When the Philadelphia Flower Show returns to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in March, it is expected to be a boon to business in Center City, generating an economic impact of $65 million and creating 600 temporary jobs, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society President Matt Rader delivered the projections during a news conference Monday, adding that the event is anticipated to result in $23 million in compensation as well. He called the show, which was invented on 9th and Chestnut streets in 1829, a "hometown hero" for the boost it will give to Philadelphia and its residents.
This year's March 4-12 run is the 195th iteration of the flower show. Themed "The Garden Electric" after the feeling you get receiving and giving flowers, it's the Convention Center's largest event this year, anticipated to bring in 300,000 attendees, according to data from the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Seth Pearsoll, creative director for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, said to PBJ.com that the city doesn't just benefit during the show's nine-day run, however. Workers will travel to the city as early as two weeks before the show to begin construction of the exhibits. During this time, and especially the week leading up to the flower show, the money they spend on overnight accommodations and surrounding businesses provides an additional boost to the city.
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“You've got a whole industry — horticulture builders, material suppliers, fabricators, set designers. There's a whole little kind of behind-the-scenes creative community,” he added.
PBJ.com takes a look at the odes to the pandemic-era outdoor shows of the past couple years that are going into the 2023 flower show.
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