As Glee celebrates 50 years, members of the industry and GTN readers over the past four months have been nominating their suggestions for Glee's 50 Year Hero's.  Now, the nomination lists are closed and open for voting by GTN and Glee Daily News readers until midnight on Tuesday 3rd September 2024 with the results being announced at 5:00pm on The Stage at Glee on Tuesday 10th September, just before the Glee New Product Awards.

• Most Influential Person of the past 50 years, vote here
• The Character of Glee's 50 years, vote here
• Hero Product of the past 50 years, vote here
• Hero Plant of the past 50 years, vote here

The nominations are, in alphabetical order:

Most Influential Person of the past 50 years

• John Ashley - one of the sales and marketing brains behind the launch of Miracle Gro in the UK
• Edward Conroy – responsible for the launch and growth of Westland Horticulture
• Brian Evans – former Chairman of Wyevale Garden Centres who engineered the massive expansion of Wyevale Garden Centres to become the largest garden centre group in the 90's
• Warren Haskins – founder of Haskins Garden Centres and Hobbycraft, past HTA and GCA Chair
• Nigel Long - took the multi-faceted Longacres business to the top of the turnover charts, inspiring many others and earning plaudits from suppliers.
• Nicholas Marshall – headed up Wyevale, Country Homes and Gardens, The Garden Centre Group and Dobbies
• Paris Natar – famed for the growth of Gardman and now Smart Garden Products
• Caroline Owen – owner of Scotsdales Garden Centres, past HTA Chair
• John Ravenscroft – developed Bridgemere Garden Centre into a leading centre and plant supplier
• Alan Roper – developed Blue Diamond into the biggest garden centre group by turnover
• Norman Sellers – created Wildlife World and developed the wildlife care market
• Glen Sheldrake - former ops director of upmarket Burford GC before taking MD job at the equally distinctive Yarnton Garden & Home, both innovative ventures
• John Stanley – world-wide Garden Centre consultant
• Guy Topping – took garden centre retailing to a new level at Barton Grange, past GCA Chair

The Character of Glee's 50 years

• Sue Allen – Millbrook Garden Centres, Greenfingers Charity Chair, past GCA Chair
• Derek Bunker – Alton Garden Centre, a Glee perennial.  What jacket will Derek be wearing this year?
• Nick Davies – now Westland, previously Solus, once voted most popular man at Glee by GTN readers
• Michelle de Lavis-Trafford – first worked at Glee as marketing assistant, now head of Choice Marketing Group
• Boyd Douglas-Davies – first attended Glee as a schoolboy with his father, past HTA Chair, Webbs, Hillview and British Garden Centres
• Jackie Eades – ever present at Glee since forming Briers, now at Mulch/Centurion
• Simon Fox - first exhibited at Glee in 1979 and every year since including a stand this year 2024. 45 years continuous exhibiting – possibly the longest running?
• Anthony Harker – started going to Glee as Tong Garden Centre then set up Kelkay, now driving Altico forward
• Stuart Kitchen – appears in all Glee Daily News issues and GTN Glee Preview issues, has worked at every Glee across the 50-year history
• George Mold – famous for Contico personalised sprayers and his wife’s fruit cake!
• Nick Page – brought glamour to Glee with dramatic ad visuals for Town & Country
• Nigel Poyner – has chalked up more than 43 annual attendances at GLEE since his first show at just 19 years of age
• Peter Seabrook – always made the most of Glee to inform his readers in The Sun about new products and new plants
• Geoff Wooldridge – founder of Woodlodge

Hero Product of the past 50 years

• Drip Feeders
• Garden Solar Lights
• Gardman Wild Bird Care
• Harmony Gardens MP Compost
• Hozelock Connector System
• Kelkay bagged aggregates and POS
• Lotus Pebble Pool
• Miracle Gro
• Slug Gone – Wool slug pellets
• The first Gro-Bag launched by Fisons
• VegTrug
• Wildlife World Solitary Bee Hotel
• Wood Pellet BBQ grills

Hero Plant of the past 50 years

• Astrantia
• Choisya 'Sundance'
• Hebes
• Hydrangeas
• Kinder Plants
• Pre-Packed Flower bulbs
• Scabious Butterfly Blue
• Spirea Walbertons Magic Carpet
• Surfinia Petunias

• Most Influential Person of the past 50 years, vote here
• The Character of Glee's 50 years, vote here
• Hero Product of the past 50 years, vote here
• Hero Plant of the past 50 years, vote here

Voting closes at midnight on Tuesday 3rd September and the results will be announced at Glee 2024, on The Stage at 5:00pm, Tuesday 10^th September.

Glee takes place at the NEC in Birmingham, Tuesday 10th to Thursday 12th September 2024.  www.gleebirmingham.com 

As the Glee exhibition gets set to celebrate half a century at the heart of the garden retail sector, the organising team is looking for your input. In the past 50 years, Glee has seen thousands of exhibitors and visitors pass through its doors, with hundreds of thousands of new products launched since the show’s humble beginnings in 1974. To celebrate the newness and passion that have shaped Glee and the broader garden centre market during this time, the hunt is now on to find the people and product that have driven the most change over the past five decades.

Whether advocating for sustainability or using their influence to increase the reach of horticulture, many diverse people have left their mark on the world of garden retail. They might be suppliers, retailers, industry pundits, or those who have undertaken roles across the full spectrum. Whatever their role, all of them have been integral to Glee's growth, and their work has helped maintain gardening as one of the nation's best-loved pastimes.

Or perhaps the best memories of Glee involve a larger-than-life character. This person may play a starring role in Glee’s memoirs, providing endless smiles, friendly advice and happy recollections from those that knew them pacing the aisles of shows gone by.

Like the people who create them, gardening products have also generated pivotal moments of change. From finally tackling an age-old problem, formulating an innovative bestseller opportunity, opening a meaningful dialogue about gardening's impact on the planet, or simply using technology to make gardening more accessible for the modern consumer, there have been many hero products over the past half century.

Now is the time for Glee's audience to vote for their own heroes and celebrate the people and product they think have had the most impact on Glee's future and that of the garden retail sector.

Matthew Mein, Event Director at Glee, said: "The gardening world has changed so much from the early 70s, with each decade ringing in exciting new trends and innovation. Throughout all of this, Glee has maintained a constant presence, year-after-year providing a place where the garden retail sector can come together to inspire, network and educate. Now, we want to celebrate those who have left a mark in a fun and reflective look back on Glee's half-century. We're excited to see the nominations, find out the eventual winners, and are prepared for a tidal wave of nostalgia and questionable haircuts!"

How to vote:

Working in partnership with Glee's media partner, Garden Trade News, voting starts on Tuesday 20th August via GTN Xtra and Glee Daily News and closes at midnight on Tuesday 3rd September 2024.

• Most Influential Person of the past 50 years, vote here
• The Character of Glee's 50 years, vote here
• Hero Product of the past 50 years, vote here
• Hero Plant of the past 50 years, vote here

Glee connects the garden industry to inspire change, drive growth, and promote innovation. To find out more or to register your interest in exhibiting, please visit www.gleebirmingham.com or call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.