March 15, 2011, Naaldwijk, the Netherlands – Look, compare, find inspiration and place orders. These were the main ingredients dished up for visitors to last week’s FloraHolland Trade Fair Naaldwijk.
It’s a trade fair that focuses on wholesale and retail. It’s also a major customer-supplier event. During the show, FloraHolland’s suppliers proudly displayed their achievements and successes. Flowers, plants, product concepts, trend presentations and innovations: all were on show on the presentation islands and the five hundred or so stands.
Nursery Bart Bakker Orchids was at the trade fair in Naaldwijk for the first time. Bart Baker exhibited a “ready-to-display” concept for orchids. “This fair has a targeted audience with specific requests and orders,” he said. “It’s certainly worth coming back as an exhibitor.” This sentiment was echoed by those who staffed the stand for Muison, a nursery that received a number of orders that week. Muison showed two new types of hydrangeas on its stand, including a hanging hydrangea.
 There was a lot of interest in the FloraHolland Premium Square. This presentation area was new to the trade fair. It boasted about 150 entries for exclusive products, which are available through the clock sales of the various FloraHolland locations.
The segment-focused approach of FloraHolland Connect could be seen on the Segment Square. The main goal was to provide inspiration for joint ventures. Practical ideas and concepts were presented for the four segments: wholesale, garden centres, full-service supermarkets and home improvement centres.
There were many innovations at the fair, including 42 new products recently introduced or about to be introduced. Under the spotlight were FloraHolland’s electronic supply services FloraHolland e-Trade and PlantConnect.nl. Employees of FloraHolland went along the aisles armed with an iPad to explain these digital services to visitors.
Products and commercial quality were assessed during the VKC inspection. The jury consisted of buyers and sellers who work with flowers and plants every day. The winners of the four categories are:
• Exclusive roses: Velden Roses with White Naomi (9.80 pts).
• Standard roses: Maria Rosa with Testarossa (9.61 pts).
• Foliage plants: J. de Groot with Calathea Roseo Picta ‘Little Princess’ (9.50 pts).
• Flowering plants: Kwekerij Slijkerman with Kalanchoë Indian Summer (9.75 pts).
UPCOMING FAIRS
FloraHolland will be holding the FloraHolland Spring Fair in Aalsmeer on April 13-14. This trade fair concentrates on the seasonal supply of bedding and container plants.
After that, the FloraHolland Summer Fair takes place in Rijnsburg on June 8-9. There will be a complete range of cut flowers to see.
The next major international trade fair is FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer, which takes place in the first week of November, during International Horticultural Week.
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