The 32nd edition of trade fair GrootGroenPlus, which was held from 5 – 7 October
in Zundert, attracted a lot of visitors. People from 27 countries visited the stands of
235 participants, divided over three coloured routes of more than one kilometre in
total. Outside, the technology area was also completely filled.
This year’s theme, Grounded, was very well expressed in the different parts of the
program and the decoration of the stands. On top of that, GGP is the start of a new
season. At GrootGroenPlus, people have a chance to meet informally and in a
pleasant way, while they exchange important information. It is a must for everyone
involved with the tree nursery industry in Europe.
Awards and medals
This year, a number awards and medals were handed out. All award ceremonies
can be seen via the app, the website, and the YouTube-channel. The website also
shows some photo albums. As a result of the regular novelty inspections, 10 medals
were awarded; 8 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. New was the first edition of
the Green Grand Prix, which gave plants the opportunity to get an A, B, or C
classification based on their cultivation performance. Two KVBC awards were
presented based on the field inspections. And winners were appointed for the stand
prizes; the Zunderts Groen Imago Prijs, the Jac Lodders Award, and the Jan van
Dongen Award.
A lot of attention from the press
The press was also very present at the trade fair. The Dutch press was well
represented, and the international press also responded very well to the package
press tours. Members of the press from Germany, Poland, France, Sweden, Ireland,
Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy, England, and Belgium, among others, were
present and were very inspired by the trade fair and the internal and external press
tours. The coming period, we will see the results of that inspiration in multiple
(inter)national media outlets. Members of the press who were not able to attend the
trade fair will receive all the required information and images.
Besides the attention from the regular press, the trade fair also got a lot of digital
attention and attention on social media. In the run-up to the trade fair and during
the fair, the social media attention exploded, mainly due to the many participants
and enthusiastic visitors. The trade fair offered a very positive feel in a reluctant
market.
Number of visitors comparable to 2021
The number of visitors was comparable to 2021, and very satisfying. A total of 27
per cent came from abroad. For the first time, more people visited the trade fair on
Friday than on Wednesday. 28 per cent of the total number of visitors was present
on Wednesday, 40 per cent on Thursday, and 32 per cent on Friday.
The visitors came from 27 different countries, mainly England, Spain, Poland,
Italy, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and France.
Among this year’s visitors were a lot of producers, traders, and people from the
technical industry. The number of visitors from Governments and Garden Centres
also increased compared to other years. Over half of the visitors indicated to be
owner of a company, followed by a large group of buyers.
A lot of appreciation
Once again, the trade fair was really appreciated by many people. Because of the
program, but also because of the timing. GGP has shown that a trade fair by and for
tree nurseries remains important at the beginning of the season. The optimistic
feeling that is really characteristic for tree nurseries really shows itself here. It is a
great trade fair, with pleasant networking opportunities for participants and their
customers, and actually all those in attendance.
GrootGroenPlus influences the industry by enabling professionals to meet each
other in a short period of time, which helps them kick off the new season with a
bang.
Registration for 2023 is open
Even though the physical edition of the trade fair has ended, GrootGroenPlus is still
going strong. It is the start of the season, the place where the complete (available)
assortment of plants can be seen. And that is certainly the case for the next few
weeks. The assortment of the participants will be accessible for a few more weeks
in the trade fair app. You can also find it on the website, next to the shopping cart,
under ‘Actual offer’. All routes have also been filmed and it is possible to watch a
replay. Finally, the extended participant profiles will be accessible through the
website and the app until the end of the year. You can easily use this as a phone and
information guide.
If you want to make sure you have a spot at the 33rd edition, please feel free to
register for GrootGroenPlus 2023. Next year, the trade fair will be hosted in
Zundert (NL) from 4 – 6 October. A few dozen participants have already registered
in the past few days.
