Market buzzing after a thriving Glee
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Busy aisles, full-to-capacity exhibiting space and a positive, business-building atmosphere were the hallmarks of this year’s Glee garden trade exhibition, which took place 14th -16th September at the NEC Birmingham.
Offering buyers the chance to shop across every aspect of their gardening ranges, Glee successfully built on its 2014 reinvention, which included easily-accessed new halls, a bright, ‘Green Heart’ atrium space for growers and strong, business-focused visitor features.
As a result this year’s Glee, organised by i2i Events, attracted several thousand British and international garden retailers, online buyers, DIY stores, landscapers and builders’ merchants. The overall number of retailers attending increased, including more key decision makers, buyers, MDs and business owners than in previous years. There was also a particularly high penetration of UK garden centres; in fact 98% of Garden Centre Association (GCA) members visited the show.
Matthew Mein (above), i2i Events Glee event director, confirmed that feedback from visitors and exhibitors had been exceptional: “From the comments we have received from both buyers and suppliers, this has been the most vibrant and exciting Glee of recent years,” he said. “It was clear that plenty of business was being done, new opportunities were being forged, and people were seizing the chance to network and build their professional knowledge. We have already taken a significant number of re-bookings from suppliers keen to secure their places for next year.”
Strong retailer response
Praise from retailers visiting the show extended from independent garden centres, to on-line providers and major multiple retailers.
One of the visitors to Glee was Nathan Dodd, buyer at gardensite.co.uk. Speaking at the show he said: “There is a really good vibe at the show this year. From the way we were welcomed to the atmosphere in the halls, it’s great. The layout is good and ensures much more togetherness as a whole.”
Heidi Towse, head of buying at Homebase, echoed his view. “There's a great atmosphere at the show, everyone seems so happy,” she said. “The layout is great, and having the show on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is so much better.”
Conna Powles, buying director at Haskins Garden Centres added: “(The show had a) great atmosphere and great layout. This was my third Glee and I felt that it was notched up another gear this year, with larger stands, key suppliers, and great innovation too. It is good to see plants back for a second year in a row which was really useful for me. It was good to see so many gardening suppliers as Glee is obviously the key show for us, but, as the proportion of non-gardening sales grows, it was also good to see a selection of non-gardening suppliers too. I really enjoyed taking part in the judging of the new products, finding exciting new products at the show and swapping information with my fellow retailers in a well laid out, contemporary environment with good catering and easy access. Winning the award in the Glee Power List was just the icing on the cake!”
Garden centre buyers speaking to the Garden Trade News team after the show were equally enthusiastic about both Glee’s offering, and the potential for doing business there.
Boyd Douglas-Davies, chief executive officer, Hillview Garden Centres said: “I thought Glee was outstanding, certainly the best show in years. Quality and range of exhibitors was very good.”
Colin Barrie, managing director, Caulders Garden Centres confirmed: “I thought Glee was even better than last year, and I thought last year was great! It is now a “can’t miss” show for any garden retailer in the UK. Where else would you be able to see so many key industry suppliers showcase so many products in one place?”
Caroline Owen, managing director, Scotsdales added: “Excellent show and time very well spent on a very important category within our centres; look forward to the show being bigger and better again in 2016.”
Nigel Wallis, General Manager, Baytree Garden Centre was pleased with the buying potential. “Some trade shows are good for going and looking, but at Glee you can do serious business!”
Praise from exhibitors
Gardening suppliers and manufacturers exhibiting at Glee also widely praised what this year’s show delivered.
John MacQueen, director at outdoor cooking, heating and lighting specialist Big Fire, confirmed: “We have had some really good leads and have tied up some good orders at the show, meeting all the decision makers for some key accounts in the UK. We used Glee to launch a lot of our products this year and have found it a really powerful show to launch at. Glee is far bigger than other shows and the depth of manufacturers, exhibitors and visitors far exceeds most other shows.”
Des Stokes, national sales manager at natural stone and porcelain paving supplier Global Stone, also appreciated the quality of visitors attending. “It’s been a good day with a lot of good business new enquiries,” he said. “We want to channel our product to garden centres and we have seen loads of them here at Glee. This is the obvious place to come.”
Peter Darban, managing director of horticultural equipment and garden tools company Darlac, added: “Glee works really well for us – we have exhibited for 22 years; in fact we have grown with Glee throughout the years. We have seen a massive difference with the buyers, the show, the marketing. This year has definitely been one of the best.”
Simon Goodwin, founder and director at outdoor heating and oven supplier La Hacienda, was equally positive: “The show so far has been really busy. We tend to see a lot of our existing customers and new customers. I think the Monday start has been really good. Our customers expect to see us here, and they want to see what’s new.”
Outdoor kitchen products company The Alfresco Chef was a first-time exhibitor. Managing director Katey Brennand told the Glee team: “This is our first time at Glee and it’s absolutely fantastic. We have had so much interest from garden centres and retailers, it’s been really good. The variety of the show, and the people that come here, is outstanding. We have made a lot of orders. It’s massively exceeded our expectations.”
Hedge Designer Landscape Solutions, provider of edging and landscaping products, was equally pleased with its first appearance at Glee. Daniel Gobbo, founder, confirmed: “Glee has been on our radar for quite some time, and is our first product launch through marketing. We had a wish list for buyers, including the five major retailers that we wanted, and we have seen them all so I would absolutely recommend Glee to other people. We have already booked again for next year with a bigger stand.”
The eight, dedicated sections featured in this year’s Glee encompassed every aspect of garden retailing including garden care; garden design & landscaping; plants & nursery; garden leisure; home, gift & clothing; food & catering; retail services and pet.
More than 500 exhibitors showcased their latest ranges, including 190 new exhibitors and more than 75 international brands. Amongst the show’s visitor features were the Glee New Products display (featuring the New Product and Retailers Choice award winners), the Retail Inspiration Theatre and Green Heart plant area, which featured an exciting series of merchandising displays.
Glee’s Food & Catering Zone also returned in 2015, featuring exceptional advice on how to maximise the profitability of in-store catering.
Other initiatives included Glee’s inaugural Buyers Power List awards, a Leaders for Change lunch attended by top industry decision-makers, and an extensive Innovators Zone launching entrepreneurial new products. The Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association (GIMA) Business Village and Buyers Connect meetings, UKTI / Gardenex International Buyers' Centre and UKTI International Business Zone created even more business-building opportunities.
2016 product trends also took centre stage at the show. Using new website technology, Glee’s Trend Reports revealed ten key gardening trends including Grow-Your-Own grow beds, outdoor living products inspired by ‘Eastern Promise’, and products using the latest fabric technology. Video and social media content, Glee’s award programme, plus thousands of exciting product launches, also made the show a hotbed for the key new trends set to hit the gardening sector in the year ahead.
Glee will now continue this momentum further in 2016, confirmed Matthew Mein: “We already have exciting plans in the pipeline that will retain all the best aspects of what Glee now delivers, whilst making even more enhancements to benefit buyers and sellers. Glee is a resource for the whole gardening industry – and we will ensure it provides the focused, fruitful business hub the industry needs, both during the show and throughout the year,” he concluded.
Find out more
Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening product categories. To keep up-to-date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com. To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2016 call 020 3033 2160.
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