2024 Name Rebrand Vote Proposal

The IPPS International Board proposes a Name Rebrand vote in 2024, building upon the previous 2020 discussions. A Name Rebrand Committee was established to unify the rationale for the change and address past inquiries. This Name Rebrand is solely for marketing purposes and does not require legal adjustments to regional or international documents.

Goal

The goal of a name rebrand is to increase membership and foster a richer exchange of experiences, knowledge, and ideas among members, as well as to boost sponsorships, which help keep conference and membership dues lower.

IPPS History and Future

  • IPPS, founded by propagators over 70 years ago, has grown from an Ohio plant propagator association to a global hub for horticultural exchange.
  • Propagation remains the cornerstone of IPPS, but conference agendas now cover diverse plant types, production, integrated pest management, breeding, and business management.
  • A titled update to “International Plant Production Society” could better reflect IPPS’s growth and diversity.
  • Replacing “Propagators” with “Production” in our name would position IPPS as the leading worldwide association addressing all aspects of plant propagation, production processes, industry-wide issues, and employment concerns.
  • The industry has shifted its emphasis from specialized propagators to broader production roles.
  • Only 5% of active IPPS members currently hold the title of “Propagator”, though many manage propagation alongside other responsibilities.

Why change the name?

  • Despite widespread use of the IPPS acronym, there is still a misconception that IPPS solely focuses on propagation.
  • This misconception leads potential members, conference attendees, and sponsors to question their fit within the society.
  • Rebranding the organization could broaden its appeal, attracting a wider audience in the horticulture industry
  • A rebrand could facilitate membership, conference participation, and sponsorship.
  • IPPS aims to continue being a global center for knowledge exchange, research dissemination, and networking within the industry.
  • Embracing a new name while honoring its history allows IPPS to address global plant production challenges effectively.
  • IPPS International is developing a new website, making it the perfect opportunity to incorporate the name rebrand.

Common Questions and Answers

Financial Implications:

What are the associated costs of changing the name in legal documents?

    If the name change were to be approved by the membership, the International Board has decided that regions are not required to alter their legal documents from “International Plant Propagators’ Society” to “International Plant Production Society”.

    In practical terms, when promoting events, disseminating newsletters, and engaging in similar activities, regions are primarily using the approved logo (IPPS - Sharing Plant Production Knowledge Globally). Therefore, the proposed name change is unlikely to create issues in most instances. Organizations can market their name as they wish, regardless of official government documents.

    However, should a region wish to officially change its name in government and related documents, that decision will rest with each region’s Board of Directors and they should factor in any associated costs, which would need to be managed internally by the respective region.

    Are there any additional costs to regions based on adding international sponsors?

      No. There is currently a misconception regarding the obligation of regions to cover the registration costs for our International Sponsors.

      • Currently, each International Sponsor is entitled to receive up to four (4) complimentary registrations for any conference (limited to core registration only).
      • These complimentary registrations are covered by the International budget thus absolving the regions of any expenses related to these registrations.
      • While each region organizes its conference differently, the decision to offer table space or other benefits to sponsors lies with the regional board of directors but is not obligatory.

      If the name will not change in government documents, why change the name at all?

      Promoting IPPS as the “International Plant Production Society” could boost sponsorships, memberships, and conference attendance without incurring the costs of officially changing the name in government documents. The Sponsorship Committee has noted that prospective sponsors hesitate to support a “propagation” society, even though our conferences demonstrate a shared focus on propagation and production. Sponsorships have prevented international dues from rising, and without them, increased membership dues could be necessary due to rising costs of running an organization. (Note: International membership dues are only a part of the total dues, which are based on regional expenses).

      Potential members and conference attendees have reported their employers are reluctant to cover costs because their job titles, such as producer or grower, don’t align with “propagator”, despite their responsibilities including propagation.

      Other Concerns:

      Will anyone know where to look for the “Black Book” Proceedings of the IPPS if we change the name?

        The Proceedings have not been printed in hard copy format through the IPPS for over five (5) years. At this point, people should know to look at the IPPS.org website to access this information.

        If an employer would not be convinced to send their production manager(s) to a plant propagators’ meeting, why would they send their propagation staff to a production meeting?

          Many companies no longer employ dedicated propagators, and often it’s the owner who holds this role, especially internationally. Conference attendees have noted they value our diverse meeting agendas, which cover their broader responsibilities in business, integrated pest management, breeding, and production. Additionally, many propagation staff are migrant workers who do not attend our meetings. By promoting ourselves as a more inclusive society, we could improve attendance by attracting production managers.

          How would a name change affect the "potential" regions of India, China, South America, etc.?

          The emerging regions of India, China, and South America are significantly engaged in horticulture production, expanding beyond just propagation activities.

          Renaming the organization to the “International Plant Production Society” could potentially attract additional members from these potential regions.

          Specifically, understanding that the majority of our current members in India hold job titles such as:

          • engineers
          • biotechnologists
          • bioscientists
          • employees of tissue culture facilities
          • other production-related roles
          • Notably, none of the current India members identify their title as “propagators”.

          Paid members can vote one time for or against the name change until midnight on December 31, 2024 (Eastern EST) at https://bit.ly/IPPSVote.

          A PDF of this document can be viewed here.

          For a concise version of the name rebrand information, please click here.