The 21st edition of the Hortiflorexpo IPM Shanghai came to a close yesterday. The show took off on Saturday, April 20, with aisles full of visitors who were eager to see what the more than 900 exhibiting companies were presenting. Over the years, the fair has grown and visitor numbers have been on the rise. It reflects the economic growth of this country and the potential many see to enter the country.
The Hortiflorexpo is regarded as one of the largest horticultural shows in China and attracts visitors from all over the world. It is one of the most important shows for many companies to see how the Chinese market is developing, to enter the market, to get to know new clients and to meet existing clients from all over Asia. The show alternates between host cities Beijing and Shanghai. This year, it was Shanghai's turn. So, what did the exhibitors think?
Exhibition floor (one of the four halls)
Professional set-up
Overall, the exhibitors seem to be pleased with the show. Not only the size of the show increased, the visual appearance of the show improved too. According to many, the set-up of the entire show and the booths were more professional than previous editions. "Companies were eager to learn how to present themselves and it shows that they invested in it this year", many said.
Who’s who?
Over the three days, the show welcomed many visitors, but recognizing who is who was sometimes a challenge for the foreign exhibitors. The exhibition is held for three days, of which the first two days are only reserved for the professional visitors, and the third open to the public. So, for many exhibitors, the first two days are the most important. However, many - and particularly the foreign breeders and growers - were not sure if the selection was that strict, as many visitors were taking pictures. Are they just flower-loving people or professionals in the industry? Almost every one of these exhibitors had an interpreter, but when they were not there, it was very difficult for them to estimate whether it's a potential breeder/importer or not.
Easter weekend
A major drawback of this year's show was the timing. It wasn't just a weekend - for many countries it was the Easter weekend, and according to several exhibitors this might have withheld some foreigners from visiting the show. Next year, when the show will be held in Beijing, it will not be in a weekend and not during Easter. Then it will take place from Tuesday April 7 until Thursday April 9.
Viscon introduces turn-key solutions
At IPM Shanghai 2019 Viscon Group had the honor to present its automation solutions at the Dutch embassy party on April 20th. With the speech Viscon celebrated decades of experience with Chinese horticultural companies. Viscon values the long-term stability of relationships with Chinese horticultural companies and was therefore proud to present Viscon’s automation solutions in the agro and (non-)food sector during the Dutch embassy party at IPM Shanghai.
Robbert Jan in ‘t Veld, sales manager for Visser Horti Systems – which is one of the daughter companies within the Viscon Group – is optimistic about the organization’s future in China. “We look forward to maintaining the long-term relationship with Chinese horticultural companies”, he explained. “Thanks to our consistent efforts we will be able to provide high-quality support to Chinese companies locally.”
Photo report
FloralDaily was also present to make a photo report of the show and to learn more about the Chinese floriculture industry and its trends. On Wednesday, the report will be published. Here are already some photos to get an impression.
Mike Samilian and Richard de Quisada see the demand for peat moss increase every year. Lambert has been selling its products to China for about 5 years now and they also have an agent in Guangzhou. In China, they currently sell the basic products, but in the future, they expect to sell more specific products for specific crops.
Jerome Patault and Michael Nordlohne of Pöppelmann. They've been exhibiting at the Hortiflor Expo since 2004 and supply several distributors and have direct customers all over China. The show is a good opportunity for them to meet their existing and new clients - not only from China, but also from other parts of Asia. Regarding trends in the pots, Jerome sees that the thermoform pots are becoming increasingly popular due to the fact that more and more is being automated. "Our thermoform pots work very well on potting machines."
Ravi and Naren Patel of Subati Flowers are exporting a part of their Kenyan grown roses to China for about 4 years now. "Initially, we had some challenges with the language barrier, but over the years, we established good relationships." In order to differentiate from the domestic production, which has improved and grown over the last years, Subati supplies different roses, shapes and colors than the Chinese are used to. "They are not used to spray, other than standard colors and shapes." Ravi and Naren expect their sales to this country to increase. "Everyone is used to export and now they need to learn to import and handle flowers."
Woodea Wang of KG Systems sees the company growing step by step in the Chinese market. "The increase of labor costs and/or the lack of labor combined with the scarcity of land results in a higher demand for automation and efficiency."
Eduardo Chirboga of Esmeralda Farms presenting a large variety of flowers. This Ecuadorian grower has been exporting to China for about 9 years now. The rainbow gyp is one of the flowers that is doing very well in China. "We were the ones who started to tint the gypsophilas, and it turned out to be a success." On top of that, they also preserve several flowers, other than roses, and they are the only producer in Latin America of the rice flower.
Ida Zhang, Savio Ma and Gerard Lentjes of Armada. Last year, they established Armada China in Shanghai and they are now for the first time exhibiting with their company at the Hortiflor Expo.