Eva Olbrich speaking in the old auction hall
Christmasworld
Christmasworld is one of world's largest decoration exhibitions. Its power of attraction reaches from Frankfurt around the whole world. Last year, 39,398 international trade visitors and 953 exhibitors were delighted with new products and innovative trends for, not only Christmas, but all festive occasions of the year. With its large and unique range of products, Christmasworld is a well-known trend and order platform for retail and wholesale buyers from garden centres and DIY markets, bulk buyers, florists, shopping-centre managers, interior furnishing specialists, designers and decorators.
Floradecora
During Christmasworld 2016 marketing agency 2Dezign presented a display with special decorations of flowers and plants ('design by modern nature’). This display opened the eyes of the organisation and several growers. "Nowadays, everything is being used everywhere; not only shoes are presented in shoe stores and not only clothes in clothing stores. Often, this is being combined. And the same counts for decorations. Fresh flowers and decorations belong together and a exhibition with fresh flowers is therefore a good addition to Christmasworld", says Olbrich.
Also for growers, this exhibition will open new trade routes. "I meet so many new clients"; "I inspire them, but they inspire me too"; "Good combination of flowers and seasonal products"; some statements of growers who presented their products at Christmasworld 2016.
In the video below, several growers, including Siegfried Bunnik (Bunnik Freesia), Steef van Adrichem (Anco), Gertjan Telleman (Fresco Flowers), Jerry van Duijvenbode (Greenflor), Jan de Boer (Barendsen), explain why it is worth exhibing at this fair.
According to Jaap Kras, who advises Olbrich together with Rudi Tuinman and Pascal joeleman of 2Design about the design and purpose of the exhibition, Christmasworld also showed that growers are not just selling plants and flowers, but they sell an emotional product. "We know too little about the needs of the consumer and in the future I expect that testing flowers on the needs of the consumers will be as important as testing the flowers and plants on shelf life, disease resistancy, color retention and so on."
Sales concept
According to Olbrich, Floradecora has a sales concept. "It is important that visitors can actually order all the products to be seen at Floradecora – and do so in both big and small quantities", says Olbrich. "And unlike other ornamental exhibitions, this exhibition does not take place at the production location, like South America, Africa or the Netherlands, but in Germany. This is for the reason that the largest consumer group is located in the Germany and the fact that Frankfurt can be seen as the 'heart of Europe'."
The expo floor
Different layout stands
The focus is on fresh products. So Hall 11.1, which covers almost 12,000 square metres, has been divided into an easily accessible area for fresh, cut flowers and one for fresh plants: in each case there are numerous display tables which present a particular type of flower or plant from the various producers. If buyers, for instance, are looking for white roses, they will find the entire range of white roses on the display tables so that they can compare them directly. Each vase bears the name, the flowering period, the quantities / numbers available, the exhibitor's name
and the stand location. “We are drawing the beauty of fresh flowers and plants to the centre of people's attention and, in a second step, we lead our buyers directly to the producers and flower growers. The Exhibition Centre will take entire responsibility for setting up the display tables and the regular replacement and care of the fresh items in the displays on behalf of the exhibitors. This complete package is really quite revolutionary in the sector,” says Olbrich.
The left image shows the display tables with the same flower variety from different growers, on the right is an example of a stand. It looks the same as the other stands, but the decoration can be changed according to the exhibitor's wishes.
Target group
Visitor target groups are grocery and discount stores, furniture shops, restaurants and hotels, shopping centres and city marketing departments, event organisers, decorators, garden centres, builders' merchants and DIY stores, flower wholesalers, florists. The exhibitor target groups are flower growers, producers, floristry wholesalers, importers / exporters, sales collectives and cooperatives, auctioneers, packaging and logistics companies. According to Olbrich, the exhibition hall can host 80 to 85 stands, but for this year, she hopes to set up 40 to 45 stands in order to offer the buyers a good overview of all varieties. Currently, over 30 well-known names have now signed up. Those who have registered so far include, amongst others, Barendsen, Dümmen Orange, Flora Holland, Smithers-Oasis and van der Lugt Lisianthus. With Floradecora, we have entered on some entirely new paths, but it will also enable the exhibitors to discover and enter new trade routes,” says Olbrich.
Rudi Tuinman of 2Design
Surprise Surprise
Once again this year, Rudi Tuinman and Pascal Koeleman of 2Design will give a special presentation. This year's theme is Surprise Surprise. They will make decorations with products from Christmasworld exhibitors, combined with fresh flowers and plants. The goal is to get the consumer's attention with this 'unexpected display. Here too, all products are labeled with the exhibitor's name and stand number. Last year's theme was Mother Nature. For the decorations in this theme, they used 25,000 cut flowers and 2,000 potted plants. This year again, many plants and flowers will be used, and visitors will be surprised by the innovative ideas regarding seasonal decorations.
Cordelia von Gymnich discusses Paperworld and Creativeworld.
Paperworld and Creativeworld
During the press conference, Paperworld and Creativeworld were also briefly touched upon by Cordelia von Gymnich, Vice President Paperworld & Creativeworld. These two shows will take place concurrently with Christmasworld and Floradecora. According to Olbrich, both of these shows will go into current and seasonal trends. "15 to 20 percent of the visitors also visit the other shows."
For more information:
Messe Frankfurt
Katrin Westermeyr
Tel. +49 69 7575-6893
Katrin.westermeyr@messefrankfurt.com
www.messefrankfurt.com