Recently ArtPlantae brought its “Know Plants” message to 12,000 Girl Scouts at the Girltopia: The World of Girl event at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
There really were 12,000 Girl Scouts there. The aisles were filled with people all day and there were only two moments where there was no one at the booth. Both moments lasted less than 60 seconds. I am not exaggerating.
There were many things to do at Girltopia — from seeing plants at ArtPlantae, to attending Cookie University, to taking leadership workshops, to interacting with technology, to taking one’s photo with Justin Timberlake and Johnny Depp (thanks to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Hollywood).
Here are a few photos I managed to take at this incredible event.
ArtPlantae Today 
That is a wonderful story. Can you tell me how I would go about setting up an experience like that for young people?
Carole,
To get involved in venues such as this requires looking at what is going on in your community. It is a lot of leg work. Looking for venues is one thing. Being able to afford them is quite another issue. The larger the venue, the greater the expense. Most venues come with rental fees of one kind or another. There are always fees for electricity, furniture, Internet access, etc. Large venues can also come with additional expenses that must be paid to the event management company. This includes labor fees because at some venues you can’t carry your items to your booth. And when it comes to venues like this, you really need to ask about additional fees. Vendors don’t get the book of services (and their costs) until after they have paid for their booth. A 6′ x 2′ table for a handful of hours can cost serious dollars even at small venues and sometimes all vendors pay the same flat rate, regardless of the nature of their organization. The best advice I can give is to stay alert about local events and to choose your venues wisely. After the logistical stuff is completed, enjoy your time at the event. I have never walked away from a venue where I did not learn something new or meet interesting and wonderful people.