AIPH Secretariat Delegation / Minnesota Welcome at the Minnesota State Capitol

Updated: Aug 8

Event occurred on 7.17.24 in the Cass Gilbert Library

Minnesota civic leaders joined the Expo 2031 team and federal government partners

at the Minnesota State Capitol for a Meet and Greet reception with remarks from

Roberta (Bobbie) Dressen of Medical Alley Association (Founding Partner),

Susan (Susie) Bachman West of Bachman's Inc., AIPH President Leonardo Capitanio,

AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe, Expo 2031 Minnesota, USA CEO Wendy Meadley,

Expo 2031 Chief Architect David Loehr, and Expo 2031 Board Chair, Ryan McEnaney,

Roberta (Bobbie) Antione Dressen / President & CEO, Medical Alley Association

Ms. Bobbie Dressen's remarks:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. My name is Bobbie Dressen, I serve as the President and CEO of Medical Alley. It’s an honor to be part of this reception.

To our guests from the International Association of Horticultural Producers – welcome to Minnesota.

Medical Alley is proud to be a founding partner of Expo 2031. The theme Human Nature clearly represents the connection between the planet – horticulture and mankind. The integration of health – wellbeing and horticulture is clear — healthy food creates healthy bodies and strong minds.

Public health is dependent on these basic building blocks. Wellness is built on the foundation of good nutrition.

For those who are not familiar – Medical Alley is a global organization, based in Minnesota, representing a network of more than 800 leading health and technology organizations.

This network includes – the world famous Mayo Clinic, the largest medical device provider Medtronic, and one of the top research institutions in agriculture and health sciences, the University of Minnesota.

40 years ago, our founders recognized the power of this ecosystem – and knew that when the world’s brightest minds came together, we could truly transform healthcare.

Today – Medical Alley has relationships in more than 30 countries, advancing some of the most revolutionary technologies humankind has ever created.

At the same time, we recognize the need to close gaps in health and wellbeing disparities.

So many around the world — and even in our local communities — lack access to healthy food and clean water.

I believe this Expo has the power to address these critical issues head-on through international collaboration and innovation.

I’ll leave you with this — in 1950, our medical knowledge doubled every 50 years.

Today — our knowledge doubles every 73 days.

Imagine what we’ll be able to share with the world in 2031.

Thank you.

Susan (Susie) Bachman West / President, Bachman's Inc.

Ms, Susie Bachman West's remarks:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honor to speak with you today about a topic that is not only close to my heart but

also vital to our everyday lives: horticulture. For many of us, this connection starts right

at home, in our backyards or on our front porches, where the simple act of gardening

opens a world of beauty, growth and wonder. These small but personal interactions

with plants and nature provide a gateway to understanding the broader importance of

horticulture in our lives.

I have the great fortune of having grown up surrounded by horticulture, thanks to my

family’s legacy with Bachman’s. Since 1885, Bachman’s has been bringing the beauty

of plants and flowers to our Minnesota community. As a fifth generation member of my

family’s business, I hold a deep passion for connecting people to plants and the natural

world around us. Fostering a love for the environment that can be passed down

through generations.

The potential of the World Horticulture Expo coming to Minnesota is truly exciting. It

shines a light on the vast opportunities and fulfilling careers within the horticulture

industry, especially for our young people. This event will not only inspire the next

generation but also strengthen Minnesota's green industry, highlighting our commitment

to nurturing our beautiful environment.

We appreciate the delegation for joining us and taking the time to discover what makes

Minnesota a wonderful place to live and grow. Your presence here highlights the

importance of horticulture in enriching our lives and supporting our communities.

Together, let us continue to nurture our connection to nature, fostering a greener, more

beautiful world for all.

Thank you.

AIPH President Leonardo Capitanio

AIPH President Capitanio's remarks:

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honor for me to be here today and to meet so many of you that are giving your support to

the bid from Minnesota to host an AIPH-approved A1 World Horticultural Expo in 2031. It is an

exciting moment for us too. We have heard about the development of this concept and now we can

be here in-person to see for ourselves what an Expo in Minnesota could look like and to assess the

level of support it has.

AIPH is ‘the world’s champion for the power of plants’. We strongly believe that humanity needs to

redefine its relationship with nature, and we know that plants and landscape are going to play a

critical role in adapting our cities to a changing climate and to making citizens healthier. The plans

for an Expo here in 2031 tackle this head-on with the theme of ‘Human Nature’ and this fits very

much with our own thinking.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for believing in this project, thank you for giving

your time and resources to helping it succeed and in particular, thanks to all those that have put so

much effort into creating this application and preparing for our visit this week.

I am very much looking forward to the days ahead of us and I wish you every success as you continue

with your application.

AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe

AIPH Secretary General Briercliffe's remarks:

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to reiterate our thanks for your warm welcome here in Minnesota. We were very pleased to hear of an application from the USA and in particular from here in Minnesota where there is already an enthusiasm for Expo. Hosting an AIPH-approved Expo provides a great opportunity for your State but also brings with it a significant responsibility as it will take its place on the world stage. For us to select Minnesota as a host we want to ensure that everything is being put in place to create a successful event and post-expo legacy.

AIPH is also looking to see how you will work with the horticulture industry and our member in the US, AmericanHort. We have been very pleased so far to see the support from this sector for these plans.

2031 can feel like a long way away, but in the world of Expo planning it will come surprisingly quickly. The best Expos are planned this far ahead and, if you are successful, then I would urge you to use all this time to get the best outcome.

Although we are here in our Regulatory role, with our purpose defined under international convention, we are also here as your friends. We want you to succeed and let’s work together for the best ever A1 World Horticultural Expo in 2031.

Expo 2031 Minnesota, USA CEO, Wendy Meadley

Recognized the AIPH Secretariat Delegates, Federal Partners, State Partners Founding Partners, Public and Private Sector Leaders in attendance supporting the Expo 2031 Minnesota, USA effort to host an A1 World Horticultural Exposition in Minnesota, the first in U,S. history.