World’s Leading Fair for Horticulture Consolidates Its Position as the Most Important Platform in the International Green Sector Even Further
An outstanding mood at the 34th International Plant Fair IPM ESSEN 2016. The world’s leading fair for horticulture was once more able to prove that it is the most important platform for the international green sector. From January 26 to 29, 2016, 1,588 exhibitors from 49 nations presented their innovations and new products along the value added chain in horticulture to first-rate trade visitors from all continents at Messe Essen. The comprehensive range on offer included new plant creations, pioneering technology, strong-selling floristry trends and marketing concepts oriented to target groups. The Innovation Showcase which set a record with 76 plant novelties was representative of the enormous innovative force of the sector.
“IPM ESSEN has once more proven that it is indisputably the most important fair for international horticulture. The innovations are introduced here and the orders for the coming season are placed here. This year, it was again possible to raise the number and quality of the visitors and the sales transactions. We are more than satisfied,” was the summary made by Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen. This year, IPM ESSEN counted 57,200 visitors (in 2015: 56,500). More than 78 percent of the visitors have decision-making or procurement powers – a plus of three percentage points in comparison with the preceding year. 36 percent of the trade public already placed orders at IPM ESSEN 2016 (in 2015: 34 percent). The visitors rated the available range as very positive. Around 93 percent passed on recommendations to visit the fair. The exhibitors also made very positive assessments: 92 percent stated that their expectations for IPM ESSEN 2016 had been met. They reported on a large number of new foreign contacts and successful deals.
Internationality on an Unfailingly High Level
64 percent of the exhibitors and 40 percent of the visitors came from abroad. Around twelve percent of the guests at the fair travelled from Asia – predominantly from the Middle East (in 2015: nine percent). With regard to the countries of origin of the visitors, France exhibited a seven-percent increase in comparison with the previous year (in 2015: three percent) and Switzerland a six-percent increase (three percent).
For the first time, 20 nations presented themselves at IPM ESSEN with official joint booths. Guatemala gave its premiere. China, France, Great Britain, India and Taiwan enlarged their booths. Other pavilions were organised by the following countries: Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Turkey, Hungary and the USA. Furthermore, a 100- strong delegation from Turkey travelled to IPM ESSEN for the first time in order to obtain information about the newest horticultural products.
Record: 76 New Plant Breeds
The Innovation Showcase which was jointly staged by Messe Essen and the Central Horticultural Association (ZVG) counted 76 submissions from 33 exhibitors – a new record.
Show Your Colours Award
In the case of the Show Your Colours Award which was organised by BIZZ Communications and Messe Essen, the visitors and the expert jury decided in favour of four winners: Van Vliet New Plants with the Skimmia japonica DWARF Serie, Notkamp Boomwekerij with the Buxus sempervirens BUXUS JEANS OF GARDEN, Helmers Baumschulen with the Hydrangea macrophylla Hybrid and Special Plant Zundert with the Gaultheria procumbens GAULTIER PEARL (‘SPECGP11’).
International Grower of the Year Awards
For the first time, the international umbrella association (International Association of Horticultural Producers – AIPH) presented the “Grower of the Year Awards” at Messe Essen. Plant breeders from all over the world received marks of distinction for their outstanding performances: Costa Farms from the USA received the Golden Rose in the Finished Products category. The German- Dutch company Florensis won in the Young Plants category. Arcadia Chrysanten from the Netherlands decided the competition in its favour in the Cut Flowers category.
INDEGA IPM Innovation Award
STEP Systems received the INDEGA IPM Innovation Award. The expert jury made a unanimous decision in favour of the Combi 5000 analysis device. The experts see the innovative approach for gardeners in the fact that they can measure the most important soil parameters such as conductivity, salt content, pH value, temperature and moisture in a very simple and nevertheless reliable way in the business with one device by exchanging the measuring probes.
Green City: Meeting Place of the Horticultural Associations
The Green City again became the place for the intensive exchange of ideas between experts, organisations and associations. “In my welcoming address at the opening ceremony, I designated IPM ESSEN as a be-there event for the sector. The past days have shown that IPM ESSEN has more than done justice to its reputation as an important place for encounters and networking. It is precisely the many small and often spontaneous appointments and discussions on our ZVG booth which provide me with information and inspiration,” said Jürgen Mertz, President of the Central Horticultural Association (ZVG).
In the Horticultural Info Centre in Hall 1A, ZVG as well as the Rhineland and Westphalia- Lippe State Horticultural Associations provided comprehensive information about their ranges on offer and introduced the new image campaign entitled “Naturally Beautiful Moments” and the campaign for canvassing the up-and-coming generation called “Gardeners. Fit for the Future.” At IPM ESSEN, the green associations took up not only the problems associated with the demographic change but also the decline in the number of applicants for training places in the green sector. On the Training Day, they addressed the subject of starting in an occupation.
The Future Starts Now – Focus on Young Customers
The new FDF World in the Green City in Hall 1A was a meeting place for florists from all around the world. With an innovative booth concept, the Trade Association of German Florists (FDF) introduced floristry to interested trade visitors. “In the new FDF World, an open-minded, modern Trade Association of German Florists which made its visitors enthusiastic about successful flower marketing with a lot of new ideas and strong inspirations has presented itself to the national and international trade public. In our showrooms, we have displayed the newest floristry trends in interior worlds. Great attention was attracted by the innovative Floral Future Lab in which we have addressed the subject of the perspectives and expectations of young customers in relation to the specialist trade. For the sector, this is resulting in valuable suggestions and inspirations. On the show stage, top international designers introduced themselves with their flowery presentations. This wide spectrum portraying the association has aroused the enthusiasm of our guests,” was the assessment made by the FDF President Helmuth Prinz.
The programme on the show stage attracted outstanding numbers of visitors on all the days. Germany’s champion florist Marcel Schulz whom FDF was nominated to take part in the European Cup of Florists in Genoa, Italy, in April 2016 set off a sparkling display of bouquets in front of an enthusiastic public. Together with Mehmet Yilmaz who took the fifth place in the World Cup of Florists and the top-class florist Elisabeth Schoenemann, he showed a programme of highly topical bouquets for the forthcoming Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day. The creative “Florists Group for Floral Design” from North Rhine-Westphalia inspired the trade visitors with its close-tonature floral design ideas under the motto of “Arranged, Potted and Planted” for the spring. In the highlight show entitled “IPM Worldwide”, international trainers of florists presented insights into the philosophy of their teaching. In the Projects and Cooperation exhibition area, FDF invited the visitors to a completely newly presented showroom called “just chrys”. Here, the multitalent chrysanthemum presented itself in a wide range diversity. For the first time at IPM ESSEN, FDF showed the current flower trends in 2016 in the trend atmospheres called “connect the story”, “more is more”, “reconsider space” and “the world beyond”.
“Transformation” was the motto of this year’s creative competition for the IPM Fair Cup 2016. With her best overall performance, Sabrina Holz from “Prinz Blumen” in Mönchengladbach decided this attractive competition in Hall 6.1. Radko Chapov from the Justus von Liebig College in Hanover created the best bouquet with the maximum 100 points. Bärbel Grzenia from “Blumen für Dich” in Borken won the competition for the best decorative potted plant. Jasmin Jäger from the “Floral Design Store” in Bad Neuenahr- Ahrweiler secured the first place in the Tub Planting Arrangement category.
Supporting Programme Received Top Marks
Outside the fair halls, too, IPM ESSEN offered its visitors an informative supporting programme which went down very well. On the Wednesday, THE GREEN CITY Foundation staged an information forum especially for town planners, tree nursery gardeners, garden and landscape architects as well as municipal decision takers. Under the motto of “Green Future – Cities Need New Product Choices”, it was discussed how tomorrow’s cities can be provided with green spaces and what contribution plants can make to a good inner-city climate.
What chances does the horticultural sector offer in Great Britain? On the Thursday of the fair, experts provided information about this at the International Horticultural Forum which was organised by the Representation of interests of the German horticulture industry (INDEGA), the Ulmer Publishing House and Messe Essen. At the same time, the event offered the ideal platform in order to establish contacts with partners from Great Britain.