Marketplace for new business contacts becomes more international
Innovative trade-fair ordering platform for fresh flowers, decorative plants, and flower arrangements gets improved hall layout
Fresh flowers and plants are gaining ever greater importance in the retail trade – whether as seasonal decoration for the home, for a festive table at birthdays, weddings and the like, as an attractive gift to take along as a guest – or, indeed, even as a fresh addition to product displays in the shop window and in the shop interior. The demand is for easy-care and long-lasting products, which give people an appetite for bringing more fresh greenery into the home or giving it as presents. In order to meet this increased demand and, at the same time, generate new growth potential, the floristry industry is on the lookout for new sales channels. With its innovative marketplace, Floradecora, Messe Frankfurt have picked up on these developments and, thanks to the concurrently held Christmasworld, the leading international trade fair for seasonal and festive decoration, access to international and professional buyers from a variety of retail types is guaranteed. “With Floradecora we are seeking to provide fertile ground for greater growth in the face of the structural changes currently taking place in the international floristry industry,” says Eva Olbrich, Director of Floradecora and Christmasworld at Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. 30 exhibitors have already signed up for the second edition of this wholesale fair for fresh flowers, plants, bouquets and ready-to-sell flower arrangements, which is to be held from 26 to 29 January 2018.
They include, for instance, Anthura, Chrysal, Dümmen Orange, FleuraMetz, Goedegebuure Natural Decorations, Heembloemex Deco, LG Flowers and Zentoo. “Moreover, we are delighted to see that, with participants from Denmark, Spain, and Ecuador, the show is becoming more international,” says Ms Olbrich. After the positive experience of the premiere, the hall layout, which brought together supply and demand in an innovative way, is being adjusted in line with the exact requirements of the sector. “In addition, we are counting on yet more workshops to go with the accompanying programme of lectures. Tweaking the show in this way should bring more sharply into focus the added value for all market participants. Not least because the new ideas at Floradecora are all about creating new business contacts,” adds Director Olbrich.
Hall 11.1 to have greater focus on the products
A central feature of Floradecora is the intuitive visitor flow through the exhibition space, which sets the wide range of products centre stage, including roses, gerberas, lilies, tulips, chrysanthemums, orchids, poinsettias and Christmas trees, together with bamboos, cacti and succulents.
This is to be made even clearer in 2018. The tables, which display, in each case, one particular type of flower or plant from the various suppliers, are now to be arranged along the main boulevard on either side. That way, the professional buyers immediately see the full range of products on offer, enabling them to make a direct comparison of the fresh flowers available. The display tables thus function as ‘door openers’ to the suppliers: on each table, there will be vases, each of which is identified with the name of the grower, the period when the flowers are in bloom and other important information. Once the professional buyers have satisfied themselves as to the colour and quality of the product, they can then get further information from the relevant supplier at the ‘flower circles’ and then proceed to discuss their orders. The ‘flower circles’ are the ready-made circular exhibition stands, which are offered – in three different sizes – to exhibitors by Messe Frankfurt.
This means that Floradecora is, in effect, a full-service trade fair for exhibitors. On the one hand, they do not need to worry about constructing their stand. They need concern themselves only with the individual displays of products within the circles. On the other hand, all they need to provide for the display tables are their products. Messe Frankfurt will take care of the rest (organise and put flowers in the vases, water the plants daily, etc.). With this layout, exhibitors have the opportunity of a presence anywhere and everywhere in the hall – even with the smallest ‘flower circle’.
In addition, visitors will find a large selection of accessory items on the display shelving (‘wall stands’) all along the hall.
The Farm House – Central meeting point and professional development forum to get new location and new look
The Farm House, which began life as an American barn, is turning into a Bavarian one for the second edition of Floradecora, with the flavour of a traditional beer garden. In future, it will be located at the entrance to Hall 11.1 in the link building that connects Hall 11.1 to the Portalhaus. A programme of professional development opportunities, with, again, some high-calibre participants, will provide the necessary knowledge for people to easily integrate fresh flowers and plants into their retail selections. The programme is due to take more of a workshop approach in 2018. In addition, the individual days will be planned to focus on specific themes and product ranges – for garden centres (Friday and Saturday), for florists (Sunday) and for volume/systems sales and decoration retailers (Monday). Moreover, in the Concept Area, visitors will be able to get inspiration for ways of presenting goods at the point of sale. This concept, too, is to be extended further in 2018, in order to give visitors even more stimulating ideas.
Effective marketplace for new contacts
With its innovative exhibition concept, Floradecora integrates fresh flowers and seasonal decoration to best advantage: flower and plant growers and producers, floristry wholesalers, importers & exporters, selling consortia, manufacturers of ready-made flower arrangements and displays etc. can all reach a completely new set of customers amongst the already existing, widely diverse visitor target group for Christmasworld, who, in turn, will discover a whole new range of products. “We are looking to create new stimulus in the retail sector because mixed selections of goods are becoming more and more popular,” says Ms Olbrich. The international buyers attending include representatives from wholesale and retail florists and their suppliers, garden centres, DIY stores and building supplies shops, supermarkets and discounters, furniture retailers, grocery and food stores, restaurants and hotels, shopping centres, as well as from town and city marketing departments, event organisers, decoration companies and visual merchandising specialists.
According to the visitor poll, 92 percent of the trade visitors at Floradecora 2017 achieved their targets for the trade fair. 70 percent are top decision-makers with responsibility for purchasing and procurement. Consequently, exhibitors were also satisfied with the quality of the visitors and the number of new contacts.
Those of you, who would like to have a closer look at the innovative concept in more detail, can take the virtual tour of Hall 11.1. The 360° tour of Floradecora 2017 at floradecora.messefrankfurt.com/virtualtour also provides information about the portfolio of products offered by each exhibitor, including details of contact persons.
