US (IL): Photo impression International Floriculture Expo

The International Floriculture Expo came to an end yesterday. From June 13 – 15, 2017 around 200 companies presented their products and services at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. The show featured displays of fresh cut flowers, foliage/potted plants, giftware/accessories, lawn/garden, and floral-related business services and attracts vendors and retail buyers from the floral industry.

Last year, over 5,500 floral and produce professionals walked the show floor. including companies like 1800Flowers, Ahold, Albertson’s, FTD, Meijer, Publix, Target, and Wegmans.

And not only US based companies presented their products at the expo. Almost half of the exhibitors came from abroad. Ecuadorian summer flower grower Valleflor, for example presented 12 summer flower varieties and they had a separate booth for their project called Ecuabouquets. Ecuabouquets attended the show for first time and presented its premium bouquets, consumer bunches, and arrangements.

"This was our first time at this show, so we were really excited and anxious about it. The USA is our more important market, more than 80% of Valleflor´s production goes to the USA. Besides that, Ecuabouquets is our newest project and we need to open markets and increase our export volumes. All in all, we are very pleased with the visits we have had", says Macarena Valdez of the Marketing department at Valleflor.

Juan Pablo Ponce, Sales Manager at Valleflor with a visitor.

The booth of Valleflor.

Booth of Ecuabouquets.

And more companies were exhibiting at the IFE and posted pictures of their participation on social media. See the photos below to get a good impression of the show.

Kenyan and Ethiopian flower exporters (Source: Twitter page EA Trade Invest Hub‏, EA Trade Invest Hub was supporting eight Kenyan and Ethiopian flower exporters at the show).

(Source: Twitter page EA Trade Invest Hub‏)

(Source: Twitter page EA Trade Invest Hub‏)

The booth of Sporticulture (Source: Twitter page Sporticulture‏)

Booth of Burpee. (Source: Twitter page Maria Zampini)

"Women's Day has the highest potential for sales growth in the United States' floriculture industry", says Lane DeVries from Sun Valley Floral Farms during the Industry Think Tank! (Source: Facebook page International Floriculture Expo)

"The 4 key elements to increase floral sales - quality/freshness, price, variety, service." - Keynote Speaker Phil Lempert Supermarket Guru (Source: Facebook page International Floriculture Expo)