On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA October-November 2016 | Page 13

your audience can watch how it developed
with AR technology. Virtual Reality or VR on
the other hand, is a 360-degree experience
where you put a goggle-like device up to your
eyes and you’re immersed in a video experience where you see what’s happening on the
ground, in the sky, behind you and to the sides.
This works best for storytelling.
8. Drones Are Smaller, Cheaper and More
Powerful
No longer the purview of the military, drones
are becoming pervasive—700,000 were sold
last year, and in December 2015 alone, 45,000
were registered. Higher than the longest selfie
sticks and lower than a helicopter can hover,
drones record the world in a rarefied aerial
zone. You take video from the air, shoot photographs and now you’re even able to live stream
from above. Use drones for a different photographic perspective or to record horticultural
creations from on high.

Education sessions were packed during the conference in Atlanta.

9. Internet of Things: Machines that Talk
to You
Imagine your refrigerator letting you know
that you’re almost out of milk. Think about a
car that changes lanes when you touch the
steering wheel. How about a doorbell that lets
you see who is out front without you being
anywhere near your house? Internet of Things
or IOT is here right now. It’s about machines,
electronics and devices communicating
through a smartphone. When a car is a moving
mobile center, how will you tell your story? Will
you create an app that lets gardeners know
when it’s time to water or plant?

Lori Greene is a proven, multi-platform content executive, who is highly proficient in all aspects of media,
including social, mobile, television, digital and print. As
founder of LPG Enterprises, Greene helps brands such
as BRIC TV, Advertising Week and Brooklyn Cookie
Company with digital marketing, editorial, content
marketing, social media and training. Greene also
teaches digital content strategies at New York University and Temple University’s Master Program. She is a
speaker, panelist and lecturer on digital subjects.

GWA member Herb Frazier from Magnolia Plantation a nd Gardens snaps photos at The Carter Center.

PHOTOS COURTESY CAITLIN NORTON

10. Fail Well, Fail Fast, Just Fail
Last, but certainly not least, work on failing
well. If you never fail because you haven’t tried
new innovations and technologies, you’ll be
left behind. Yet, you should fail fast so as not to
waste limited resources. That’s the Silicon Valley
mantra. Try, fail, pilot, pivot, repeat. Pilot your
new ideas, and when they don’t work, shift your
focus. The key is not to be afraid.
It’s a big, thrilling world out there, so have fun
testing and learning. You’ll never know what
will work until you try. The possibilities of exciting people through technology keep growing.
How will you engage with the next generation?
After all, the future of horticulture communications has already arrived.

‘Sapphire Star’ Chihuly sculpture enhanced GWA’s visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

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