At the end of August, the autumn edition of PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt has been a great success in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The positive trading atmosphere, satisfied exhibitors, and thousands of visitors made this third edition a resounding success. The fully occupied exhibition floor was bustling with visitors on both days 21-22 August. Teun van Geest of Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants had a very positive experience during his first participation in the fair. “It actually exceeded expectations. I made many new contacts and renewed old ones. The stand location and organization were top-notch, and I really enjoyed the compliment-givers on the second day.” Jantine van der Kwaak of Jac. Niekerk B.V. is also very enthusiastic. “This fair is ideal for meeting your existing customers, but also for making new contacts. We spoke with many visitors from the Netherlands, Belgium, and England and are very satisfied with the excellent care provided at the fair.”

Exhibition manager Marjolein Wieckardt also looks back on a successful edition. “Right from the first day of the fair, there was a positive vibe, and it remained throughout the event. Both exhibitors and visitors speak of a successful edition. This positive sentiment is reflected in the number of bookings for next year. The head and corner stands for the autumn edition of 2025 are already almost sold out. The new concept to have on the same area the change to buy directly the plants and to see them on display in the stands is very successful“.

Green Retail Awards

At a fair focused entirely on garden plants, there was also plenty of attention for new innovations. On the first day of the fair, the Green Retail Awards winners were announced in the categories Best Novelty and Best Market Innovation. The awards went to Agastache ‘Agapk’ (BEELICIOUS PINK), submitted by Vitroflora Grupa, and Naturosa®, submitted by Meer Plant BV.

Vitroflora Grupa from Dobrcz (Poland) has won the Green Retail Award in the Best Novelty category with its Agatache ‘Agapk’ (BEELICIOUS PINK) – a lavishly flowering cultivar whose large pink flower spikes contrast beautifully with the dark pink calyxes. The attractive, healthy, full plants are neatly presented, said the jury. In addition to the Best Novelty, another two plants were awarded a gold medal: Hydrangea paniculata ‘LC NO21’ (GROUNDBREAKER BLUSH) submitted by Alex Schoemaker Living Creations BV from Boskoop, and Weigela florida ‘Floraclar’ (BUBBLY WINE) submitted by Valkplant B.V. from Hazerswoude-Dorp. Four plants won a silver medal and thirteen were awarded a bronze one. The plants submitted for the Best Novelty were evaluated by the independent expert jury of the Koninklijke Vereniging voor Boskoopse Culturen (Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society). Of the 42 plants submitted for the contest, a total of 35 were eventually inspected.

The Green Retail Award for Best Market Innovation was for Naturosa® submitted by Meer Plant BV from Meer (Belgium). The jury was very impressed by all the products submitted in this category and unanimous in its choice of Naturosa®. “This concept offers great benefits in many fields: biodiversity, ease of use, low peat content and resistance to diseases. The concept comprises several different strong varieties, and more will be added in the future. Another advantage is that the POS material can be developed in consultation with the customer,” said the jury.

A total of fourteen products were evaluated. The second place was for CO2-Tree submitted by Van Oploo Tuinplanten from Bavel. From the jury’s report: “Although Paulownia is not a new product, the CO2 theme gives it a relevant message. It is a topical theme, but the market for this niche product is small.” Third came Fargesia One Boo submitted by Plant Select NV from Rijckevorsel (Belgium). “The One Boo concept focuses on the different shades of colour in the bamboo range. The developed POS material clearly and transparently explains to consumers for which applications the product can be used,” said the jury.

For the Visitor’s Favorite Award, visitors could cast their votes using green balls. At the close of the fair, it was clear that Catharanthus roseus Soirée® Light Pink Dark Eye, submitted by MNP / Suntory, was overwhelmingly the favourite plant of the visitors.

The members of the Best Market Innovation jury are representatives of international retail organisations from Scandinavia, Austria, Germany, England, France and the Netherlands who are all responsible for the purchase of outdoor plants. The winning concept will be included in the range of the Scandinavian retail organisation Plantagen in 2025.

Besides the presentations of the products submitted for the Green Retail Awards, the rest of the fair floor is completely filled with a wide variety of stands. GROEN-Direkt’s Autumn Fair features 5000 sample batches, a concepts plaza, the presale of Christmas trees and a range of Mediterranean products. Some of the novelties were directly available there. All this makes the combined fair unique for purchasers of European garden plant retail organisations.

Green Future Hub

In the Green Future Hub, attention was given to demonstrably sustainable production. On both days, a round table discussion was held with specialists from the consulting organization GTC+, industry organizations Anthos, LTO, and Intratuin Nederland, certification body MPS, and Griffioen Wassenaar. The topic of discussion was the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, a directive for companies to report on their impact on people and the climate) and whether certification is sufficient to meet these requirements. The overall conclusion was that steps have already been taken, and the CSRD also offers opportunities for companies. However, there remains a significant challenge for industry organizations to raise awareness and get all growers on board.

PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt, the Green Retail Fair, together with the Autumn and Spring Fairs of GROEN-Direkt, is the key meeting place for green professionals and suppliers. The next editions of the fair will take place on 4 & 5 February 2025 and 27 & 28 August 2025.