global plant special
Spring plant fairs capture the imagination!
The event in questionwas held onMay 17, in Boskoop. This time of year sees a slowing down fromthe plant sales volume achieved during February andMarch.
H
owever, the style and format of this event was clearly in evidence for all to see. This event is held 30 times per year through the key buying seasons. Since its launch alongside
Plantarium in 1996, the Groen-Direkt event has gradually gained momentum and has been held at its own site in Middelburgseweg since 2006. An audience of around 250 buyers from across Europe were able to source and order from a choice of around 3,000-4,000 sample batches of plant material. They are all alphabetically arranged to enhance a quick overview. From Bourgainvillea ‘Alexandra’ to Passiflora ‘Lavender Lady’, the choice is overwhelming. The entire fair can also be viewed online each time it is held and orders placed by email.
‘QUALITYOF DELIVERY ’MATCHES ‘QUALITYON SHOW’ Growers have two options: a traditional nursery stand or to display theirmaterialwithin general layer displays. In addition, there are also trayswith annuals etc in all pot sizes. This creates awonderfulmixture of visual opportunities for the discerning plant buyer. Everyweek
Groen-Direkt chooses the top 50 plants fromits 400 suppliers to create the ‘Mix of theWeek’. Once the orders have been placed, the logistics programme for delivery is just as good as the quality of the plants themselves.Within two days of the event, delivery is confirmed or at the latest,within seven days. The assigned tree nurseries (up to 500) receive a general order at 4pmon the day of the event fromGroen-Direkt. This contains information on all of the plants sold on the fair. All the nurseries have to bring the sold plants to Groen-Direkt. Fromthatmoment, the trade fair ground of Groen-Direkt is changed into a busy butwell-organised anthill! The bunches of plants of all nurseries are split up and divided between themultiple orders received fromgarden centres.
IMPRESSIVE LOGISTICAL PROGRAMME At this fair inMay, therewere 250 buyers. In high season, and especially on themajor spring and autumn fairs, there are a fewthousand visitors,mostly plant buyers. Every buyer receives one delivery fromGroen-Direkt after the fair, containing all the different products selected fromthe different nurseries. Groen-Direkt does the quality checks, the administration, the payments and the logistics. This operation is completed in just a fewdays, for the huge number of nursery suppliers and garden centre buyers alike. Because of the short time the nurseries have to deliver the ordered products to Groen-Direkt,most nurseries are based in the Boskoop area, but there are also nursery suppliers from Belgiumand even Germany. The products are sold to companies throughout Europe including the UK and Ireland.
STUNNING AUTUMN FAIR IN AUGUST FromMarch each year, Groen-Direkt is organisied on a weekly basis and from July up to and including November, Groen-Direkt holds a fair every fortnight. The dates are July 12 & 26, and August 9, before the stunning autumn fair which coincides with and is held in the building a few hundred meters from the Plantarium halls in Hazerswoude Boskoop.
Formore information
visitwww.groen-direkt.nl 38 Garden & Hardware News - Retail Plants & Shrubs
A visit to the Groen-Direkt Plant Fair provided insight into howthese events capture the imagination of plant buyers.
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