Horti Fair strengthens international appeal of dutch horticulture
Amsterdam, 16 October 2009 – The International Horti Fair will strengthen its focus on internationally oriented horticultural producers and thus continue the existing strategy. This was announced by the management board after the close of Horti Fair 2009, which was held in Amsterdam from 13 to 16 October. The quality of this worldwide horticultural showcase will be enhanced still further by concentrating even more attention on innovation, knowledge transfer and sustainability. ‘The favourable reactions of trade visitors and exhibitors to this shift of emphasis have reinforced our confidence in the fair,’ says managing director Wim van der Loo. The trade visitors gave the fair a rating of 7.5 out of 10, which is the same as last year.
The greater focus on producers as visitors is in keeping with the present exhibition concept. ‘The exhibitor target group that matches this visitor profile consists of suppliers of horticultural technology, parental material and services,’ continues Wim van der Loo. ‘By positioning ourselves clearly in this way, we’re responding to the internationalisation of horticulture, developments in the programme of national and international trade shows and topical issues such as sustainability and market expansion. The Horti Fair will remain first and foremost a trade and communication platform. In addition, it’s a medium for showcasing and promoting national and international horticulture. Our faith in this strategy is reflected in the fact that the dates of the fair for the next three years have already been fixed!’ The Horti Fair will be held in the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, next year from 12 to 15 October, in 2011 from 11 to 14 October and in 2012 from 9 to 12 October. The prospects for the 2010 edition look very promising: over 70% of the visitors stated they were planning to visit the next Horti Fair as well. So the exhibition theme is once again related to sustainability.
Complete
Horti Fair 2009, which had 740 participants, was more compact than previous editions, but was at least as complete as in other years. New pavilions such as the AVAG Market, for specialised contractors and fitters for greenhouse horticulture, and Career Plaza clearly met a need for knowledge transfer. Both participants and visitors showed increased interest in the Breeders’ Market (specialised in parental material and plant breeding), the House of Software (information & communication technology, powered by Florecom) and the House of Technology (technology, in particular energy). ‘The innovative quality of the entries for the Horti Fair Innovation Award and the House of Quality was as high as ever,’ says Van der Loo.
High calibre visitors
The Breakfast Briefings before the fair attracted a higher attendance than in previous years and participants also organised more activities at the stands. A striking feature was the large number of foreign delegations with very high calibre, affluent entrepreneurs. Official delegations from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Brazil and Germany were enthusiastic about the range and quality of the exhibits. 200 decision-makers from Iran were present throughout the week. The Horti Fair attracted 34,043 trade visitors from some 100 countries. This is further proof for the exhibitors that there are ample opportunities at the fair to sell products to buyers from outside the Netherlands. No fewer than two thirds of the visitors to Horti Fair 2009 held positions in which they take or help to take decisions on the purchase of goods and services on display at the fair.
Innovation Award and Best Participant Award
The Horti Fair Innovation Award in the Horti Tech category went this year to Hortiquip for its Hortiquip stick & clip applicator in Phalaenopsis cultivation. The Innovation Award in the Horti Grow & Trade category was won by Florist De Kwakel for its Perennial Gerbera Garvinea® series. The Best Participant Award went to KUBO as the exhibitor to have used the Horti Fair most creatively as a communication instrument.
Interpolis Quality Cup and the Csizik Trophy
This year’s Interpolis Quality Cup went to Vof L.J. Noordam of Woubrugge for its ‘Turbo Lilac-Rose’ Celosia. The Csizik Trophy for the best flower and plant arrangement at the Horti Fair was won by Zuidkoop for the Anthura stand.
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