The HTA have confirmed their ongoing support for Glee with a new three-year agreement.

Matthew Mein, Glee’s event manager said: “The expertise that they, as an association, can bring to the show is invaluable and will help us to further develop Glee’s role as the key annual event for the garden industry. Glee has gone through a number of changes ahead of the 2014 show, and having the HTA’s ongoing support has been vital in many aspects of this development.  I believe having the HTA by our side for the next three years will enable us to further strengthen Glee’s long-term future as the unrivalled annual platform for the garden industry to meet, do business, share retailing best practice and address the key issues that are facing us all.”  

This new agreement will see Glee and the HTA work closely together to share and develop ideas that will benefit both Glee’s audience and HTA members.  From improved access and support around attending Glee, to increased visibility at the show, this renewed partnership is designed to add value across the board.

Carol Paris, chief executive at the HTA said: “Glee remains the foremost UK trade event for manufacturers and suppliers of garden goods and equipment, and as such we felt it was vital to ensure that the HTA and its members maintains a close working relationship with the show. I look forward to working with the team over the coming years, to build a bigger, brighter future for Glee and our members.”

There are a number of HTA-supported features at Glee 2014.  As in previous years, the HTA will be driving the content within Glee’s dedicated seminar theatre.  Key themes for discussion will include attracting younger audiences to garden centres, the customer experience, and what will the garden centre of 2020 look like.

New for 2014 will be the inclusion of the HTA CRoP (cost reduction) programme, which entitles HTA members to huge savings through the arrangements set up with a range of partner organisations. From insurance and utilities to telecoms and PR services, the deals are there to be optimised. To find out more, interested parties should visit the HTA stand (hall 20, stand F10) to meet a number of these partners, including 2 Circles, Alpha Packaging, Barclaycard, Cardway Cartons Ltd, Citation, Ecovision, Fedden USP, Fuel Card People, Garden Radio, Cadantis/Energy Centric (HTA Utilities), Ice Cream World, Paskett PR, PHP (HTA Healthcare Services), Salepoint, Specialist Waste Recycling (SWR), Towergate Allseasons (HTA Insurance Services).

Completing the offering will be the HTA’s sponsorship of the newly introduced Leaders for Change lunch.  This exclusive event, backed also by GIMA, has been set up to bring together the gardening sector’s most dynamic supplier and retail CEOs and association figureheads. This year’s event will feature Homebase’s Paul Loft as keynote speaker.

For comprehensive Glee 2014 news, don't miss the Glee Daily News e-newsletter piublished by GTN Xtra. Click on this link.