Growth for Glee

Glee is regarded as the annual meeting-place for the international world of garden and leisure in the United Kingdom. This year the three-day event will occupy ten exhibition halls. Whereas particular attention was given to garden care, planting aids and garden equipment in the fair's early years, the range has meanwhile been extended to cover landscaping, garden care, machinery, water gardening, decoration, gifts and outdoor living, as well as the pet sector with the inclusion of Petindex.
The organisers are expecting about 28 000 visitors to this year's Glee in Birmingham.
Last year already Glee recorded an increase of nine per cent in international participants, and the organisers are expecting growth for 2005 as well. Already more exhibitors have registered in the garden care sector than last year, not least as a result of the Gafa break in Cologne. Hopes are high with regard to the potential offered by Petindex, where exhibitor registrations are up by nearly ten per cent. Which means about 300 firms are expected there.
Currently 1 700 exhibitors are expected in Birmingham, which attracted 1 625 companies last year. Where the number of visitors is concerned, the organisers are reckoning on an increase of 13 per cent to 28 000. In particular, it is hoped to double the number of buyers from abroad to at least 5 000.
The dual Glee/Petindex trade fair is divided into the following product sectors:
O Outdoor Living: furniture, barbecues, pools and play equipment
O Home & Gift: toys, gifts and home accessories
O Petindex: pet products and aquatics
O Water Gardening: water features and ponds
O Garden Care: tools, planters and accessories
O Machinery: power tools and garden machinery
O Landscaping: garden design and decoration
O Nursery: plants, trees, bushes and bulbs
O Retail Services: POS, signage, store design and displays