GIMA's latest Buyer Connect event has been hailed a resounding success, bringing together selected member suppliers with the buying team from The Tillington Group for a day of focused commercial conversations, new connections and future business opportunities.

Held at Squires Garden Centre, Badshot Lea, the event saw suppliers take part in a series of dedicated 25-minute one-to-one meetings with Tillington's buying team, discussing everything from innovative new products and future ranging opportunities through to dropship solutions and routes to market.

Building on the growing success of GIMA's Buyer Connect programme, the event once again demonstrated the value of creating meaningful introductions away from the distractions of a busy trade show, allowing both buyers and suppliers the time to explore genuine commercial opportunities.

Mark Farnsworth, Managing Director, Yorkshire Garden Centre Group (part of the Tillington Group), said: "We met 20 suppliers throughout the day. There were one or two that we trade with, but the majority were potential new suppliers and there were some really interesting conversations.

"When you attend trade shows like Glee, the focus is inevitably on the main supply base, so to have a day which was dedicated to other suppliers was really useful. We look forward to following up with several of these suppliers and taking things forward into next season.  The day was also extremely well organised, and we'd like to pass on our thanks to the GIMA team for all their efforts."

New conversations, new opportunities

Suppliers were equally enthusiastic about the format, highlighting the value of having dedicated time with key retail decision-makers, the quality of the conversations held throughout the day and the opportunities the event created to showcase their businesses.

Brian Gardner, Director at Multi-Sharp Tools, said: "Thanks for the opportunity to present our range to Tillington. We're keen to expand our sales within garden centres, and it's often difficult to get in front of buyers. The Tillington Group Buyer Connect gave us a fantastic opportunity to meet face to face, something I doubt we would have been able to achieve on our own."

Alexandra Mangan, General Manager at GreenKey Garden & Home, echoed these sentiments, adding: "The event, and others like it, have been invaluable for us. They have put us in front of buyers who have a genuine interest in our business."

Commenting on the success of the day, Martin Ward, Director of GIMA, also added: "Buyer Connect continues to go from strength to strength and this event was another fantastic example of what can be achieved when you bring the right people together. The conversations taking place throughout the day were exactly what these events are designed to facilitate – commercially focused discussions that have the potential to develop into long-term partnerships.

"We're incredibly grateful to the Tillington buying team for giving so generously of their time, and to our members for embracing the opportunity with such enthusiasm. The feedback we've received from both sides has been overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing the importance of creating dedicated opportunities for buyers and suppliers to connect away from the pressures of a traditional exhibition environment.

"Providing these types of commercial opportunities remains one of GIMA's core priorities, and we're already looking forward to delivering further Buyer Connect events for our members in the months ahead."

More opportunities on the horizon

The Tillington Group Buyer Connect follows a series of successful GIMA buyer engagement initiatives and forms part of the association's ongoing commitment to helping members develop new retail relationships, unlock fresh commercial opportunities and support long-term business growth.

With further Buyer Connect events in the pipeline, alongside exclusive buyer meeting programmes at Glee 2026, GIMA continues to expand the opportunities available to members to place their products directly in front of key retail decision-makers.

For further information about GIMA and its wide range of member benefits, please contact the GIMA Press Office on (01959) 564947 or info@gima.org.uk