How to make an International Horticultural Expo a success for business, commerce, community and visitors were addressed at the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) International Expo Conference on the 18th September, in Padova, Italy.
Keynote speaker Mr. Kees van Rooij, former Mayor of Horst aan de Maas, in the region of Floriade 2012 in Venlo, spoke about why the Floriade was so important for the region and how an Expo can be used as part of city development. He reported that the significant investment in infrastructure for Floraide has continued to boast development in industry, commerce, education and international relations within the region. Mr. Rooij said that “Floraide was a ‘cradle-to-cradle’ project that has created a legacy to benefit future generations to come.”
Addressing the challenge of achieving early financial success from an Expo, Mr. Vincenzo Grassi of PwC (Italy) used his experience of Expo 2015 in Milan to illustrate the importance of investment planning. This includes creating strong partner engagement and brand recognition to secure private sector support which can often be more reliable than that from public institutions and can be a real engine for success.
Ms. Hanim Dur of Green Cities, Turkey presented a project carried out for AIPH to create an Expo archive of previously held Expos and a database of international Expo contacts. The project will provide an invaluable tool for anyone planning an. The database will be accessible to AIPH-approved Expos only.
Mr. John Boon of ARCADIS spoke on the importance of clear communication and strong cooperation between landscape architects and grounds maintenance staff to ensure the highest standards for a planted landscape are maintained throughout the duration of an Expo and to maximise the visitor experience.
In the afternoon, progress reports were presented on forthcoming AIPH-approved Expos and exhibitions from the event organisers of Beijing (2019), Qatar (2021), Almere (2022), Lodz (2024), Hatay (2021), Turkey (2021), Yangzhou (2021), Nantes (2019) and Taichung which opens this November.
The full-day conference, held as part of the AIPH 70th Annual Congress, was opened by AIPH President Bernard Oosterom who said, “This event plays an important part in the organisation’s role to fulfill its duties in regulating international horticultural Expos and brings together event organisers from around the world.” Approximately 80 delegates involved in organising horticultural Expos attended the conference which was hosted by Flormart and supported by AIPH member the Italian Nursery Stock Exporters Association (ANVE).
