Every year, the Salon du Végétal, from 19 to 21 June 2018 in Nantes, has something new to offer: more innovations, more ideas, more inspiration. With this in mind, the Innovert contest will be held in hall 2 in a stand offering maximum exposure. 60 novelties, among 50 companies, have been selected end of April by a preselection committee, in the 5 categories of the competition: New Plant, Commercial plant innovation, Production, Retail/Floristry, Landscaping. Composed of experts from different fields of the industry, it have worked to discuss and select the entries that participate in the competition. Innovert is a contest to reward the very best innovations in the world of plants and flowers. The contest is the brainchild of the Salon du Végétal and has the support and recognition of Val’hor: the French inter-branch organisation for horticulture, floristry and landscaping. It encompasses the 53,000 firms operating in the flower and plant industry and implements an action programme, defined by its 10 professional federation members, to develop their activities and markets.
Its mission is to boost consumption through the use of promotion campaigns (Mission Végétal, Cité Verte, etc.), to structure markets through the introduction of labels certifying quality, origin and eco-responsibility (Fleurs de France, Plante Bleue, Label Rouge, etc.), to showcase trades and expertise, to strengthen discussions between various trades, and to renew and reinforce the industry’s offerings through support for innovation. In keeping with its mission, Val’hor is the exclusive partner in the Innovert contest, which awards the creators of innovations in the production, commerce and landscaping sectors. For complete originality, only those products marketed during the current year (so in existence for a maximum of 6 months only) are eligible for nomination. An established favourite, famously strict in its requirements, the contest has become a must-see event, attracting crowds of visitors and considerable media attention. The selection committee and jury panel are made up of experts in various fields, well qualified to give a discriminating assessment of the “novel” element of contenders for the prize. Designers, buyers, trade press journalists, women’s and home decorating press, bloggers and more make up the selection committee and jury. The Innovert prize-giving ceremony will be held on Tuesday 19 June 2018 at the Salon du Végétal.
The Flora Journal 