The first edition of the PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt fair, which took place on 24 and 25 August, was a major success. The largest garden plant event in Europe attracted visitors from all over Europe and far beyond.

Exhibitors were very enthusiastic about the fair’s new layout, its green look and the pleasant atmosphere in which to do business and make new contacts: “It was the perfect climate for creating warm new business relations,” said Jerrie van Leeuwen van Addenda. Victor Hooftman was thrilled and amazed by the quality of the visitors, especially those from outside the Netherlands, and Silas Crezée from Leybaert in Belgium was impressed by every aspect of the fair. This great allround satisfaction is also evident from the number of participants who have already put their names down for participation in the spring edition of the fair, which will take place on 7 and 8 February 2023.

Lots of good visitors

Fair director Linda Hoogendoorn–Veelenturf is also very pleased with this first edition: “In spite of the hot weather the fair attracted lots of good visitors, to the great satisfaction of the exhibitors. There are of course a few lessons to be learned, but all in all it was a most successful first edition for us. In my capacity as the new fair director I was most pleasantly surprised by all the positive reactions; it’s clear that everyone’s appetite has been whetted for more,” says Linda.

The many visitors came from both within and outside the Netherlands – buyers of all the (leading) European chains of garden centres and DIY stores, exporters, growers, suppliers and media representatives.

Novelties

The fair’s focus was garden plants. At the centre of the fair was a presentation of the plants and concepts submitted for evaluation in the categories of Best KVBC (Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society) Novelty and Best Market Introduction, and the plants nominated for the Visitors’ Favourite. The winners in the first two categories were announced during the fair’s opening on Wednesday morning. They were the Wild & Inheems (Wild & Native) perennials concept of Griffioen Wassenaar from Boskoop in the first category, and the Phlox 'Olympus' (Paniculata Group) submitted by Rijnbeek and Son Perennials BV from Boskoop in cooperation with Compass Plants BV from Hillegom in the second category.

Visitors were invited to vote for their favourite novelty using a green ball system. At the end of the fair, Clematis ‘Z018179’ (PROUD MARY) produced by J. van Zoest BV from Boskoop proved to be the undisputed favourite. 

See an impression of the fair here:

Like GROEN-Direkt’s Autumn and Spring Fairs, the Green Retail Fair PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt is the ideal place for all colleagues and suppliers active in the green sector to meet one another. The next edition will take place on 7 and 8 February 2023, coinciding with GROEN-Direkt’s Spring Fair. The fair will be held in and around the GROEN-Direkt hall at the International Trade Centre in Hazerswoude/Boskoop, the Netherlands. More information can be found on the websitehttps://plantariumgroendirekt.nl/?lang=en.