The International Plant Propagators’ Society (IPPS) Western Region is having their 56th Annual Meeting at the DoubleTree Plaza Hilton, in Modesto, CA. The meeting was held from Sept 23 through 26.
      IPPS serves as a society for individuals who are studying in the field of plant propagation, or creating new plants from pre-existing plants using different methods and tools. The annual meeting brings together students, educators, and professionals focusing on the field of plant propagation. Many UC and CSU students were in attendance, including students from California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State).
  Members who attended were able to interact with professional speakers, tour state of the art facilities, and participate in a silent auction.
   Informational sessions were organized around different topics and a variety of professional speakers were invited to share their knowledge and experience with different plant propagation methods. Exhibition booths were available for companies to display their products and advertise what they can do for the IPPS members.
    IPPS also offers members an excellent tour program with transportation and tour guides available. The tour program began on Thursday, Sept 24 at noon. Each tour had a set time and schedule which could be accessed in the IPPS schedule of events brochure given out during registration. Some of the tours include seed and plant laboratories, nurseries, fruit packing companies, and plant genetic facilities.
      When members aren’t away touring a facility, they had opportunities to learn new techniques from the oral sessions. There was also a silent auction going on each day in Ballroom 4 and 5, displaying prizes and gift baskets.
        Members were also encouraged to apply ahead of time to have a poster on display for others to view. Poster submissions were sent in by members prior to the meeting through the online IPPS Western Region application. Each poster was required to show new research, developments, or an innovative technique for growing plants. These were displayed during the Poster and Display Session all day Thursday through Saturday afternoon.