By Kirstin Albert, Communications Coordinator - Tampa Convention Center
An estimated $50,000 worth of trees and plants were donated to Hillsborough County Public Schools following the conclusion of the Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) at Tampa Convention Center.
WATCH: Video recap of the Tropical Plant International Expo
Tampa Convention Center linked TPIE with the Hillsborough County School District to coordinate the donations. TPIE estimates about 30 companies that took part in the expo then donated their displays to schools. Those displays included trees, plants, and related products.
The donations will benefit local high school students in the Tampa Community, as they will be used in student agriculture science programs. Students will use the donated plants to learn how to grow and maintain plants. Some of the plants will be sold to help fund school programs and clubs.
The main school that received donations was Durant High School in Plant City, and other local schools benefited from the donations as well.
This partnership is just one of the many ways Tampa Convention Center is committed to giving back to the community.
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TPIE is an industry trade show featuring 200,000 square feet of vibrant plants, which created a temporary indoor garden full of showstopper displays inside the Tampa Convention Center in January 2023. The expo offered a wide array of foliage and tropical plants for wholesale buyers.