The 33rd edition of GGP was well attended from October 4 to 6. There were as many as 261 participants, divided over three colored routes (red, blue, and grey) with a length of more than 1.2 kilometers. Even with more area and rental, there was already a waiting list for participants before set-up, and in the set-up phase, the technical area also became increasingly crowded.
With 261 participants, there was about 10 percent growth compared to last year. 70 percent of the participants were green this year, compared to 67 percent in 2022. The field of participants was also more international again.
Three successful days
On October 4 at 9 a.m., GrootGroenPlus 2023 was officially opened. During this welcome speech, the new activity 'ggp.news' was also launched. This news website was realized with the support of Stichting EPS, the license holder of the trade fair. On this platform, all updates - and there are already quite a few - are collected in Dutch and in English. It will be possible to enter into a partnership with this news site as of the GGP 2023; the first partnerships were already concluded at the trade fair.
Satisfaction
The first day of the fair gave every reason for satisfaction. This Wednesday attracted 8% more visitors than the Wednesday of the previous edition; there was also more variety internationally. Visits were actually good throughout the day. Several spot checks among participants yielded satisfied reactions, especially with regard to the increased quality of the visitors. All judging had been moved from Tuesday to Wednesday morning, which was considered useful. It also gave the judges a better idea of the stands now that they were 'in operation' and allowed visitors to watch the plant judging.
Visitors
Thursday saw 12 percent more visitors than the previous year. Consequently, this was immediately the busiest day of the trade fair. The external press trip and the children's press trip took place on Thursday. The children's press trip is a new item and was a resounding success and good PR for tree nurseries. The mayor and the brand-new children's mayor of arboricultural municipality Zundert joined in to give it even more cachet.
Overall, over the entire fair, visitors were 8.2 percent more than in 2022 and 5.3 percent more than in 2021. Typical was the higher percentage of international visitors, with the largest groups coming from Germany, France, Poland, Italy, England, Portugal, Denmark, Serbia and Montenegro. International attendance went from 27 percent in 2022 to 31 percent in 2023. The number of countries represented also increased, from 27 to 32.
Of the visitors, 18 percent said they were at GGP for the first time. 8.6 percent said they were freight forwarders or traders, 4.5 percent said they did garden landscaping, and likewise 4.5 percent said they represented a garden center. These are increases from 2022. 52.6 percent said they themselves owned the firm on whose behalf they made the visit, and 9.4 percent said they were buyers. The latter is also an increase from 2022.
9.7 percent know the trade fair from printed trade magazines. 7 percent noticed GGP through the internet. 41.5 percent came to GGP as a result of an advertisement. 20 percent of the ads were in print media, and 80 percent online.
Award ceremonies
Prizes and medals were awarded again this year. All award ceremonies can be viewed digitally via the app, website, and YouTube channel. Photo albums are also on the website. The theme 'Dynamic & Digital' was reflected throughout the fair, in the decoration of the stands but also in the program elements. The KVBC awarded six medals for novelties. In the second Green Grand Prix judging, in which a total of 19 plants were judged, five plants received a classification. The Zunderts Groen Imago Award, the Jac Lodders Award, and the Jan van Dongen Award were all also handed out again, of course. These awards can also be viewed on YouTube.
Press
The Dutch press was well represented for three days, but the international press was also present in larger numbers and at the invitation of GGP. No fewer than 20 foreign trade journalists were present, particularly from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland. We will start seeing articles in domestic and foreign media in the coming period. Those who could not attend have, of course, been provided with information and images.
New location
This year, for the first time, the trade fair was organized on the premises of Business Centre Treeport (BCT). While some people still found the location difficult to find, many others were wildly enthusiastic. Given the increased number of visitors, people generally know their way around well. The set-up was spacious and clear, and thanks to the preservation of the IKEA route and appearance, the atmosphere in the halls was like it used to be. Overall, the positive 'vibe' was good to feel at the relationship fair. Incidentally, the positive sounds are also confirmed by the registrations already received for the 34th edition of the trade fair, which will take place from October 2 to 4, 2024. Meanwhile, the registration form is also publicly available.
However, the fair is not over yet, as the participants' current offers will continue to be available via Varb in the fair app and on the website under the entry: current offers. Besides the current offer, the comprehensive participant profiles will also remain available until December. Also, the routes are fully filmed, so looking back is very easy.
Source: GrootGroenPlus