Jan. 21, 2010, Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands – The International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTF) is launching a new trade exhibition dedicated to the promotion of the international floriculture industry.

After it became clear that the national Dutch horticulture exhibition Horti Fair was not going to move their show dates to the first week of November (as requested by a large group of traditional floriculture exhibitors at the event), the decision was made to organize the new trade fair IFTF.

It will take place from Wednesday, Nov. 3, to Friday, Nov. 5, in Expo Haarlemmermeer, Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands.

Expo Haarlemmermeer is a facility that was designed, built and used especially for the world-renowned 2002 world flower exhibition Floriade. It is a state-of-the-art greenhouse type of hall and situated about 15 minutes – and a 10-kilometre distance – from the Aalsmeer Flower Auction.

ONE STOP SHOPPING

The wish of a specialized trade fair for the flower and plant industry has been felt already for a long time. Further­more, the desire to have such a fair in the first week of November has been there since the dates changed to mid-October (from November) three years ago.

The fact the new trade fair will be held the same dates as the FloraHolland Trade Fair (a show organized by the flower auction FloraHolland inside the auction for their members and buyers) has been received very well by both exhibitors and visitors from inside and outside the Netherlands. In addition, various exhibitors are planning to have open houses during this week as well.

Organizers feel this will offer an excellent mix of activities to put Holland back on the map in the world of professional international flower trade exhibitions.

HPP Exhibitions, a Dutch-based trade show organizer that specializes in the organization of flower and plant trade fairs, is organizing this new trade fair. “The goal is to get back the image the flower show had years ago when the show took place yearly in the flower auction Aalsmeer,” says HPP. This show later entered into a joint exhibition with the technical horticultural exhibition NTV and was moved to the RAI exhibition centre in 2000.

“We want our flower exhibition back, just as it was before,” a rose breeder recently said. HPP Exhibitions general manager Dick van Raamsdonk said that’s the goal. “For over 25 years, we have specialized in the organization of flower and plant trade shows abroad. Floriculture trade fairs are our profession. We either organize the fairs in countries where the flowers and plants are grown and we bring in the buyers, or they are held in the country where flowers and plants are being sold and we bring in the growers. Holland has both elements, and is therefore an excellent country to combine everything in the same week, together with other related events.”