Glee is growing

The British garden trade show Glee will add another exhibition hall next year. At the NEC in Birmingham, Glee 2018 will occupy halls 6, 7, 8, 19 and 20. From 2018 onwards the show will also have an offshoot at the Spring Fair; this home and gift show for the retail industry, which is also held in Birmingham, will be staged next year from 4 to 8 February 2018.
In particular, the outcome of this year's Glee from 11 to 13 September has increased the optimism of the organiser Ascential with regard to next year's planned expansion. More than 550 brands, including 150 international companies and 200 brand new exhibitors, were represented in Birmingham. The closing report does not give any details of the number of visitors from the garden, landscaping, builders' merchant, home, gift, pet and wider retail markets.
"Glee has been growing at a significant rate and that means we've outgrown our current home," said Matthew Mein, Glee event director. "Glee has successfully relocated before, and we hope that this next move will be received with the same level of industry support. Not only will the exhibition be able to better accommodate more exhibitors and visitors, but its refreshed layout will breathe new life into the show."

In the extended accompanying programme this year, the new Retail Lab in particular attracted considerable interest. Creative director Romeo Sommers of the Netherlands designed presentations for four key future-facing trends that will impact gardening and retail in the year ahead. Other features of the accompanying programme included the seminar series created by the HTA, the Innovators Zone, GIMA Business Village, PetQuip Business Village, International Buyers Centres, and the Buyers Power List and Glee New Product Showcase.