IPM Essen exhibitors in high spirits

The IPM Essen is in full swing, and if there's one thing technology hall 3 shows, it's that the horticulture industry has risen like a phoenix. The flowers and plants sector is doing well too, and exhibitors across the board are upbeat.

Flowers and plants: upward trend
Flowers and plants sector seem to be making more money lately: consumers are willing to spend more on flowers and plants, resulting in a positive effect through the entire chain, from florist to breeder.

Most of the exhibitors at the IPM are still cautious about this upswing though. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly are the causes of an upward trend, and how sustainable those causes are.

Despite any reservations, exhibitors are optimistic. And it's crowded enough: while on Tuesday things still had to warm up a bit, yesterday it was a full house with nearly 1600 exhibitors and an area of 105,000 m2.

Anne Leventry, Denise Van Kampen and Sylvia Rocheteau of PanAmerican Seed.

Onno Zonneveld and Darek Snieg of Vitroflora.

Antonia Feindura of Elsner Pac.

Tom Biondo of Royal Flowers.

Builders and automation companies are booked full; breeders, brands and suppliers of pots and other cultivation materials are doing good business as well. Technology hall 3 has been popular among horticulture suppliers for years now. The atmosphere in the hall is remarkably positive. At last year's IPM, the signs were already there, and this year it's only being confirmed: the suppliers are doing great.

With a portfolio full of jobs, greenhouse builders everywhere share the same sentiment: they're not in need of new projects, and actually they'd prefer not to have anything new for a while, simply because their planning is full. Internationally, greenhouse construction is going full steam ahead. The Netherlands is also catching up with a lot of new projects. Screen installers, dealers, suppliers - they can already get their 2018 diaries, because this year is completely crammed.

The trade show will continue until Friday. On Monday, we'll publish a photo report of the IPM Essen.