Glee is the essential destination for buyers across the garden, leisure and pet industries it’s packed with hundreds of exhibitors from dozens of countries, offering thousands of profit-boosting products. This year the show will also feature a number of new visitor attractions – as well as returning favourites – all designed to make your visit as value-packed and enjoyable as possible.
Glee show director Daniel Thurlow told the Landscaper : “Staying ahead of the game has never been more important. This year at Glee we’re focussing on innovation and inspiration with new products and features that will help visitors to take a fresh look at the garden industry and respond to an ever-changing market.“
Glee Landscaping
As homeowners are increasingly moving out into their gardens to make the most of their living space, this years show is packed with the tools, building materials, ideas and industry-leading knowledge to help landscapers and retailers make the most of this trend.
Key product groups to look out for include garden buildings from such exhibitors as Walton Garden Buildings, Store More Garden Buildings, Store More Garden Buildings, White Pavilion Company, Jagram, Olympian Sheds, Eden Greenhouses, Timber Garden Buildings and M&M Timber.
M&M Timber’s managing director Nigel Poyner reveals what visitors to Glee can expect to see from the company: “We’ve introduced a Living Space Cube with a roof and three open sides so that you can sit alfresco, have your BBQ going at the back and eat at the front, whatever the weather is like. I think we’re going to see people spending more money on their homes in this market. That also means moving out into the garden and using leisure buildings. It’s improving rather than moving.”
Elsewhere, visitors will find trend-setting products and ideas in stoneware, statuary, terracotta pots, gates, greenhouses, paving, timber, decking and walling. Big-name landscaping brands set to appear at the show include BPC Building Products, Lafarge Cement, Mcmonagle Stone, Deco-Pak, Finsa Garden, Grange Fencing, Kelkay, Woodtrend, Melcourt Industries and Strata Stone.
Garden tools will also be a key product group, and visitors will be able to se the best in the industry from likes of Wolf Garten, Draper Tools, Ikra Mogatec, Spear & Jackson and Handy Distribution, showing a range of brands including Flymo.
Glee Garden
Visit Glee Nursery and you will find a wide variety of top quality nurseries and growers; from respected UK nurseries such as John Woods Nurseries, Joseph Noblett, Golden Grove Nursery, Osberton Nurseries, David Austin Roses, The Anglia Group of Nurseries, Chapel Cottage Plants, Gedney Bulb Company, Mahood Brothers, Baby Plants UK, Hawkesmill Nurseries, Lovania Nurseries, Allensmore Nurseries, Kilworth Conifers, Oakgate Nursery, SP Trading (Scotland), New Leaf Plants, Kindergarden Plants plus newly confirmed for Glee Nursery 2009 – Wyevale Nurseries.
These companies will be joined by a strong international contingent including Monteverde 2004, Floraholland, Anthura BV, Artopya, Profit Plant BV, Greenworld Plants BV, Taiwan Orchid Growers Association, Zelari Piante, Vannucci Piante, Nerium Plant S.L, Covili Franco (Vivai) Piante and Centre de Jardineria.
Profitable Plants
Glee Nursery will once again be the home of the show’s Profitable Plants visitor attraction. New at the show last year, the Profitable Plants merchandising competition pits suppliers and nurseries against each other to produce inspirational retail displays. Designed to best demonstrate how to bring plants to life through placing them in context and drawing on the wide range of products at their disposal at Glee, the Profitable Plants is set to be a key destination for nursery visitors to Glee during 2009.
The Grow-Your-Own Inspiration Zone
The dedicated Grow-Your-Own Inspiration Zone will include visual case studies of garden centres that have transformed their grow-your-own departments as well as inspirational visual merchandising examples and promotional ideas. There will also be a number of live demonstrations, where The Garden Works team will show retailers how to talk customers through simple grow-your-own projects.
The Innovators Zone
The Innovator’s Zone is a new area at Glee dedicated to the entrepreneurs and start-up companies taking their first steps into the sector. The two zones, one for garden and one for pets and aquatics, will champion innovation at grass roots and showcase genuinely new products that are guaranteed to cause a stir in the garden and pet industries.
Glee New Products
Hundreds of new products launch are set to launch at Glee this year; to make navigating them that bit easier, they will once again be collected in the Glee New Products areas. The two dedicated stands for garden and pets and aquatics will provide buyers with a whistle-stop tour of the newest innovations on the market. The products featured will also be entered into Glee’s New Product awards, where industry experts will select the next big thing.
For further information on exhibiting or to pre-register for free visitor entry, call 01923 690 663 or visit www.gleebirmingham.com where the latest show, exhibitor and visitor information are all available.