British horticulture will be the focus of the 2023 edition of IPM Essen, the world's leading horticulture trade fair, the Commercial Horticultural Association is delighted to announce.

From 24 to 27 January 2023, the United Kingdom will be the official country partner of the world's leading trade fair for horticulture.

UK companies specialising in plants, technology and equipment will come to Messe Essen to present themselves and their products on the British pavilion, which promises to be a valuable additional visitor draw for the participating exhibitors.

A host of special events is being arranged to celebrate the expertise and innovation of the UK commercial horticulture sector, including a reception featuring British food and drink, English and Scottish music, feature planting displays at the show entrances and a wealth of information about the UK’s commercial horticulture sector from the CHA team on the UK pavilion.

The International Horticultural Forum at the exhibition will provide insights from UK experts into current developments in the green sector in Great Britain.

The Commercial Horticultural Association will be in charge of the preparations and activities surrounding the partner country appearance, supported by the British Department for International Trade (DIT) and the British Embassy.

"The CHA is proud to be working with the organisers of IPM ESSEN in representing Great British horticulture in 2023. As the partner country for this important international show we are promoting the expertise, diversity and innovative technology that Great Britain can bring to the world and commercial horticulture. We look forward to a very busy show and showcasing what Britain does best,” says Pat Flynn, Trade Association Manager of CHA.

The UK produces a wide range of horticultural products. Many new plants will be travelling to Essen: among them, Whetman Plants International is launching two compact, fragrant, bee-friendly and drought-tolerant Choisya at the show: Choisya x dewitteana 'Little Bee' PBR and Choisya x dewitteana 'Little Honey Bee' PBR. New compact clematis cultivars from the Raymond J Evison programme such as 'The Duchess of Cornwall Evipo118', 'TsukikoTM Evipo110', 'RavelTM Evipo122', 'IsseyTM Evipo081' and 'PoseidonTM Evipo113' will be shown by Guernsey Clematis Nursery.

The exhibitor Fairweather's Nurseries from the English county of Hampshire specialises in growing Agapanthus. The assortment comprises more than 50 varieties and these will be presented at the exhibition.

In addition to plants, trade visitors can also expect innovations in the field of technology and equipment: from environmentally-friendly and growth-promoting reusable pots from Caledonian Trees to cost-effective LED lighting solutions especially for horticulture from INDO Lighting; from customisable labels, packaging and sales materials from PPC Labels to sustainably produced gardening supplies from Tyne Moulds & Machinery.

Andrea Hölker, Project Manager of IPM ESSEN, confirms: "We are very pleased that Great Britain will be the partner country of the next IPM ESSEN and will put its horticulture in the focus. As the world's leading trade fair, we are pleased to making a valuable contribution to networking within the international green sector."

The German-English International Horticultural Forum at 14.00 on 26 January 2023 offers a prime opportunity for this. Presentations by British and German experts will shed light on current industry topics. Visitors will gain a detailed insight into British horticulture and have the opportunity to talk directly to the speakers. Panelists include Raymond J. Evison of Guernsey Clematis Nursery, Patrick Fairweather of Fairweather's Nurseries and Matt Appleby, editor of Horticulture Week, the UK's leading horticultural magazine.

Official visits to the UK pavilion are planned as part of the partner country presentation. On the first day of the fair, the pavilion will be a stop on the opening tour with industry representatives from business and politics.

The CHA will also invite a delegation of British growers to IPM ESSEN 2023.

Entertainment typical of the country will also be provided, including live British music.

Information on exhibiting and promotional opportunities for UK companies are available from the CHA secretariat at lydia@cha-hort.com or from Pat Flynn, Trade Association Manager at pat@cha-hort.com or 07778 313623.