Glee organisers i2i Events have confirmed that next year’s show will run from Monday to Wednesday.

Many Glee 2014 exhibitors had complained about poor Sunday attendance.

Subsequent feedback “clearly points to a widely supported view that Sunday is no longer an essential day for those attending the show,” said I2i, “and that a weekday-only format offers greater flexibility and a stronger platform for business to be done for both exhibitors and visitors”.

But not all retailers agree. Edward Boult of Tenterden Gaden Centre commented: "Almost all garden retailers I've spoken to prefer Sunday as travel time is much faster and you can actually get on the stands and talk to the relevant people... I can understand why suppliers like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday due partly due to cost savings but in reality there are less and less buyers in the industry with more centres being taken over by groups so visitor numbers are unlikely to rise, thus there will always be quiet times during the three days ... unless Glee merges with the Autumn Fair!"

Andy Bunker of Alton Garden Centre emailed: "Oh well...that's another night's hotel to sort out."

Glee’s event manager, Matthew Mein said Glee’s opening days have been a part of an ongoing debate for many years.  “In 2014 we tackled a number of vital aspects, and believe that the changes that were made have kick-started a period of regeneration for the show, whilst also creating a vibrant and revitalised platform for business,” he continued.

 “The change to a weekday show provides the opportunity to deliver a number of additional benefits, most notably the potential for an increase in visitor numbers, and additional flexibility for those who visit - including when they attend, how many team members they can bring with them, and how long they stay at the show. This latter benefit was certainly a trend which emerged in 2014, in that more people were staying at the show for longer.”

Four hundred more people revisited the show on the Tuesday this year compared to 2013, whilst attendance on the Monday was also up year-on-year. Mein said he had no doubt an additional weekday would enable this trend to continue.

Glee 2014 — scores highly

Echoing the positive feedback received from the garden retail industry, i2i have also confirmed that the 2014 show’s Net Promoter Score increased by 41 points year-on-year. Net Promoter is considered the worldwide standard for organisations to measure, understand, and improve their customer experience. Respondents praised Glee for its revised format and improved layout, the customer experience, facilities and educational platforms and overall benefit to their businesses.

Information www.gleebirmingham.com. 

For details on exhibiting at Glee, call 0203 033 2160