When the coming spoga+gafa invites guests to the Cologne exhibition halls from 16 to 18 June 2024, the focus will be on the green industry's responsibility for co-shaping a sustainable and healthy environment.
The world's largest garden and BBQ trade fair is picking up on the current challenges and developments of the industry with its new key topic "Responsible Gardens". As such, as an international platform spoga+gafa is also always a trend barometer.
We are taking an initial look at the corresponding trends and what responsibility means in the individual trade fair segments garden living and garden unique, garden creation and care as well as garden bbq.
Outdoor living: Comfort for all and new naturalness
The garden has many functions: It is an area for leisure activities, a meeting point for the family and friends as well as an area of recreation and place of retreat. Outdoor areas have to be designed to suit all generations for all of these activities. Outdoor living should be as pleasant as possible for the young and old. Outdoor furniture, sunshades or garden tools that are functionally optimised and easy to operate are thus conquering the outdoor space. Responsible design makes garden life easier: Ergonomically shaped seating furniture, age-appropriate sunbeds, planting tables for children or modular sofas that can be put together to suit the requirements and budget are just some examples of added comfort outdoors.
At the same time, outdoor life is being characterised by a new naturalness. Garden furniture with rounded, organic shapes and made from natural, regrowing raw materials like rattan, bamboo or real wood lend terraces and balconies an authentic character. Metal or plastic are often enhanced by natural materials with a warm appearance. Grasses and plants, bees and butterflies are popular motifs for garden accessories, for instance on cushions, carpets or lamps. Vertical plant systems turn even the tiniest of balconies into green open air oases, whilst lush hanging plants revitalise interior spaces.
Garden care: Regional diversity and continuity in change
The plants in the "green living room" should be as natural as possible today as well. The garden industry offers seeds from domestic regions for example, for all those who love vibrant and species-rich nature. Regional wild and pollinating plants are enjoying growing popularity in the home garden. They are not only decorative, but also good for the preservation of biodiversity. Furthermore, domestic wild herbs, fruit and vegetables are being grown more frequently for the purpose of self-sufficiency. To ensure they flourish there is meanwhile a wide range of biological fertilisers and environmentally-friendly products for the garden work. In this way, thanks to a growing awareness for one's own green environment, the regionality of seeds and plants is sustainably maintained.
In order to combat the climate change and its consequences, handling water in the garden is being rethought too. With a view to extreme weather phenomena like ongoing droughts, plants that are easy to grow and more heat-resistant are increasingly being grown. When there is no regular rainfall, in addition to water-conserving plants, digitally-controlled irrigation systems that save water and biological water treatment prove to be forward-looking solutions. As an alternative to the classic, high water consumption swimming pool, natural pools or swimming ponds can be constructed.
Grills and BBQs: More possibilities and digital precision
Responsible design means more possibilities for the users. In the BBQ section, diversity increases the fields of application of new appliances. The current bbq models can cook almost anything from the minute steak, to pulled pork, through to pizza. All-round talents like ceramic grills offer diverse preparation options and are suitable for cooking, baking and smoking. What's more, new accessories can be put together individually and combined with grill appliances of different brands. In addition, newer grills can be easily integrated into the outdoor kitchens of other manufacturers or simply converted from a stand-up grill into a table grill.
The increased demands in responsible consumption are also making electric grills more and more attractive. Above all, they offer a clean bbq alternative in the urban environment. Current models have increased the efficiency and can reach temperatures of up to 500°C. With a digital precision temperature the grilled food can be cooked to perfection at the push of a button. Compact models for the balcony also offer many functions today like steaming vegetables or fast browning. There are even purely electric pizza ovens for small outdoor areas. Gadgets like app-controlled thermometers or USB ports for charging Smartphones make the bbq enjoyment with a power supply also attractive for the younger generation.
About spoga+gafa
spoga+gafa is the largest garden and BBQ trade fair in the world. As an international value-adding theme platform at the location in Cologne, it sets impulses for the entire garden world. At the leading global trade fair, the green industry talks about the line-ups and trends of the coming season and presents solutions for current and future challenges. The focus of spoga+gafa lies on trends and innovations from the sections garden bbq, garden creation & care, garden living and garden unique. The unique range of offerings turns the trade fair into the place-to-be for the purchasing managers of all trading forms. The Industry Garden Association e.V. (IVG) is the industry sponsor of spoga+gafa.
The coming edition of spoga+gafa is being staged in Cologne from 16 to 18 June 2024 under the key theme "Responsible Gardens". To learn more about the event, visit www.spogagafa.com.
Koelnmesse – Global Inspiration for Living, Contract and Public Spaces
Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for the areas of Living, Contract and Public Spaces.
At the trade fair hub of Cologne, in addition to imm cologne and interzum, other trade fair formats such as LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, FSB and aquanale are among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the interior and design segment, the furniture and interior construction industries' supplying sections, the kitchen world, all topics for the modern working world, garden lifestyle as well as public space, sports and leisure facilities and also sauna, pool and ambiente.
In addition to the events in Cologne, Koelnmesse is strategically expanding its portfolio in key growth markets around the globe like with the successful shows ORGATEC TOKYO in Japan, interzum bogota in Colombia and interzum guangzhou in China and interzum forum italy.
Further information: https://www.spogagafa.com/trade-fair/spoga-gafa-2024/industry-trade-fairs/
