The dates for Bloom 2012 have been confirmed for 31st of May to the 4th of June. If you fancy your chances as a garden designer then the Bloom 2012 Garden Designers Workshop is not to be missed. The application for receipt of entries is December 1st 2011. It should not be a vanity project! It is also not just about creating and submitting a great design. You have got to know how to find the right sponsor/partner and then know how to market your participation at Bloom in order that you and your sponsor can reap the rewards both pre and post event, for your own businesses. The Bloom team through this event will be offering assistance in all of these areas.
A large contract worth €1million for the landscaping & redevelopment of Fairview park was awarded to a Northern Ireland company this week. A total of 8 companies applied for the contract. The only one not from the south of Ireland won it. I wondered was there an underlying competition issue but after some research found that the answer may a little bit simpler. Civil engineering contractors both north and south of the border are becoming ever more competitive in an area that was traditionally left to the professional landscape contractor sector. The professional landscape sector is coming under pressure from the top and bottom end of the market and needs to find its niche where it can deliver a quality project while still winning contracts on competitive pricing. The work of the professional associations will become ever more important in the communications exercise that has to be ongoing between the profession and the general public outlining the real advantages that they have, over other offerings in the marketplace.
The GIY Ireland movement is putting their recent win of €200,000 to good use and goes from strength to strength as they spread their wings to the UK having already penetrated as far away as Australia. They also plan to launch a GIY magazine which will create another print advertising opportunity to that sector of the market which has currently only been catered for by The Irish Garden.
TCD Botanical society are showing the Avatar movie for anyone interested in plant identification. Whoever said horticulture can’t be fun?
2014 has the makings of a big year for horticulture in Ireland with the GCAI to Host World Congress and the World Association of Floral Arrangers event happening too. There is an opportunity around both these events to promote Irish companies and it will be important for the development agencies to plan for and capitalise on both events. It is an opportunity for all interested sectors in the trade to put our best foot forward to assist both associations however best we can.
Thank you,
Joseph (Editor at HortiTrends)
