Summer is fast approaching and as homeowners around the UK start planning for social gatherings and alfresco dining, Glee - the International Festival for Garden, Leisure, and Pet will be embracing the outdoor living trend with ideas and inspiration for 2024.
Taking place at the Birmingham NEC from the 27th to 29th of June, the halls at Glee will once again be home to exhibitors showcasing the latest designs in BBQs, inspirational furniture styles, and material and outdoor lifestyle influences within the dedicated Outdoor Entertaining sector. Glee's late June timing is designed to offer significant benefits to buyers, with thousands of existing and new products exclusively launching at the show together providing the perfect opportunity for buyers to preview the latest collections and place orders for the upcoming gardening season. With summer right around the corner, Glee is also the first opportunity within the 2023 buying calendar to source outdoor furniture, garden heaters, and decorative items or finalise top-up orders for immediate delivery into store.
The power of the outdoors
There is no doubt that the outdoor living movement has exploded recently as outdoor spaces have been embraced with new interests. Gardens have become, more than ever, a place to relax, escape, work, eat, exercise, and play. Recent research by YouGov for the HTA (2021) revealed that nearly half of UK households (42%) use their gardens to entertain family or friends with garden parties and barbecues. The HTA also showed that sales in the outdoor living department at garden centres were 19.88% up in 2022 compared to 2021, indicating that this momentum is showing no signs of stopping.
Indoor and outdoor merged rooms
Furniture and accessories have blurred the lines between indoors and out, adding comfort and style by effectively creating zones while maintaining an open look and uninterrupted view of the garden and beyond.
Emotive design forms the foundations of Glee exhibitor Bizzotto’s brand philosophy and furniture collections. With a commitment to high quality, sustainability, and beauty, its three furniture brands, “Yes”, “Bizzotto Outdoor” and “Homemotion” will take centre stage. Tramontina has all retailers need to sell the stylish and versatile al fresco dining dream, from beautifully understated bistro sets to loungers which create individual and comfortable areas to relax in. Hex Living will also be creating the perfect outdoor room with its contemporary garden furniture ranging from loungers to storage solutions.
Social hotspots
Fire pits, chimineas, log burners and patio heaters have proven to be the must-have garden accessory and that trend is set to continue into next year as people enjoy their gardens for longer. According to an Amazon survey, 32% of people plan to buy a fire pit in 2023, making it a popular outdoor cooking and heating appliance.
Pinnacle Agri is a newcomer to Glee and its showstopping product is the Firestorm Patio Heaters which use eco-friendly wood pellets to create a dazzling, smokeless flame within a glass tube, perfect for those that like the modern aesthetic. Fandango Products will be bringing back its safe and easy-to-use Kindling Cracker firewood splitters. They are also the UK distributor for Espegard's fire pans and accessories, which with their simple and functional design for warmth and cooking will win over fire pit lovers everywhere.
Al fresco dining
The overall barbecue and alfresco eating market in 2021 were worth just over £2.2 billion, with the UK hosting around 165 million barbecues in the same year. And with the cost-of-living crisis affecting many, garden dining and cooking remains a fashionable and cheaper alternative to a visit to the local pub or restaurant. Campingaz has enhanced outdoor cooking experiences throughout the UK and beyond and will continue to inspire both retailers and consumers through its barbecue range at the show. Blackstone Europe will give retailers the opportunity to sell outdoor cooking experiences for large groups or families with its griddles and barbecue accessories. Elsewhere, household names such as Kamado Joe, Landmann and Primo Grills can all be found within Glee Outdoor Entertaining, featuring what the latest innovations from these market leaders.
Dudley-based Midtherm and Glee newcomers Gozney will also be bringing their ranges of pizza ovens to capitalise on the soar in popularity of outdoor cooking.
Garden Decor
Poppy Forge is bringing its British-designed and made garden products to the Outdoor Living sector including plant supports, arches, obelisks, garden art and boot care products.
Primus will be returning to the show to showcase its leading homeware, gifting, and garden décor brand. From its Wallace & Gromit sculpture range to wind chimes and hangers, outdoor clocks, and metal wall art they will offer customers garden decor with quality pieces that draw the eye and elevate an outdoor space.
Illuminated spaces
The craze for solar garden lights has seen consumers extend their garden time after the sun goes down. Solar lighting can enhance a garden or outdoor space, giving it a wonderful, cosy ambience as well as practical illumination for outdoor areas that need a lift. Nordlux’s range of lights can be used beyond the garden to illuminate the front door, driveway, and garage, as well as balconies and terraces. Forum Lighting Solutions is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of lighting and radiant heaters are an energy-saving solution to keep the garden warm after dark.
Eco-Friendly
The sustainable garden industry has seen a huge boom - with more and more eco-savvy consumers opting for eco-friendly materials for their outdoor living accessories. Dr Heat will showcase its eco-friendly firelighters produced exclusively from recycled candle wax and shredded Miscanthus grass, grown in the South West of England. BCB’s International’s FireDragon - Eco-Friendly Fire Lighters, made from rotten vegetable matter, will appeal to fire and flame lovers who don’t want to harm the planet.
Matthew Mein, Event Director at Glee said: “Consumers are increasingly focusing on improving their outside spaces, with recent statistics supporting the growth of the outdoor living industry. Increasing choices, a newfound love of the garden and budget-friendly options made available by retailers are making outdoor entertainment more affordable and accessible for consumers. At Glee 2023 those exhibitors that make up the Outdoor Entertaining sector will together showcase the latest trends and products that will help to drive growth in the industry this year and beyond, whilst enabling buyers to better plan their buying and merchandising strategies ahead of the peak summer season.”
Find out more
Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focusing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories. To keep up to date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com. To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2023, which will take place June 27th – 29th, please call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.
Don’t miss Glee Fire, Grill & Chill
For the second year in a row, many of these outdoor heating solutions, barbeques and firepits will be in action within Glee’s dedicated Fire, Grill and Chill area. Relocated to a prime location at the front of the NEC near the Hall 6-8 and Hall 20 entrances, this area will be the go-to place for leisure buyers to source 2024 ranges, as well as provide the backdrop to the Glee Party on Tuesday 27th June, to which all exhibitors and visitors are invited.
