Horti Fair 2010: Strong Group Of Participants, New Attractions And Extra Innovation

Amsterdam, 6 October 2010 - On top of the strong group of participants, the Horti Fair 2010 is again offering extras to visitors this year. Extras like the new pavilions Technical Trials and Horti Fair Stage, an even greater focus on innovation and a fascinating exchange of knowledge by means of Breakfast Briefings, special interest pavilions and the exhibition theme 'Earning Sustainably'. The Horti Fair is being held in the Amsterdam RAI in the Netherlands from 12 to 15 October inclusive, the event will be opened by the new chairman Ewald van Vliet and admission is free of charge for trade visitors, if they download their tickets at www.hortifair.com/tickets.

With approximately 530 exhibitors from 35 countries, half of them from the Netherlands, the Horti Fair once more has a rock solid group of participants. It is the most complete of horticultural trade fairs and internationally the most intensively visited trade event in the world. From automation to seed technology and from parental material to packaging: the Horti Fair 2010 offers a complete picture of contemporary horticulture. The hundreds of innovations also look forward to the future, partly as a result of the theme of 'Earning Sustainably'.

Opening by Ewald van Vliet

The Horti Fair 2010 will be opened by Ewald van Vliet, the new chairman of the board, and during the opening he will consider developments in horticulture and the role of trade fairs, now and in the future. ,,The fragmentation of the range of trade fairs and less scope for investment because of the crisis mean that the Horti Fair is more compact now. But fortunately, it is at least as complete. We are introducing the concept of the International HortiWeek during the exhibition. International horticultural trade fairs and events in the Netherlands are bundling their activities under that title in the first week of November 2011. With joint promotion, carefully coordinated exhibition concepts, and shuttle services for example. That means partnership in the interest of visitors and participants alike. And for, from and by horticulture,’’ predicts Van Vliet.

New: Technical Trials and Horti Fair Stage

Technical Trials and the Horti Fair Stage are new pavilions at the Horti Fair. Seventeen specialist technology suppliers work together in Technical Trials. They organize field trips from the Centraal Station (stand 04.0417) at the Horti Fair to the participants' businesses and to concrete projects in practice, so that visitors can see the technical progress and possibilities with their own eyes. The Horti Fair Stage (in hall 6 of the Amsterdam RAI) is the new events platform with Flowertrends (flowered by Dutch Creations), prize ceremonies, TV recordings for KAS Tuinbouw, rounds of the Horti Business Game 2.0 and the final round of Ranking the Grower.

Even more innovation

At the 2010 edition of the Horti Fair, the House of Technology is being complemented with Innovation, there is a special new products judging event in the House of Quality, and Syntens is linking this year's Breakfast Briefings to I-Tours that will take in innovative participants. ,,This is a further underpinning of the innovation programme of the Horti Fair,’’ says its managing director Wim van der Loo. The presentation of the Innovation Award (in partnership with Reed Business) during the official opening of the Horti Fair by chairman Ewald van Vliet is an important benchmark in this programme. Which of the ten nominees will win the first prize in the form of a media cheque for € 5,000, receive the esteem of colleagues in the sector and ride the huge wave of publicity? All new products registered can be seen at www.hortifair.com and recognized at the fair and on the official floorplans as well by the special New logo.

Exchange of knowledge and amusement

With the exhibition theme of 'Earning Sustainably' as their keynote, there is once more an impressive programme of Breakfast Briefings (see www.syntens.nl/hortifair) before the exhibition opens in the morning. No fewer that five subjects are examined from different angles between 08.00 and 10.00 hours every day, after which visitors can also walk the I-Tour route and conclude this part of their day in the House of Technology & Innovation. This is also simply the best pavilion for a spectacular programme of debates. The Horti Fair House of Software (no. 01.0428) offers the prospect of software developments in horticulture and the Breeders' Market houses specialist suppliers of parental material. In the House of Quality around 1,000 flower and plant entries will be competing for the Interpolis Quality Cup, the prize for the most highly rated entry. The AVAG Market (no. 04.0220) is the pavilion for contractors and fitters in greenhouse horticulture in the Netherlands, with Greenport Holland International as a new key area.

Offering a preview of the ten-yearly World Horticulture Expo, flower tastings and the Flower Toppers, the Floriade 2012 stand (no. 05.0212) is interesting for four whole days, which also certainly applies to the Career Plaza (no. 03.0302): the Horti Fair pavilion for matchmaking between students and the horticultural business sector. This special pavilion is a top attraction for all visiting national and international professionals, with a taste event (collaboration between Tomato World, Koppert Cress and the CAH Dronten university of applied sciences), the presentation by Major Earth on 'possibly the most important business sector in the world', and the introduction of the first 3D website in the Netherlands - nederlandse.tuinbouw.nl - in connection with the It’s Alive promotion campaign.

Service for trade visitors

In 2010 the Horti Fair is being held in the Amsterdam RAI from 12 to 15 October inclusive and is open every day from 10.00 to 19.00 hours. Admission is free of charge for trade visitors, who receive tickets from participants or online (www.hortifair.com/tickets). Tickets cost € 40.00 at the box office (for non-trade visitors). Shuttles bring visitors safely, swiftly and comfortably to the Horti Fair from horticultural areas (www.hortifair.com/route). Take a look at www.hortifair.com for an up-to-the-minute impression of the most intensively visited trade event for professional horticulture and click on www.hortifair.com/hortivisit for the free weekly e-mail newsletter. All visitors can also pick up their free copy of the Horti Fair Daily News, the exhibition newspaper with the latest news from the fair in English, plus a complete floorplan and a daily agenda.