Registration now open for Real Christmas Tree Board and MSU Christmas tree fall webinar series
Print
EmailTwo Christmas tree webinar series are scheduled for September 2025.
Christmas tree growers can attend two different webinar series during September. Registration for the Michigan State University Extension Fall Christmas Tree Webinar, held Sept. 4 from 12:30-1:30 p.m., is now open. This webinar will focus on determining tree prices and selling strategies for Christmas trees. Guest presenters will include Simone Valle de Souza, PhD from the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University (MSU), and Melvin Koelling, PhD, professor emeritus and forestry and tree physiology Extension specialist from the Department of Forestry at MSU.
Registration for the Real Christmas Tree Board Fall Webinar Series (Photo 1) is also now open. This two-part webinar series will take place Sept. 16 and 23 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Sept. 16 webinar will be presented by Bert Cregg, PhD from MSU on his research focusing on improving establishment rates of recent tree plantings. The Sept. 23 webinar will be presented by John Armato, co-founder of Armato Barber Communications Consulting and Coaching. This session will focus on communication and how best to provide messaging about the Christmas tree industry.
There is no cost to attend either webinar series, however registration for each series is required. Recordings of webinars will be sent to all registered attendees. Restricted use pesticide credits are not available based on subject matter presented.
MSU Fall Christmas Tree Webinar overview
Date and time: Sept. 4, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Schedule:
12:30 p.m. Simone Valle de Souza – Determining break even analysis for Christmas tree production.
1:00 p.m. Melvin Koelling – Sales and pricing strategies for Christmas tree production.
1:20 p.m. Question and answer
Register for the MSU Fall Christmas Tree Webinar
Real Christmas Tree Board Fall Webinar Series overview
Title: Transplant quality and seedling survival during planting
Date and time: Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Presenter: Bert Cregg, Michigan State University
Poor post planting survival rates increases grower expenses in tree replant costs, labor expenses and uneven field production. To address these challenges, the Real Christmas tree board funded research on both above and below ground treatment options growers could implement. Presentation will provide updates on what treatments did and did not impact tree growth and survival.
Title: Intentional Communications: How to Make the Most of the Moment.
Date and time: Sept. 23, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Presenter: John Armato John Armato, Co-Founder, Armato Barber Communications Consulting and Coaching
If you’re speaking on behalf of an organization or as an advocate for an industry, you’re serving as a “spokesperson.” You may not be on TV or giving interviews to newspapers, but your message is just as critical in meetings, at conferences, and in coffee shops. And all good spokespeople have one thing in common: They don’t leave their message to chance. They are intentional about what they say and how they say it. Led by John Armato, Communications Consultant and long-time partner of the Real Christmas Tree Board, this session will give you insights into what messages really are, how they function, and what separates the good ones from the bad. You’ll learn more about the story the RCTB is working to tell and essential techniques you can use to help reinforce it, including the importance of “first words,” using the “ATM” technique to get from where you are in a conversation to where you want to go, and the importance of speaking with one voice while personalizing your particular approach.
Register for the Real Christmas Tree Board Fall Webinar Series
Due to the content of these webinars, restricted use pesticide credits will not be offered. For specific questions or problems with the registration process, contact Bill Lindberg at lindbe35@msu.edu.
