Event Promotional Package

Jubenville, J.*¹,
¹ Extension Floriculture & Greenhouse Educator, Michigan State University Extension, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007

Given that 40-60% of businesses do not survive a disaster (FEMA), emergency preparedness is widely recognized as a cornerstone of resilient companies. Having an emergency plan in place can help mitigate the negative effects of an incident by safeguarding human life and minimizing losses to the business. As with many small businesses, greenhouses do not typically employ someone specifically for their emergency management expertise. To address a continuing need for education on this topic, I developed and coordinated a one-day program on greenhouse emergency preparedness that was held on January 9, 2020 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The agenda featured a combination of presentations and physical activities led by 5 different subject experts and was facilitated by the Agricultural Labor & Safety Services Manager from the Michigan Farm Bureau (10 external partners in total).

 

The first page of this promotional piece is imbued with clean lines, striking colors, and a bold image to capture the attention of the reader. The second page contains all relevant details and includes a customized link (Bitly) with a QR code to make registration as easy as possible. This flyer was distributed to stakeholders and external partners, primarily through electronic newsletters and email, and reached more than 500 contacts. I delivered a printer-friendly version of this flyer to over 30 greenhouses and posted them in public locations.

 

Thirty-five greenhouse growers from 7 Michigan counties representing 5.9 million square feet of protected production space attended this event. Evaluation results show that 100% (n=17) feel the program will help them become better prepared for a greenhouse-related emergency, 100% (n=17) intend to implement or advocate for a change to improve emergency preparedness at their business, and 100% (n=16) feel more comfortable reaching out to the Fire Department, Conservation District, and Michigan Department of Agriculture staff after meeting them in person at the program.