21 March 2014

A story on the brand new trade fair for horticulture technology

Professional flower and vegetable growers from around the world will descend on Amsterdam in June, one of the nicest times of the year to visit this iconic city.  And with over 90 percent of exhibition space already booked – almost half by international companies – visitors to Greentech 2014 can expect a return on their investment in time and money. 

“There is no international business-to-business show with such an all-encompassing overview of horticultural technology,” says exhibition manager Mariska Dreschler. “Professionals cannot afford not to come to Amsterdam this June as, uniquely, every production technology involved in flowers and vegetables will be featured at Greentech. By production technology we mean the technology – in the broadest sense of the word – that is deployed in plant production from seed to tomato or primrose. Dutch companies are among the leaders in this area and GreenTech will serve a broad international platform where the Dutch sector can present itself as the forerunner it is, but also learn from international marketleaders.”

A fresh wind
There has been a distinguished history of major horticulture industry events in Amsterdam, most noticeably the former Horti Fair, also held in the RAI. But here the connections with the past end – there is no structural or financial link with this former trade show and GreenTech has been developed from scratch. In doing so the organisers have been inspired by close consultation with the market to ensure that GreenTech will be a fresh new global meeting place for the horticulture and floriculture sectors.

“At the heart of this approach are three sustainable and connected themes,” says horticulture marketing director Frans-Peter Dechering, who played an important role in the concept for GreenTech. “We will be organising sessions and theme pavilions around the themes of water, energy and biobased. This will make it worthwhile for industries other than horticulture to also connect to the platform, including high tech, chemicals, life science & health and energy.”

 

Out and about
The decision to hold GreenTech in the second week of June (rather than November, the month traditionally associated with Horti Fair) is another major innovation. This will add to the allure for people visiting Amsterdam at a time when the city is in full bloom. “There are few more beautiful places than Amsterdam in June,” adds Dechering. “What’s more, the timing has enabled us to combine the exhibition with an extensive range of trials and excursions.

“The so-called FlowerTrials – an open-house route for floricultural breeders – have already been successfully running for the past decade in the second week of June. Now we are hopeful major vegetable seed companies will start an initiative along the same lines. Add in the fact that everything can be seen within 50 km of Amsterdam and it is clear that international visitors will thoroughly enjoy visiting breeders and discovering new species of flowers and vegetables.”

 

Experienced organisers
Another crucial advantage that GreenTech has is that the event is not only being hosted in Amsterdam RAI but also organised by the RAI, one of the world’s leading international exhibition and convention centres. “Amsterdam RAI is a professional and highly experienced organiser with no ties to any of the participants,” points out Dreschler. “This means short lines of communication and a single point of contact. All the RAI’s expertise in organising leading international shows in Amsterdam and abroad will be used to optimise the visitor experience.”

Highlights will include a dedicated content-based portal where visitors can fully prepare for their visit online and make appointments to visit a particular exhibitor. In addition to being a physical event, GreenTech will serve as a virtual platform where suppliers and buyers can get in touch with each other. The RAI is investing in the creation of an online community, online lead generation systems and matchmaking tools.

 

Face to face
“All these efforts will ultimately ensure that the doors of GreenTech are open 365 days a year,” says Dreschler. “But everyone at the RAI is convinced in the enduring value of face-to-face meetings to inspire business, and that’s why the exhibition in June is so important. We will focus on solutions – enhancing the quality of products, enhancing productivity, lowering costs, marketing, food safety and sustainable production – while giving people the chance to networking with other quality visitors and industry leaders.” 

The issue of innovations is also a keynote feature of Greentech 2014. All companies will be showcasing the very latest products and there will be a GreenTech Innovation Award in the categories of production, equipment and sustainability. “Good nutrition and well-being are crucial to quality of life,” says Dechering. “A growing world population requires sustainable production plus careful attention to scarce resources. It is clear that production technology can make a vital contribution and these innovation awards will stimulate the process.”

 

Future growth
While horticulture and floriculture will be the primary segments during the first GreenTech exhibition, expansion into fruit, seedlings, flower bulbs and intensive agriculture is part of the ambition for future editions. In addition, Amsterdam RAI intends to organise an international event in a global ‘horticulture capital’ during the intervening years between this biennial trade exhibition.

“GreenTech is a springboard to the global horticulture and floriculture market,” concludes Dechering.  “As the new platform of international technology, we are encouraging people to stay for three days in Amsterdam: one day at the exhibition, one day on the trials and one day simply enjoying one of the world’s finest capital cities. See you in June!”

 

On the menu at GreenTech
The 10,000-plus visitors to GreenTech 2014 will be international producers in horticulture and floriculture, professionals focused on processing, marketing and training, investors and government representatives. They will share knowledge in interactive and topical workshops & seminars with over 250 exhibiting companies from around the world, including producers and importers of:

 

 

 

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The brand-new exhibition GreenTech is the global meeting place for all professionals involved in horticulture technology in Amsterdam RAI. GreenTech focuses on the early stages of the horticulture chain and production issues relevant to growers.

 

GreenTech will take place on 10-11-12 June 2014 in Amsterdam RAI, the Netherlands. Entrance is free for professionals in the industry after preregistration online.