Glee was a hot bed of activity right up until the last minute, with many exhibitors still taking orders and talking to customers as the show closed its doors for another year.
One company who enjoyed a last-minute dash to finalise orders and confirm new account details was Vivid Arts, the well-established supplier of decorative garden products such a statuary and garden ornaments. Talking about his experience Vivid Arts’ Paul McGuire, said: “Glee 2013 was another success for Vivid. We took many orders taken throughout the show, and customers demonstrated clear intent to commit to the ranges at the show. As Glee closed we still had customers on-stand, in fact we could have continued for another hour or two!
“This year we launched over 200 new products at Glee, of which we have clear indication that virtually all of them will "make the grade" in terms of distribution and sales. This is an exciting prospect for us, and one that would be difficult to achieve without the platform that Glee offers.”
Another company that maximised every second of Glee 2013 was DLF Trifolium, the UK’s largest lawn seed company. This year DLF used the show to launch a number of new products to the market, including the Glee New Product Award winning Grass Graffiti from Johnsons Garden Care, plus a range of conservation-driven mixed seed blends called ‘At Home with Nature’ developed by Adam Henson, the well-known farmer, conservationist and television presenter.
Talking about their time at the show DLF’s Guy Jenkins said: “Glee really was a fantastic event for our business; in fact we believe it was our busiest show yet. We not only met with our existing customers but we also opened lines of communication with many new retailers, helping us to potentially significantly grow our business. In fact our stand was buzzing with activity right up until the close of the show and beyond. As Glee closed its doors the team and I were still in meetings with customers both new and old. We were so busy in fact that we ran out of time, and have since been hitting the road to meet with all those customers we didn’t have time to chat with properly. It’s been a hectic time but certainly worth it.”
Simon Goodwin, MD of La Hacienda also commented. He said: “We took more orders at this years’ Glee than the previous three years. Tuesday was busier than normal for a last day and exceeded our expectations in terms of visitors to our stand. Overall, Glee was the best for several years for us and our new products were very well received, with orders being taken throughout all three days of the show.”
Vitax’s sales manager, Colin Wetherley-Mein added: “We have always exhibited at Glee as it is enables Vitax to showcase its complete range of new products for the forthcoming season to existing and prospective clients. This year’s show has been a huge success. The new stand and products were received well and we have built a raft of new contacts both at a national and international level.”
Finally, Town and Country’s Chief Executive Barry Page added; “Glee 2013 proved to be a very successful venture for Town & Country, with orders taken on stand over the three days, up slightly on last year.”
i2i’s Matthew Mein, Glee event manager, summarised: “In order to truly maximise your time at an exhibition such as Glee it is vital that every moment is taken full advantage of – whether by placing orders, networking with the industry, locating new products or sourcing inspiration. It was clear as the doors closed on the 2013 event that many people were following this philosophy; feedback post-show has also highlighted the benefits of this approach. We have heard from a wealth of exhibitors who have reported phenomenal success at this year’s Glee, from big orders taken to national retail accounts opened. I hope that this level of success is representative of the mood as we head into the 2014 season. I personally look forward to seeing how this year’s ‘Glee stories’ develop in the year ahead.”
