The public engagement initiative aims to reach outside of the sector, challenging perceptions and
rebranding horticulture as a high-tech STEM career to an audience of over 26,000 visitors, including 6,000+ students.
The project has already secured early backing from the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA) and is now seeking further partners and sponsors.
"It’s time to bridge the gap between our £38 billion economic contribution and our visibility to the wider public and in particular the STEM sector," says Christina Walker, who is spearheading the project. "We have all the elements to inspire —world class education and award-winning businesses managing laboratories and glasshouses, garden centres to urban spaces, sports pitches to forests. By bringing together the amazing range of expertise across our industry we can work together to impact its future. I’m calling for industry partners to help demonstrate that careers in horticulture and landscape architecture mean working at the cutting edge of science, technology and climate solutions.
“The support for this initiative has been overwhelmingly positive even before being officially launched! There’s been a lot of talk about the skills gap over the last decade, and great work has been done by many individuals and organisations, but we’re now facing a crisis and it’s time to do something big - together. New Scientist Live 2026 is the perfect focal point at a crucial time, providing a platform to reach a large, curious audience across a wide age range. It’s a fantastic platform for the sector as a whole and for individual brands. I hope this will be the start of a collaboration that creates a lasting legacy."
Nat Boynton of the YPHA said: “As soon as Christina spoke, I knew this was something we needed to be part of. Horticulture sits at the centre of some of the biggest challenges we face, from climate and biodiversity to food security and wellbeing. Working in this industry is not a niche choice, it is a way to make a real, measurable difference.
“If horticulture is barely visible beyond primary school, we cannot keep being surprised that fewer young people choose it later. We have to start signposting its relevance, impact and opportunity much earlier.”
A focus group will be held for those serious about participation and support, after which the exhibit's core pillars and collaborative structure will be finalised. Space needs to be booked by late March for the project to go ahead at the 2026 event which will take place at London’s Excel Centre, 10-12 October.
Industry Focus Group Details:
• Date: Thursday, 26th February 2026
• Time: 11:30am
• Location: High Street Kensington, London (and Virtual)
• RSVP Deadline: 6th February 2026
Interested parties from across the horticultural, landscape, and environmental science sectors are encouraged to attend. If people can’t make the date that does not exclude participation in the stand and individual calls / presentations can be set up instead. Contact Christina Walker on LinkedIn or via email: chris1coombes@googlemail.com
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