Green information in demand

Some 670 companies exhibited at Glee, the British garden trade fair held from 19 to 21 September in Birmingham. Information from the organisers reveals that there were 200 first-time exhibitors and 45 companies that had returned to the fair after a break. A figure of 11 149 is given for the number of visitors, who came from 48 countries. No attendance figures were published last year, but a total of some 14 500 visitors were recorded two years ago. Buyers, both from the core target group of garden centres and from the retail sector overall, though DIY companies in particular, came to obtain information about new products in the garden market.Among the items included in the supplementary programme, the “Vision 2020” paper presented by garden centre expert John Stanley attracted special attention. It dealt with the topic of independent garden centres and the challenges they will face over the next decade. Another popular feature was the Glee New Product Awards, which attracted 220 product and concept entries in eleven categories, or 20 per cent more than last year.