Glee 2013 delivers an audience of quality, helping industry to build big business

Glee 2013 (15-17 September, NEC Birmingham), an i2i Event, has cemented its essential role as the UK?s leading garden retail exhibition, providing the perfect springboard for the exciting changes that will be taking place at the 2014 show.? Across the exhibition?s three days Glee delivered a platform for growth, providing a showcase of excellence and innovation from suppliers across the industry.?

This year?s Glee offered an unrivalled international mix of major brands and specialist suppliers from across the garden, landscaping, home, and leisure sectors.? Key headlines regarding the show?s audience include:

• In total 472 suppliers exhibited at the 2013 show, including over 160 brand new exhibitors to Glee, as well as 69 international exhibitors.
• A valuable audience of 7,601, attended the show ready and willing to do business, as demonstrated by the fact that over 66% of those that visited had direct buying responsibility.
• Over 1,800 representatives from independent and multiple garden centre retailers, including all but two GCA members, also attended the show across its three days.
• Together this garden centre audience made up over 24% of the show?s overall audience, matching 2012?s visitor breakdown.
• Key garden centres in attendance were Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange Garden Centres, Bents Garden Centres, Blue Diamond, Chessington Garden Centre, Garden & Leisure, Golden Acre Nurseries, Hayes Garden World, Hilliers Garden Centres, Hilltops Garden Centre, Scotsdale, and The Garden Centre Group.
• In addition to delivering one of the strongest garden retail audiences at any UK trade show, Glee was also visited by a number of wider complementary industries including garden designers and landscaper, builders? merchants and DIY stores.
• Multiple retailers and supermarkets, both with huge buying power, also came out in force with over 350 visitors falling into this category.? Notable names included B&Q, Countrywide, Homebase, John Lewis, Lakeland, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Ocado, QVC, Sainsbury?s, and Tesco.
• Finally, reflective of Glee?s dedication to delivering newness to the industry, the show?s organisers confirmed that over 26% of visitors had never before visited the show.

? i2i?s Matthew Mein, Glee event manager, comments: ?This year Glee was very much about delivering an audience of quality; one that was dedicated to optimising the sales and profit opportunity that the exhibition offers.? For many the 2013 exhibition was one of the busiest on record, with sale targets being smashed, order books running out and new product launches drawing more attention than ever before.?

?However we know that there is still work to do to ensure that Glee continues to deliver the most valuable audience possible.? Our market penetration within key markets has remained stable, but we know that there is still work to be done to engage with a wider audience.? As we look ahead to the 2014 show the team and I will be dedicated to delivering a show that works harder, delivers more, and suits the ever changing needs of the garden and leisure industry. Glee has the potential to build the long term profitability for manufacturers and retailers alike, and I sincerely look forward to working alongside the industry in the coming months to ensure that Glee?s offering is stronger than ever before.?

Exhibitors & visitors praise Glee 2013

Exhibitor feedback

Lawn Care Specialists ? DLF Trifolium

One company that recognises the value of Glee is DLF Trifolium.? DLF?s Guy Jenkins said: ?Glee really was a fantastic event for our business; in fact we believe it was our busiest show yet.? We not only met with our existing customers but we also opened lines of communication with many new retailers, helping us to potentially significantly grow our business.? In fact our stand was buzzing with activity right up until the close of the show and beyond.? As Glee closed its doors the team and I were still in meetings with customers both new and old.? We were so busy in fact that we ran out of time, and have since been hitting the road to meet with all those customers we didn?t have time to chat with properly. It?s been a hectic time but certainly worth it.?

Innovative garden tools & accessories ? Burgon & Ball

Long-standing exhibitors Burgon & Ball also enjoyed a successful 2013 exhibition.? Heather Culpan from Burgon & Ball said: ?We have exhibited for fifteen years and the 2013 show has been absolutely brilliant ? the first person on stand made a very big order. Glee is the essential event in the gardening industry.?

Decorative accessories & seasonal lines ? Vivid Arts?

? Vivid Arts? Paul McGuire added: ?Glee 2013 was another success for Vivid.? We took many orders taken throughout the show, and customers demonstrated clear intent to commit to the ranges at the show. As Glee closed we still had customers on-stand, in fact we could have continued for another hour or two!?

?This year we launched over 200 new products at Glee, of which we have clear indication that virtually all of them will “make the grade” in terms of distribution and sales. This is an exciting prospect for us, and one that would be difficult to achieve without the platform that Glee offers.?

Grow-Your-Own experts – VegTrug?

Joe Denham, international director at VegTrug echoed Paul?s sentiments.? He said: ?Glee 2013 was our record breaking year!? Over the three days of the show we had more visitors on-stand than ever before. Sunday in particular delivered a great overseas audience, helping us to develop our distribution networks outside of the UK.? We also broke our own orders records!

?We believe the secret to a successful Glee is to keep the products fresh and innovative. We managed to launch the VegTrug Poppy range and also the new Wall Hugger products and this kept customer interest high in our products and stand.?

Innovators Zone success ? Grapes2Wine

?It wasn?t just long-standing exhibitors that enjoyed a fruitful show, a wealth of first-time exhibitors also used Glee to take their business to the next level.? One such company was Grapes2Wine who launched its homebrew wine sets at the show.? Mike Hobby of Grapes2Wine said: ?Launching at Glee has been fantastic for us – each day has brought visitors to our stand, each day an improvement on the last! Sampling the end product was very popular; we?ve received valuable feedback on the wine kits from both large and small retailers. We?ll be working hard to get garden centre customers to make their own wine at home.? Glee support has been spot on!? We plan to come back next year!?

Christmas tree stands suppliers ? Holly International

Holly International enjoyed a successful return to the 2013 show after a short break from exhibiting.? Pat Alston said:? We?ve been exhibiting at the show for many years but have had a three year gap. We expected to see old faces but received 60 new high quality leads from completely new prospects that were al from the right people.?

Visitor feedback

? Andy Bestwick, Bestwick Associates said: ?Glee is our industry event.? You can see more buyers in three days than you can possibly see in a few months on the road.? There are a whole host of key independent garden centres ? the movers and shakers of the industry ? and they are here today. Smaller businesses come to get established and sell, whilst bigger ones build relationships.?

? Michael Steen from Planteskole-Ringen AMBA said: ?As European retailers we are thrilled by the traditional English gardening decorations and culture. Glee is the place to go for insight and inspiration ? the products are very well represented.

A representative from Pallisers of Hereford Ltd added: ?Glee offers something new and very different, especially for agricultural and horticultural dealers looking for complementary products.?

Turnkey Development?s Colin Goodwin said: ?It is the main gardening show in the UK full of very unusual and different products. It?s certainly well worth coming.?

? Sarah and Michael Tullos from Inglefield Plants summarised Glee in one sentence: ?Visiting Glee is an opportunity not to miss out on.?

Find out more

Next year?s Glee will take place at the NEC, Birmingham from 14 ? 16 September 2014. To enquire about exhibiting, call 0207 728 4623 or visit www.gleebirmingham.com for more information.