Green networkworking platform

The IPM International Horticultural Fair from 28 – 31 January 2014 will better the exhibitor figures recorded this year. “We expect to achieve a slight increase in all segments,” said Egon Galinnis, managing director of Messe Essen, at a press conference preparatory to the fair. Present in Essen in January 2013 were 1 537 exhibitors from 46 nations. Once again the product categories will include plants and flowers, floristry, horticultural engineering, equipment for producers and dealers, and services too. Galinnis once again emphasised the internationality of the exhibitors, along with the diversity of the products at the fair. In the area of technology alone there will be 24 nations displaying their products. A first-time participant in this sector is India. Guatemala will again be present in 2014 after a break, as will Turkey, which is taking part with a group stand. Taiwan, Hungary, Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands are all planning to extend their group stands. Described by Galinnis as “special added value” for exhibitors and visitors is the event’s function as a networking platform, since in his words “the IPM illustrates the entire value-added chain”. That is why international organisations such as the European DIY Retail Association (Edra) and the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) make use of the IPM as a meeting place. He also put the internationalisation strategy of the IPM in this context, with its offshoots in Dubai, Russia, China and now India as well. “We open up completely new markets for our exhibitors,” he said in explanation of the strategy. At a first glance and going by its exhibitor figures, IPM 2014 would seem not to have suffered from the difficult situation in the industry this year. Though the fact that more foreign exhibitors are thronging to the fair is being interpreted as indicating that they absolutely want to get into the German market. “The IPM is getting more international, which also shows how important the German market is,” said Jürgen Merz, president of the ZVG (the German federation of horticulture). He reported that the year had been a catastrophic one for horticulturists, a situation that has affected the sector throughout Europe. Download: