booster for exhibitors. Off's shop does 75 percent of overall annual sales from Valentine's Day to Mother's Day.