After the first event in Kalkar in 2016, the fair management had already decided in favour of docking Hortivation on to IPM Essen. The decisive factor was the unanimous tenor in the sector: Not only would all the market leaders and decision makers be represented at the world's leading fair which would score points due to its high internationality but precisely the proximity between production and trading would also result in new opportunities for the horticultural industry. In 2018, Hortivation was then successfully staged as a part of IPM Essen for the first time.
"The IPM Discovery Centre will give the green sector an attention-grabbing stage and will be understood as a pioneering trend show for the entire industry. Here, not only garden centre operators but also breeders and traders will find out how they can reach their customers in an even better way. The green sector has a common objective: to consolidate the sales of green products. On the exhibitor side, the IPM Discovery Centre will bring together all the participants along the entire value added chain: from producers of living green products via manufacturers of hardware and garden accessories right up to suppliers of horticultural engineering whose technologies are just as relevant to the end consumer. However, other sectors from which we can learn will always be welcome too. We would like to pass on the idea that this will only work as a community. We will give this community a home with the IPM Discovery Centre. I am very pleased that I will be allowed to be active as the Creative Director again," commented Romeo Sommers.
Romeo Sommers will act as the creative curator of the IPM Discovery Centre. The green stylist and trend watcher will incorporate the products of the participating exhibitors into POS concepts. All the people taking part in the trend show will become heroes in their sector and will receive special identification. "We would like to show particular esteem to the participating exhibitors by providing them with the 'IPM Discovery Centre Hero' label. They will stand out from the masses in this way. Ultimately, nothing else matters at the POS: Anybody who stands out will gain more attention," continued Sommers. Any interested people can register from now on.